Raymond J. Brienza (Hon. '05), served at NYU School of Medicine for 31 years, until his retirement in 2004 as Associate Dean Emeritus for Admissions and Financial Aid.

He never let a daunting number of applications faze him; he searched painstakingly for that special "jewel" in each individual and consistently admitted the nation’s best students. Among his numerous accomplishments, Raymond J. Brienza introduced the federal Perkins Loan program to our School and developed it into the second largest in the country; developed the Federal College Work Study Program into the largest program at any private medical school; computerized the information system for admissions; and encouraged the growth of diversity in the School’s incoming classes.

At his retirement, the School honored him for his extraordinary service, his commitment to excellence and his friendship and generosity. The School also named him honorary alumnus, Class of 2005, and established the Raymond J. Brienza Scholarship Fund to support needy students of high academic merit.