Partners in Compassionate Leadership and Education

Photo by Angela Murray '27

The TramutoPorter Foundation has named Lasell University an endowment partner through the establishment of the Compassionate Education Scholarship Program. Lasell joins Regis College, Saint Joseph's College of Maine, Boston University School of Public Health, and Jefferson College of Population Health among the institutions receiving support through the Foundation's multi-million-dollar commitment in honor of its 25th anniversary.

The need-based scholarship will be awarded annually to a Lasell student who exemplifies compassionate leadership and a commitment to strengthening communities on campus and beyond. To ensure the scholarship's long-term impact, the Foundation has also established a $500,000 bequest to endow the scholarship fund.  

This partnership reflects a strong alignment between the Foundation’s mission—advancing compassion, social responsibility, and human connection—and Lasell's commitment to developing community-engaged leaders. The scholarship will expand access to a Lasell education while reinforcing the values of inclusion that define the Lasell experience. 

On September 11 of this year, Lasell hosted the TramutoPorter Foundation, endowment partners, faculty, and staff for a day focused on “Defiant Hope in the Age of Disconnection.” Bringing together students, faculty, and Lasell Village residents, the program featured interactive discussions and panels with leaders in higher education, business, and philanthropy, including healthcare activist, philanthropist, and author Donato Tramuto; Lasell President Eric Turner; Regis College President Emerita Antoinette Hays; and Brandon Yerre, a national specialist in AI and workforce solutions at PwC.  

Lasell students and Lasell Village residents engaged in an intergenerational dialogue, exploring connection across generations. Participants also reflected on the meaning of authentic human connection in a session led by James William Lincoln, the Nancy Lawson Donahue ’49 H’98 Professor of Ethics, whose research on Fred Rogers has inspired a popular Lasell course.

“We are delighted to host ‘Defiant Hope in the Age of Disconnection’ and especially pleased to welcome Donato Tramuto and Jeff Porter back to campus,” Lasell President Eric Turner shared in his opening remarks. “We are grateful to the TramutoPorter Foundation for its investment in our students through a scholarship that recognizes compassionate leadership and service to others. This partnership is especially meaningful because it reflects values that are central to the Lasell experience: compassion, inclusion, community, and the belief that education can be a force for positive change.”

Also participating in the event was Lasell’s Chief Institutional Engagement Officer and Associate Professor of Psychology, Jesse Tauriac, the Foundation’s 2026 USA Professor Laureate. Tauriac reflected on his Foundation-sponsored experience in Italy in November 2025, where he joined Foundation leaders in dialogue with faculty and students at the University of Perugia and University of Florence, as well as representatives of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Italia. Building on the success of the program, the Foundation will again fund this professional development opportunity for faculty from its endowment partner institutions this year.

Donato Tramuto and Jeff Porter established the foundation in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Tramuto was scheduled to fly on United Flight 175 with family friends but was prevented from traveling because of a severe toothache. His friends boarded the flight and perished when it struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The TramutoPorter Foundation was created as a living tribute to their memory and a testament to the power of compassion, kindness, and human connection. Today, that mission continues through investments in students, educators, and institutions committed to building stronger and more caring communities.