From companion animals to farm animals to wild animals, the animal kingdom is vast, yet university-level programs dedicated to the study of animals are few. After working in investment management for 30 years following the completion of his MBA from Stern, animal activist Brad Goldberg was excited to retire in order to wholeheartedly pursue his passion for protecting animals.
The first step in his activism was the creation of the Animal Welfare Trust (AWT) in 2001, which was a grantmaking private foundation that supported projects in plant-based diets, farm animal welfare, and humane education in addition to funding grassroots campaigns. Goldberg described this effort, saying, "we supported many organizations and campaigns over the years but there was one area that we thought was largely missing in the landscape and that is the representation of animal issues in academic programs." Goldberg met David Wolfson—lawyer, partner and Executive Director at Milbank LLP who joined the AWT board early on. Also an animal activist, Wolfson conducts pro bono legal work for many animal protection groups, has taught animal law at a number of law schools, and is currently an adjunct professor at NYU Arts & Science teaching Animals and Public Policy.
Wolfson shared Goldberg's interest in establishing animal focused academic programs and introduced him to Professor Dale Jamieson, founding director of the NYU A&S Environmental Studies program. Jamieson recalled this meeting fondly saying "when I was back in New York, David invited me over for tea and Brad was there as well, and at their prompting I basically gave a pitch about our program vision. We had a wonderful, like-minded conversation and Brad expressed interest in creating an undergraduate minor to explore this." Goldberg remembers, "it was immediately apparent that we shared the same vision for an undergraduate animal studies program and within two years the initiative became official by offering an Animal Studies minor; one of the first in the country when it debuted in 2010." The minor requires completion of four courses and is open to all undergraduate students. This program also serves as a hub for academics and activists interested in animal welfare by offering seminars, workshops, and conferences. Wolfson explained, "there have been some graduate-level law programs prior to Brad's work with NYU Arts & Science, but rarely was animal studies taught in undergraduate curriculum before. It's terrific what NYU built with Brad's help, combining law, business, art, film, undergraduate, graduate, and environmental studies activities across programs."
Goldberg and NYU professors marked the establishment of the minor and the fulfillment of this vision with a celebratory dinner at a nearby vegan restaurant and new ideas formed: to create an affiliated MA program in Animal Studies, soon to be followed by the idea to start a research center dedicated to these efforts. Kickstarting the initiative with an unexpected and very generous donation of a million dollars from AWT, Goldberg worked with NYU to gather additional funding and make these programs a reality. As Jamieson described, "working with Brad has been like collaborating with a colleague. In addition to the huge amount of mutual trust involved in Brad's donations, he has also connected NYU with several people to support our activities. The recruitment of four other supporters coupled with his own one million dollar donation raised the necessary funds to bring the endowed research center from an initiative to a reality."
This effort resulted in the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection (CEAP) which supports research projects and workshops. Describing the creation of CEAP, Goldberg recalled, "while the minor and MA programs were developing, we also recognized the need for a research-based center at NYU. In 2018 CEAP was established, one of the few such centers in the world. CEAP conducts and disseminates research that contributes to issues at the intersection of animals and the environment. It also presents scholarship and fellowship opportunities. Animal Welfare Trust was one of the founding sponsors of CEAP and it was our largest single grant over our 20-year history." CEAP remains dedicated to furthering Goldberg's original ethos with three fundamental goals: to pursue evidence-based research, to emphasize the relationship between environmental and animal issues, and to foster collaboration between academics and the private-sector to encourage lasting change.
NYU Arts & Science also established the MA in Animal Studies in 2018 which was designed for students who could devote their careers to the animal protection arena. These students gain an advanced understanding of animals in the world and are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work toward improving the overall wellbeing of animals. This graduate program is also open to undergraduate students participating in the BA-MA in Animal Studies program.
Goldberg described the minor and MA programs at NYU as having "really solidified NYU’s leadership in the animal studies arena," but as Wolfson reflects, Goldberg had a hand in creating the entire academic field by supporting universities and law schools across the country. Wolfson marveled at Goldberg's impact when he attended an NYU event with professors and students from NYU, Harvard, Yale, Vermont Law School, and Lewis & Clark Law School. All attendees were "producing, collaborating, and envisioning ways to make the world a better place for animals, and for people in terms of climate change. This world of discussion and activism would not have existed without Brad." As Jamieson put it, "everyone involved in the program feels we can never thank Brad enough or give him the attention he deserves for all he's done for this program."
Goldberg's passion for the study of animals has not waivered since he first began discussing the minor 15 years ago, and he is happy to have furthered the growth of this field of study. Goldberg said, "animal issues touch on virtually every aspect of human life, and the moral status of animals should be of great universal concern. While Animal Studies programs deserve to be represented in academia, very few such programs previously existed. It is very gratifying for me to come full circle from my early days of attending NYU to being able to direct my philanthropic passion for animal protection in such a meaningful way at NYU."