Groat and Alpern 2026 Recipients Announced

Kenneth Kirschner ’75 will receive the ILR School’s 2026 Groat Award and Stephen H. Goodman ’65 will receive the 2026 Alpern Award on March 26 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.

“Kenneth Kirschner and Steve Goodman are both accomplished alumni, strong supporters of the ILR School, and very deserving winners of this year’s Groat and Alpern Awards,” said Alex Colvin, Ph.D. ’99, ILR’s Kenneth F. Kahn ’69 Dean and Martin F. Scheinman ’75, M.S. ’76, Professor of Conflict Resolution.

“Ken has had a most distinguished career as an employment and labor law practitioner. I have very much appreciated his insights and the thoughtfulness of his advice as we seek to ensure that ILR continues its leading role in educating future practitioners in the field,” Colvin said.

“Steve’s career has been international in scope,” added Colvin. “He has brought back to ILR a wonderfully global perspective and passion for encouraging and supporting student engagement in perspective-expanding international experiences.”

Kenneth Kirschner

Kirschner is a partner at Hogan Lovells in New York City, where he focuses on management-side litigation, arbitration and employment. 

Widely recognized as a leader in employment and traditional labor law, Kirschner has won seminal decisions in the areas of discrimination, labor relations, non-profit organizations and arbitration.

He has represented clients in many industries, including manufacturing, non-profit, utilities, educational institutions, financial institutions, healthcare, professional services, real estate, hospitality and retail.

Kirschner has been involved in three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, age discrimination and pensions. He has also won numerous summary judgment motions in federal court pertaining to race, national origin, age, sex and disability discrimination cases.

Before joining Hogan Lovells – previously known as Hogan & Hartson – in 2008, Kirschner was a Partner, Head of the Employment Group, and Office Managing Partner at Heller Ehrman. Prior to that, he was a Partner and Head of the Labor Department at Kelley Drye & Warren, where he began his legal career and a Partner and Head of the Employment Department at Breed, Abbott & Morgan.

Over the years, he has been recognized by Chambers and The Legal 500, New York Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers, among others.

Kirschner earned both his J.D. and Master of Laws in Labor Law degrees at New York University School of Law in 1978 and 1981, respectively.

An active member of the Scheinman Institute Board of Advisors since 2018, Kirschner lives in New York City and Norwalk, Connecticut, with his wife, Andrea Chase ’79. The couple’s daughter, Samantha, graduated from ILR in 2022. 

Stephen H. Goodman

Goodman was the President and CEO of The Singer Company for nearly 25 years before his retirement in March 2023. During that time, he oversaw a sweeping restructuring plan after the company acquired the German company Pfaff in 1997.

That was Goodman’s second stint with Singer, having served as Treasurer and Director of Business Development at the company before being named Managing Director at Bankers Trust Company, a multinational bank where he assisted clients in international mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance, particularly in Asia.

During that time, Goodman lived in Hong Kong for seven years – a fitting post for a man who has both a professional and personal interest in international affairs and economics. 

Goodman taught international economics at the University of Zambia in 1966-67, shortly after it was established as the first university in the newly independent country. 

Goodman subsequently spent seven years engaged in international economic policy research at two U.S. government agencies, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Export-Import Bank of the United States. He has written many academic and press articles, and a book. He has also testified before Congress on international economic issues, particularly trade and exchange rates. 

Goodman’s international interests are reflected in his service and interaction with Cornell, particularly the ILR School. Over the years, he has sought to attract qualified, international students to apply to the University and encouraged and supported their studies. He has also worked with the ILR School to promote ILR students’ international exposure and study, particularly in disadvantaged countries.

Goodman and his wife, Susan, have funded a Cornell Tradition Fellowship for ILR students who have evidenced a commitment to community service. They also established and financed a Global Scholars Fund and subsequently, an endowment for Global Scholarship to fund expenses for ILR students to live and do research in selected disadvantaged countries. Those funds have supported students in Honduras, India, Vietnam and Zambia, among others.

An emeritus member of the ILR Dean’s Advisory Council, having served since 2016, Goodman is currently a member of the Cornell University Council.

Goodman received a Master of Arts degree from Yale in 1966 before earning a Master of Philosophy in Economics in January 1968. 

He and Susan reside in Bedford and Manhattan, New York.