Read the Winter 2026 Hotchkiss Magazine

Four family members, united by a love of research and learning, create lasting support for Hotchkiss’s University Scholars Programs.

By Darryl Gangloff

At Hotchkiss, curiosity does not stop at the classroom door. Through the Hotchkiss Student Research Programs, students travel to prestigious libraries to conduct research in English, history, math, and environmental science as part of the MacLeish, Hersey, Euclid to Einstein, and Matthiessen programs. They are guided by faculty mentors and fueled by their own intellectual drive.

For one family, that kind of learning feels deeply personal.

Dr. Daniel and Jane Glazer P’27,’29 and Drs. Roslyn and Stuart Orkin GP’27,’29 recently established an endowed fund to support these programs in perpetuity. Their gift reflects not only a belief in the power of research but also a shared family commitment to education and giving back. These values span generations.

“For our family, our number one value has always been education,” said Jane, who received the McKee Award in recognition of her tireless work for The Hotchkiss Parents Fund. “More specifically, for most of us, research has always been something that has been forefront.”

They are a family of lifelong learners and researchers who want to share that passion with young Hotchkiss students.

Jane is a dual board-certified nurse practitioner in pediatrics and family medicine. Dan serves as the CT Service Chief for Mass General Brigham, and he is an associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. Stuart is an award-winning researcher, physician, and distinguished Harvard professor. He is celebrated for his pioneering gene-based treatments for sickle cell disease and thalassemia, and he was honored by the National Academy of Sciences for his contributions to medicine. Roslyn is trained as an extracellular matrix developmental biologist and transitioned to academic administration. She joined Boston Children’s Hospital and became associate chief for faculty development in the division of hematology and oncology.

Their shared perspective came into focus during a presentation about the Hotchkiss Student Research Programs. Hotchkiss students in these programs spend their summers conducting original research. They work with primary sources and contribute new insights to their chosen subjects. For the Glazer-Orkin family, the opportunity felt both rare and essential.

“The fact that the students have access to the materials they have and the depth and breadth of the challenge that they have, it seemed special, unique, and just went along with everything that we love as a family,” Jane said.

For Dan, the appeal was immediate and specific. As a history major, he remembers the impact of working directly with primary sources and sees that same transformative potential for Hotchkiss students. He was particularly drawn to the Hersey Scholars Program, which gives selected students the opportunity to conduct research focused on history, politics, cultural studies, economics, and philosophy at archives in Boston, including Harvard’s Schlesinger and Houghton libraries.

“I found conducting primary source research was a way to really bring that material to life and just make it seem so much more exciting,” he says. “You could actually look at the material from whatever era you were studying and make your own conclusions.”

Providing that opportunity can change how students learn. “Having that opportunity available to high school students is wonderful,” he continued. “It will hopefully teach them how to get excited about an intellectual question and give them this sort of little window into all the possibilities that are out in front of them.”

The structure of the programs also stood out. Students pursue projects over time, balancing independence with mentorship. This approach mirrors the inquiry-driven work the Glazer-Orkin family members have experienced in their own careers.

“It really gives the students a lot of freedom, but also guidance,” Dan said. “They set up a project of something that they’re passionate about and are able to see that forward throughout the course of the year.”

Drawn to Hotchkiss’s Culture

That combination of rigor and support reflects Hotchkiss’s emphasis on both high expectations and a caring, connected community.

Jane saw that balance firsthand through her son, Jake ’27, and daughter, Lilah ’29. “The thing that drew us to Hotchkiss was Jake,” she says. “He set foot on the campus and said, ‘I’m going to email them and say it’s my first choice.’”

The School’s culture stood out to the Glazers as much as the academics. “The reason for that is the realness of the students,” Jane said. “They’re smart, but they’re also empathetic. The idea that working together, everyone’s better. That’s been Jake’s and Lilah’s lived experience.”

Dan echoes that sense of connection, emphasizing the great relationships his children are building with friends and teachers. “You combine the academics and the athletics and the community, and just create this wonderful sense of being,” he said.

For Stuart, that sense of engagement extends into the classroom and beyond. After speaking with students in the Hotchkiss Medical Club, he came away impressed by their curiosity and ambition. “They asked very good questions about their career path,” he says. “It gave me a sense of the students and their enthusiasm for looking ahead.”

That enthusiasm mirrors a lifetime of his own work in medical research. “I’ve been doing medical research for 40-some-odd years,” Stuart said. This perspective informs both his professional life and the family’s philanthropic approach.

Roslyn shares a similar background, having spent decades in research and academic leadership. Together, their experiences have shaped how they think about supporting future scholars—not just for today, but for years to come.

A Strong Sense of Philanthropy

“Because it’s permanent,” Stuart says of the decision to create an endowed gift, “it doesn’t get spent away immediately.”

Roslyn says the long-term impact is key. “It gives multiple generations a chance to support the program over time,” she said. “We appreciate the need for current funds, but also the need for permanent funding opportunities.”

Jane sees permanence as both practical and symbolic. “When you’re thinking about the permanent nature of something, you’re showing extra support,” she says. “Not only the physical support, but also the idea of longevity was important.”

Continuity across generations is central to the family’s story. Philanthropy, like education, is something they hope to pass forward.

“I grew up with a really strong sense of philanthropy,” Jane says. “We’re lucky enough to be able to give back, and it’s really important. And part of that is teaching our kids to do that as well. Hopefully they’ll teach their kids.”

Stuart reflects on that perspective in simple terms. “We hope that they appreciate it themselves, and might do the same sometime down the line,” he says.

In many ways, the gift brings together the family’s values of intellectual curiosity and commitment to others. It also reflects trust in Hotchkiss and in the students who will carry these opportunities forward.

“It’s a testament to the School that we’re comfortable sending our most prized possessions away from home,” Jane says. “We’re supporting their choice to be able to tap these opportunities that don’t exist anywhere else.”

Through their endowed support of the Hotchkiss Student Research Programs, the Glazer-Orkin family is helping ensure that those opportunities continue for today’s students and for generations to come.