Indra Nooyi '80
Chairman & CEO
PepsiCo

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A gift to name a part of the new campus in honor of Larry Isaacson

"Through his example and his commitment to teaching, Larry Isaacson gave me a gift that continues to grow." —  Indra Nooyi '80

Yale SOM's distinctive approach to management education requires an environment for teaching and learning that encourages contact and collaboration. To fulfill the potential of the new SOM curriculum and to make space for the growing SOM community, the school is preparing to build an entirely new campus. Towards this goal, Indra Nooyi '80, CEO of PepsiCo, has stepped forward to fund a portion of the building in memory of the late Larry Isaacson, a member of Yale SOM's faculty from 1976 to 1981.

Isaacson, an economist, company executive, business teacher, and lifelong learner, "had many lives," explains his wife, Pat Gercik-Isaacson. According to her, it was his time at SOM that best brought together his collection of talents, curiosity, and interest in how people really learn. "He had a powerful way of reaching into himself, to impart his experience to students in a way they could absorb and understand."

"Larry was brilliant and demanding," says Indra Nooyi. "He was full of questions, ideas, and delight in the accomplishments of his students. His approach to teaching was to give his students the skills they needed and then push them into the world to do good – and that is exactly what many of them have done. Larry's legacy is still alive in those he mentored at Yale SOM."