New VP of Development and Alumni Affairs to Begin September 8

Dear Cooper Union, 

I’m excited to share that Isaac W. K. Thweatt will be joining The Cooper Union as our next Vice President of Development and Alumni Affairs, starting September 8. 

Isaac comes to us with 20 years of experience designing fundraising strategies, leading successful campaigns, and advancing donor and stakeholder engagement for mission-driven institutions, including colleges and universities. Most recently, he served as Chief Advancement Officer at the New York Botanical Garden, where he helped raise more than $55 million annually, grew annual contributed revenue, launched a multi-year $400 million comprehensive campaign, and built deep partnerships with funders and trustees both in New York and globally. He’s also held senior roles in development offices at Emerson College, Columbia University, American University, and his alma mater George Mason University. 

What stands out about Isaac is not just his impressive record as a fundraiser—but his belief in building relationships, championing organizational mission, and cultivating community and a sense of belonging in everything he does. He’s thoughtful, collaborative, and deeply committed to expanding access to education and opportunity. He’s also a teacher, having served as an adjunct faculty member at both American and George Mason, and a musician by training. Isaac holds a Master of Science in Management from The Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from George Mason University. 

In building a robust and sustainable future for The Cooper Union, inspired philanthropy and alumni engagement will continue to play central roles. Isaac and the full Development and Alumni Affairs team will be key partners in this work, particularly as we continue to pursue a return to Peter Cooper’s founding vision that this institution be a free center of learning for all. 

Please join me in welcoming Isaac to The Cooper Union. I’m thrilled that he’s part of the team, and I can’t wait for you to meet him. 

With appreciation, 
Steve McLaughlin 
President

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.