Syracuse University

Karen B. Winnick ′68
For Excellence in The Arts and Literacy Advocacy

Winnick is an author, artist, playwright and philanthropist who has devoted her life to young people and service in the public arena. Her award-winning words and illustrations have delighted children all over the world, inspiring them to enjoy reading.

She is the author of numerous historical fiction children's books, including Lucy's Cave, Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers, Sybil's Night Ride, A Year Goes Round, Barn Sneeze, The Night of the Fireflies, Cassie's Sweet Berry Pie, Sandro's Dolphin and Patch & The Strings. Winnick's work brings the past alive and allows young readers to discover the dramatic experiences of children in days gone by.

In 2001, Bank Street College of Education recognized Sybil's Night Ride as Book of the Year. Winnick often presents her work at elementary schools in the Los Angeles area, reading to young children to encourage literacy and cultivate the art of storytelling.

Winnick's paintings have been exhibited in local galleries, and her poetry has been published in magazines and anthologies. She has also produced a play, Kindertransport, about Jewish children sent to England from Nazi Germany during World War II.

In addition to her creative endeavors, Winnick serves as a volunteer to numerous organizations, including serving as chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Los Angeles Zoo; as a member of the Board of Governors of Hillel at SU; on the Board of Trustees Emeritus at Brown University; and on the boards of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, the Jewish Museum, and the Tufts University Library Board.

With her husband, Gary, she established the Winnick Family Foundation, which has made gifts and grants to a wide range of recipients, including major naming gifts to the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life and the Karen B. Winnick Literacy Initiative, both at SU; the Winnick Family Clinical Research Institute at Cedars Sinai Hospital; and the Winnick Children's Zoo in Los Angeles.

Winnick received a bachelor of fine arts degree from SU's College of Visual and Performing Arts. She has also studied in Florence, Italy, and at New York University, the School of Visual Arts, and the University of California, Los Angeles.