Biology Scholars Program

Students accepted as Biology Scholars sign a contract pledging their commitment to the program and its philosophy. Students are expected to attend four Community Meetings during the fall of freshman year and one, two-hour study group per week through sophomore year. Students also commit to being prepared for and actively participating in meetings and events. Teamwork is a key component to BSP—members should be willing to work cooperatively toward the goal of advancing learning for all group members. Also, as this is a scholars program, students must stay focused on their coursework and strive for academic excellence.

The family and friends of Dr. Jill Schosberg Stoller ’82 have created an endowment to support the members of the Biology Scholars Program. Please read on to learn more about Jill and her contributions to the world. 

Dr. Jill Schosberg Stoller (’82) was born in New York, NY to parents Paul and Jane. She graduated from John Jay High School in Cross River, NY in 1978. She matriculated at Cornell University that fall and began a four-year period that proved to be one of the highlights of her life. Her passion for learning guided her to major in biological sciences and to pursue a career in medicine. She met her future husband, Tim, while conducting her honors thesis research on kidney function in garter snakes. Jill was also an active member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She graduated with distinction in 1982.

Jill then embarked on a career in medicine. She earned her M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1986 and completed her residency in pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a fellowship in ambulatory pediatrics at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, NY. In 1990, she became an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and served as the assistant chief of service for the inpatient pediatric unit, where she helped run a primary care clinic for children infected with HIV. She joined Chestnut Ridge Pediatrics in Woodcliff Lake, NJ in 1996 and became a partner in 2001. A decade later, she became the first president and chief executive officer of BCD Health Partners, where she oversaw a pediatric practice consortium “without walls” focused on improving quality of care and centralizing business operation.

One of her most fervent passions was working to empower other women, both in the medical community and beyond. As the Chairperson of the Section on Administration and Practice Management for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Jill inspired female pediatricians across the country to break down barriers in this historically male-dominated field and run their own practices. As a breast cancer survivor, Jill dedicated time to those affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer as an active member of the non-profit organization Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE). Her tireless advocacy for women’s rights and her strong political convictions led her to organize a trip for local women to the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

After years of Jill speaking glowingly of her time at Cornell and continuing to visit Ithaca for family trips and Cornell reunions, her daughter Jenna enrolled at Cornell University in the fall of 2008. Jenna majored in biology and society and, like her mother, was a member of Pi Beta Phi. Jenna also pitched for the Cornell softball team. One of the true joys of Jill’s life was traveling with a group of other parents, many of whom became lifelong friends, to watch her daughter play at her alma mater. 

In more recent years, Jill discovered a passion for dog training and participated in numerous competitions with her rescue dog, Tia. In doing so, she formed many close friendships with fellow avid dog trainers. Jill spent countless hours training with Tia, both at home and at various training events across the country. As a living embodiment of the saying “pay it forward,” Jill regularly worked with new dog trainers, sharing her knowledge, and teaching the tricks of the trade.

Jill passed away unexpectedly in the fall of 2020 after suffering from psychological complications of COVID-19 illness; she was 59 years old. To perpetuate Jill’s life-long mission of improving the lives of others, her family established an endowment in her name with the Cornell Biology Scholars Program. Jill was fiercely devoted to empowering others to improve the world around them through science and medicine. Her family hopes that this endowment will allow her mission in life to continue through the work and careers of future Cornellians.