Spence News

2024 Judith Joseph Jenkins ’91 Distinguished Alumna Award Recipients

The Spence School Alumnae Association proudly announces the recipients of this year’s Judith Joseph Jenkins ’91 Distinguished Alumna Award: Leonore Huppert Levin ’64 and Judy H. Kim ’89. Both recipients will be celebrated at this year’s Alumnae Reunion.

Dr. Leonore Huppert, MD is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OBGYN), primarily practicing in Philadelphia, PA. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. After graduating from Spence, Leonore received an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College and then graduated from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, completing her residency at PA Hospital in OBGYN and then a fellowship also at PA Hospital in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. In addition to running her own private practice, Leonore has taught medical students and residents at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Leonore served as President of the Philadelphia Reproductive Endocrine Society from 2006-2007, and President of the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia from 1998-1999. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. In addition to her professional achievements, Leonore has served on her 50th Reunion Committee at Spence and is an indiSPENCEable alumna.

Judge Judy H. Kim serves as an Acting Supreme Court Justice in the NYS Supreme Court, New York County. When she was elected in 2016 she became the first Korean American elected judge in New York State. Prior to her judicial service, she served as an associate counsel and interim Section Chief in the Bureau & Estates Litigation Section of the New York Liquidation Bureau’s Legal Division, and she also spent several years in private practice, first at Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English–a boutique maritime/admiralty law firm–and then at Snitow Kanfer Holtzer & Millus LLP, where she specialized in commercial litigation, employment discrimination, and matrimonial matters. After graduating from Spence, Judy received an undergraduate degree from University of Pennsylvania and then graduated from Tulane University School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctorate.
 
Judy strongly believes that community and pro bono services are important obligations of every judge, and she volunteers her time by serving on several non-profit boards, including as Co-President of the Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert (JALBCA), as a Board of Trustee of the Historical Society of New York Courts, and as a Board Member of the Korean American Community Foundation, which helps low-income Korean Americans in and around New York City and promotes a culture of giving and philanthropy in the community. Judge Kim previously served on the Stonewall Community Development Corporation, which helps LGBTQ+ Seniors find affordable, supportive, and safe housing, and volunteered at several free legal clinics in Manhattan.
 
Congratulations to Leonore and Judy on this achievement!

To honor her legacy and her outstanding commitment to our community, in 2022 the Alumnae Association renamed the Distinguished Alumna Award as the Judith Joseph Jenkins ’91 Distinguished Alumna Award. From her student leadership as head of the Afro-Latina Alliance at Spence (ALAS) to her work on our Board of Trustees, Judith was a stalwart volunteer who wholeheartedly believed in the good Spence does for its students.

The Judith Joseph Jenkins ’91 Distinguished Alumna Award will be presented by the Spence Alumnae Association annually to an alumna who upholds the mission and values of our School. The recipient will serve as a role model for others through their dedication and service to Spence, professional achievement, and outstanding contributions to their field of interest.
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A K-12 independent school in New York city, The Spence School prepares a diverse community of girls and young women for the demands of academic excellence and responsible citizenship.

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