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Cornell Endowment Fund, In Memory of Dr. Stoller

So many of you have have reached out to us since the untimely passing of Dr. Stoller asking about ways to show support. Her family recently established an endowment fund in her name at her (and Drs. Mandel and Rosenzweig’s) alma mater, Cornell University. The following is a brief description of her life prior to and beyond Chestnut Ridge Pediatrics. There is a link to the endowment fund at the end.

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Dr. Stoller 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 was one of the highlights of her life. Her passion for learning guided her to a major in Biological Sciences and later a career in medicine. She met her future husband, Tim (’78), while conducting her honors thesis research on kidney function in garter snakes for Dr. Klaus Beyenbach, professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She was also an active member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She graduated with distinction in 1982. Jill and Tim were married the following summer in Brewster, NY.

Dr. Stoller then pursued a career in medicine. She received her MD from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 1986 and became a board-certified pediatrician in 1989. She began her career at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she was responsible for running a clinic and caring for HIV-infected children. She joined Chestnut Ridge Pediatrics in Woodcliff Lake, NJ in 1996 and became partner in 2001. In her never-ending pursuit of helping those in need, Dr. Stoller traveled to Ghana in 2008 and 2009 for two medical missions where she served as the medical director of a local non-profit humanitarian organization.

In 2011, Dr. Stoller became the first President and CEO of BCD Health Partners, a consortium of pediatric practices in New Jersey that she helped form. 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, she 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, Dr. Stoller 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 several dozen local women to march on Washington at the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

After years of speaking glowingly of her time at Cornell, family trips to Ithaca, and Cornell reunions, Dr. Stoller’s daughter Jenna (’12) 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 for 4 years. One of the true joys of Dr. Stoller’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.

As many of you know, in more recent years, Dr. Stoller discovered a true love for dog training and spent many weekends in competition with her rescue dog, Tia. She formed many close friendships with fellow avid dog trainers and 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,” Dr. Stoller regularly worked with new dog trainers, sharing her knowledge and teaching the tricks of the trade.

Dr. Stoller dedicated her life to improving the lives of others. In an effort to continue this mission, an endowment has been established in her name with the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) in the Office of Undergraduate Biology. The program supports underrepresented students primarily interested in pursuing advanced degrees in science and medicine. The program enhances the experiences of BSP students in the biological sciences major by providing academic support in gateway courses, seminars, engagement with faculty, exposure to undergraduate research, team building and leadership development, and financial support to attend conferences. Donations can be made at the following link:

The Cornell Endowment Fund
In Memory of Dr. Stoller