Awards celebrate those strengthening the bond between Yale and New Haven

[Excerpt from Yale News article, 4/9/26]

A group of Yale School of Medicine physicians who introduce New Haven students to potential careers in health care, two local champions behind the city’s growing biomedical and technology sector, and a pair of Yale undergraduates who have helped turn public art into a catalyst for community activism and mentorship are among the recipients of the 2026 Seton Elm-Ivy Awards.

The awards, bestowed annually, honor outstanding efforts by individuals, organizations, or programs to enhance the lives of Elm City residents and strengthen the partnership between Yale and its host city. Elm Awards recognize individuals from the broader New Haven community; the Ivy Awards recognize Yale staff members, faculty, or students.

This year’s Elm Award recipients are Mark Abraham, executive director of DataHaven, a New Haven-based nonprofit that since 1992 has collected and ensured access to data on well-being, equity, and quality of life in the community; Rob Bettigole and Chris McLeod, managing partners of Elm City Ventures, a New Haven-based seed and early venture fund that has supported Yale researchers tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges; and Dina Natalino, the supervisor for college and career pathways for the New Haven Public Schools.

Ivy Awards went to Leigh Evans, Jay Bonz, and Tatiana Moylan, three Yale School of Medicine faculty members who for more than a decade have introduced New Haven students to potential careers in the health care profession through the Yale Simulation Lab; Kevin Charbonneau, director of the Yale Environmental Health & Safety department; Andrei Harwell, a senior critic at Yale School of Architecture and director of the Yale Urban Design Workshop; Katelyn Wang and Johan Zongo, student leaders of Bright Spaces, a Dwight Hall organization dedicated to youth mentorship through art (Undergraduate Ivy Award); and Collin Edouard, a Ph.D. candidate in Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences who has built connections with the New Haven community through music and mentorship. (Graduate/Professional Student Ivy Award).

Yale President Maurie McInnis and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker presented the awards during a ceremony on April 8.

The Seton Elm-Ivy Awards were established in 1979 through the inspiration and support of Fenmore Seton ’38 and Phyllis Seton, who established an endowment at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to support the awards ceremony. The first Elm and Ivy awardees were named in 1980.

The citations for this year’s winners follow:

Mark Abraham, Elm Award

“For over 15 years, Mark Abraham has served as a translator between the world of complex data and the lived realities of New Haven residents. As the Executive Director of DataHaven, he has moved far beyond the traditional role of a statistician to become a vital community architect who humanizes numbers. Under his leadership, DataHaven has transformed from a regional data repository into a national model for community-centered research. The centerpiece of this work is the DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey, a massive undertaking that Mark spearheaded to capture the granular details of life — from economic security and health access to neighborhood trust and safety.

“This survey is not merely a collection of charts; it is a public resource that has leveled the playing field for local nonprofits. By providing high-quality, neighborhood-level data, Mark has empowered dozens of New Haven organizations to secure millions of dollars in federal and private funding by accurately proving the needs of their constituents. Simultaneously, he has become an indispensable partner to Yale University. Yale researchers and students across the Schools of Public Health, Medicine, and Management rely on Mark’s data to ground their academic scholarship in community reality, ensuring that Yale’s research is both relevant and responsive to its neighbors.

“Mark’s career is a testament to the idea that data, when placed in the right hands and used with the right heart, can be a powerful engine for equity and empowerment. Through his work, Mark reminds us that behind every statistic is a neighbor whose story deserves to be heard and whose needs deserve to be met.

“For his visionary leadership in data equity and his commitment to grounding academic research in local reality, Mayor Justin Elicker and President Maurie McInnis present Mark Abraham with an Elm Award.”

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