Title:Alumna’s passions continue to empower Hoyas

Erica Pincus (SFS’13) was known for her kindness, energy, and curiosity. After she passed away in 2021, her family established the Erica Pincus Arabesque Foundation to honor her passions and continue her ambitions to make the world a better place. 

The foundation’s name stems from her love of dance—particularly the arabesque, a pose she struck everywhere from the stone stairway of Healy Hall to suburban parks, city crosswalks, and glaciers. 

“An arabesque reminds us to stand firmly, remain balanced, and continue to reach forward to the future​,” says Erica’s mother, Holly Seirup Pincus. “The foundation is also like a dance—it intertwines people with Erica’s interests: kindness, innovation, and social justice.” 

Erica’s extensive community of friends and family helped establish the memorial fund. 

“One of the things that always struck us was how diverse Erica’s interests were,” says Holly. “When people asked what we wanted to do in her memory, we couldn’t pick just one thing because she had so many diverse interests,” adds Holly.

​To honor Erica, the foundation has created The Erica Pincus (SFS’13) FOCI Co-Captain Award for captains of the First-Year Orientation to Community Involvement ​(FOCI) program​ in the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching, and Service; established the Civic Tech Live! annual speaker series at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation​; and provided support for programs across the Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics​. 

‘Living on through the foundation’

Originally from Long Island, New York, Erica made the most of her time on the Hilltop as she pursued a Science, Technology, and International Affairs degree from the School of Foreign Service. 

She became a Resident Assistant, took a course with Ambassador Madeline Albright, interviewed U.S. security leaders for her senior thesis, and danced in the Georgetown University Dance Company and Rangila. 

After graduating from Georgetown, Erica worked in the Obama Administration, earned a dual degree MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School and an MBA from Stanford, and worked in innovation policy. 

“The foundation is really about supporting things tied to Erica’s passions,” says her father, Cliff. “It gives us a lot of gratification to know she is living on through the foundation, which benefits both individuals and the broader society.”

Supporting leadership opportunities

Working with the Center for Social Justice, Teaching, and Research (CSJ), Georgetown offers the First-Year Orientation to Community Involvement (FOCI) Program to incoming first-year and transfer students. From January to December, two FOCI co-captains oversee around a dozen peer leaders, who lead 50-60 incoming students in serving local organizations and forming a sense of community. 

Erica was a FOCI leader in 2011 and 2012, and, the summer after graduating, served as the interim assistant program director.  

Ray Shiu, CSJ’s deputy director, says that everyone could connect with Erica because “she  could tap into the idea of what we are building together as a community…. She was the person who people could trust and connect with.” 

To honor her time working with CSJ, the Arabesque Foundation established The Erica Pincus (SFS’13) FOCI Co-Captain Award in 2021, which provides support for two co-captains each year. 

“What the scholarship really represents is how to bring that type of ethos and value to new students every year,” says Shiu, who explains that the award broadens the pool of people who would consider being captain, reducing barriers so students don’t have to choose between the FOCI leadership experience or a paid job. 

Seareen Maaita (H’24), was one of the inaugural co-captain award recipients and says the experience remains applicable as she pursues her medical degree. 

“FOCI is near to my heart and helped me find my identity at Georgetown,” says Maaita. “ It’s provided mentorship and set me up for leadership roles in my current work at medical school as I begin serving unhoused populations, returning citizens, and refugees through a clinical lens.” 

Isabella Trewhella (C’28) and Johnny Lin (SFS’29) are the 2026 recipients of the Co-Captain Award. Their participation—made possible through the award—helps augment the FOCI program as it grows, Shiu says. Along with11 other FOCI leaders, they will manage a record 61 incoming first year students this fall. 

“This is the largest the program has ever been, and it would not have been possible without the support from the award,” he says. “Erica’s legacy is certainly being embraced in our newest class.”

In 2025, the FOCI 141 cohort also participated in the 24-day #MakeEricaProud Arabesque Challenge, which invites participants to do one thing daily that would make Erica proud—a random act of kindness, volunteering, dancing, or even just eating ice cream, Erica’s favorite food. 

Even outside of a dance space, “she used to always strike the arabesque pose—you can see her on a glacier, by the Golden Gate Bridge, and the beaches in Rio,” Holly says. “And we’d start doing arabesques when we were traveling, too.”

Facilitating interdisciplinary engagement 

An Arabesque Foundation gift to the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation established a speaker series for high-impact figures across a variety of fields. The inaugural Civic Tech Live event was held in 2024, featuring former Ambassador Susan Rice. 

Lynn Overmann, who worked with Erica in the Obama administration, now leads the Beeck Center. The idea for the speaker series grew out of a conversation between Lynn, Holly, and Cliff, who wanted to honor Erica and her passion for effecting positive change in society. When, the series came together, Lynn felt deeply grateful. “Erica cared profoundly about this work, the people doing it, and the values that underpin it. Knowing that her legacy would help launch something new at Beeck felt both humbling and deeply meaningful.”

The 2025 Civic Tech Live event hosted DJ Patil, former United States Chief Data Scientist who also worked with Erica during the Obama Administration, and Lisa Singh, director of the Massive Data Institute at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy. 

“Seeing Civic Tech Live attract such remarkable talent has been especially moving,” says Overmann. “In many ways, it reflects the community Erica helped build—one grounded in generosity and commitment to public good. It’s powerful to see her values live on through the conversations Civic Tech Live has sparked, and it has reinforced for me just how lasting her impact continues to be.”  

Recognizing the intersection of performing arts and politics

Since Erica—a member of the Georgetown University Dance Company—loved both performing and politics, the fund also supports the Art of Care Initiative and the Student Fellows program in the Lab for Global Performance and Politics. 

“Over the past few years, we’ve increasingly worked with students beyond the classroom as Student Fellows and staff, providing them with a professional, hands-on experience that includes collaboration and cultural engagement in DC with a global lens,” says Ersian François, Managing Director of the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics. “Students gain meaningful experience they can confidently include on their résumés, while also developing a values-based approach to leadership grounded in understanding and care. We’re grateful to the Erica Pincus Arabesque Foundation for their support of these students.” 

“I’m sure that Erica would’ve been part of the Lab for Global Performance and Politics if it had existed when she was a student,” says Holly. 

Winnie Ho, a former Fellow, helped coordinate the Student Fellows program during her time at Georgetown. 

“Not only has the Fellowship been impactful for the students, but it has also helped me better navigate what career paths and opportunités are possible for me post-grad,” says Ho. 

She’s also seen the larger cultural impact on the community. 

“Oftentimes, students come in curious about the arts but concerned that there is no space for art to thrive in their busy lives. However, by the end of the Fellowship, many come to realize that art is all around them,” adds Ho. “The Fellowship teaches students about their self-worth and gives them a purpose outside of their student identities, equipping them with the tools to think outside the box, and do so on their terms.”

The Arabesque Foundation has also supported the Lab’s Art of Care Initiative. The Initiative, formed to promote empathetic listening and power of connection, has since established workshops and a lauded play, The Art of Care, which debuted in 2025. 

Living life ‘like you’re running out of time’ 

“Erica really liked that Georgetown pushes its students,” says Holly. “She felt challenged academically and supported at the same time.”

Holly and Cliff also believe her experiences at Georgetown prepared her for her dynamic career.

 “Georgetown gave her the capabilities and confidence to put herself out there and take risks,” says Cliff. “She was incredible before she went to Georgetown, and she came out even more incredible. It aligned with her values and vision for the future.”

They are also grateful she could fit so many experiences into the time she had. 

“In [the musical] Hamilton, they say, “’Why do you write like you’re running out of time?’” says Cliff. “It’s like she lived her life like she knew that she had a limited amount of time and that she had to maximize everything —and she did. 

“She lived her life to the fullest,” says Holly. “It was shorter than we would’ve ever expected, but it was packed.”

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