The Owl The Alumni Magazine of Columbia University School of General Studies

IF NOT NOW, WHEN? Entrepreneurs at GS we are all in this together: GS Unveils a New Alumni Association

2014 The Owl Table of Contents The Alumni Magazine of Columbia University School of General Studies Letter from the Dean

Peter J. Awn I am pleased to present to you the latest installment of The Owl, the alumni magazine for the 18 Dean 4 9 School of General Studies. This issue of The Owl highlights the dynamic energy of the new General Studies Alumni Association, recently launched after more than a year of planning, Malcolm A. Borg ’65 Advisory Council, Emeritus along with so many of the wonderful happenings at GS.

Alumni leadership, in concert with University alumni relations officers, worked tirelessly to Curtis Rodgers 33 Vice Dean conceptualize and design an organization that reflects the strides that our college has made over recent years. “We are All in This Together: RALC Transforms into a New GSAA,” thank Jill Galas-Hickey you Senior Director Alumni Relations explains the initiative’s evolution, and ultimately, its goals. To reach those goals, the GSAA seeks your participation—whether that means through attending events and Reunion, Janet Griffin participating in career-related panel discussions, acting as an alumni representative at New Associate Director for Alumni Relations Student Orientation, or leading Giving Day social media campaigns. Your participation and

In This Issue Editor contributions will build the GSAA community and strengthen the School of General Studies 4 If Not Now, When? Allison Scola for years to come. Together, we have and will continue to build a vibrant GS—one that Communications, Special Projects attracts the world’s best nontraditional students and produces successful graduates who excel The School of General Studies offers entrepreneurs and those Assistant Editor in an array of professions. with an entrepreneurial spirit a place to refuel, gain insight, and Anna O’Sullivan embark on their next track. Associate Director of Communications Case in point is the issue’s cover story, “If Not Now, When?” This story chronicles a 9 The General Studies Alumni Organization number of alumni in different fields who have excelled as entrepreneurs. GS has long been Contributors Reinvents Itself for the Future Eileen Barroso an academic haven for the untraditional, but it is also an inspiration point and launch pad for In June, the Recent Alumni Leadership Committee officially Nancy J. Brandwein new careers and entrepreneurial, life-changing endeavors. transformed into a new GS alumni organization, yet into one David Dini Proudly, GS also continues to be a leading transition point for those seeking a career with a familiar name. Michael DiVito in medicine. The article on page 18 describes a number of new and innovate initiatives Alexander Gelfand 16 JTS Students Link Jewish Values to Life’s Work undertaken to support our Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program students. In many ways, Alexander Gould The Fellowship in Jewish Social Entrepreneurship gives the Postbac Program has entered a new era—one that provides the best programmatic Noah Kutzy a select group of List College students a capstone experience. support from matriculation through graduation and beyond. Alan Orling 18 Postbac Alumnus Feature: Dr. David T. Scadden ’76 Anna O’Sullivan In addition to the celebration of your work, as detailed in “Alumni News” and that of recent Postbac Premed alumnus David T. Scadden, MD, a highly Kira Pole graduates as exhibited in the Class Day galleries and “New Grad Notes,” I want to highlight respected expert in stem cell biology, embodies the connection Allison Scola the extraordinary strides we have made in fundraising over the past ten years as illustrated in between creativity and cutting edge research in medicine. Christopher Young the Giving section. Your generosity has led to $33 million dollars raised via The Columbia 34 Giving Back and Climbing High Campaign—$8 million beyond our initial $25 million goal. This has helped to increase the Front Cover Illustration School’s scholarship pool from $3.7 million dollars in 2003-2004 to $17.1 million dollars in Attorney and mountain climbing enthusiast Pavan Surapaneni ’06 Dieter Braun 2013-2014. And on Giving Day this year, the GS Annual Fund raised over $250,000 in one shows how one can give back and climb high. Questions, Comments, day—more than what was raised in one year by the Annual Fund, just ten years ago. These and Change of Address successes allow GS to ensure that the dream of a Columbia education will continue to be a

Office of Alumni and Development reality for nontraditional students from all walks of life for years to come. 408 Lewisohn Hall, MC 4121 Sections 2970 Broadway Clearly evident is the impact of your generosity and partnership, and I want to take this New York, NY 10027-9829 opportunity not only to express how grateful I am for your support, but also how honored I 14 Reunion 26 Postbac Premed [email protected] am to have been able to lead the School of General Studies to this moment in our history—a 15 News Class Day Gallery 2014 Tel 212-851-7432 Fax 212-851-1957 moment that marks how far we have come and together, and how much further we can go. 16 On Campus 28 New Grad Notes 19 Postbac Alumnus Spotlight 33 Giving The Owl is designed by With warmest regards, 20 GS Class Day Gallery 2013 35 Alumni News Di Vision Creative Group New York, NY 22 Postbac Premed 41 In Memoriam Class Day Gallery 2013 42 In General 24 GS Class Day Gallery 2014

Peter J. Awn

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Some GSers begin their entrepreneurial careers after if noT graduating. Others arrive in Morningside Heights with fairly deep resumes

fairytale for grown-ups: military veteran already secured a place in tech history by and treat the School as now, from the Midwest graduates from Columbia helping to build one of the most important GS has always been a and builds a successful business on a dream computer and telecommunications companies a kind of academic oasis and a lot of hard work. But it’s not as rare as it of the pre-Internet era. In the mid-1980s, might seem, at least not for GS alumni. The when Brinker was a high school student where they can broaden haven for military college has long eyed prospective students in South Florida, he began coding multi- their intellectual horizons when? in much the same way that a venture capital player adventure games for Galacticomm, firm might treat a promising start-up, the company behind The Major BBS, without having to put their veterans and retired investing in those who want a nontraditional a prominent commercial bulletin board path to an Ivy League education, and giving system. (Galacticomm sold the modems careers on hold. dancers and performing them the flexibility and support they need and software required to let multiple users BY ALEXANDER GELFAND to achieve their goals. And it tends to attract communicate via computer before the advent Brinker did so with a chip on his shoulder. students with a similar appetite for risk. of the Internet.) Soon after, he established For all his success, he still considered artists, yet in recent f not now, when?” That was and Lenka O, they launched Ost Café. (Ost Students for whom the decision to attend his own BBS and software development a college degree to be table stakes for the question facing Aaron is German for East, as in the Ostblock, or Columbia often involves confronting the company; five years later, he dropped out of becoming a productive member of society. Hagedorn ’05 one morning in Eastern Bloc, evoked by the old Communist same question Hagedorn did—if not now, the University of Miami, agreed to a formal And he hadn’t yet ponied up. years it has also become 2008. At the time, Hagedorn posters on the walls of the café.) when?—and making the same leap of faith. merger with Galacticomm, and went to The former programming prodigy “I had a job as a researcher at a The first three or four months were Some of those students begin their work for the company full-time, becoming arrived at Columbia with a bit of a math financial firm in Manhattan; and while brutal, with Hagedorn and Clark slinging entrepreneurial careers after leaving GS. president and CEO by the time he was 21. phobia, and his first foray into theoretical a switchyard for he had managed to follow orders for five java from behind the counter 12 hours a day, Others arrive in Morningside Heights with In the late 1990s, Brinker refashioned computer science—a class with the years as a helicopter rescue swimmer in seven days a week. As the café matured into fairly deep resumes, and treat the School himself as an Internet technology renowned mathematician and computer entrepreneurs with an the Navy before returning to school, the a mainstay of the lower Manhattan coffee as a kind of academic oasis where they can consultant and cofounded ion interactive, scientist Jonathan Gross—“scared the idea of working for someone else held little scene, however, the partners were able to broaden their intellectual horizons without a web development agency whose roster of bejesus” out of him. Terror was soon long-term appeal. That might have had hire others to handle the barista duties. having to put their careers on hold. clients included Siemens and Office Depot. replaced by fascination, however, and y intellectual bent. something to do with his family history: Today, Hagedorn spends most of his time Scott Brinker ’05, for instance, had Nonetheless, when he enrolled at GS, Brinker took every course in the subject that Hagedorn’s grandfather had been a serial working from his apartment, where he can entrepreneur, and most of the Hagedorn concentrate on developing the business. v er stor clan had worked in the furniture and Hagedorn’s story might sound like a co appliance store he established in southern Indiana. In any case, the opportunity to do something different seemed tantalizingly close at hand. Each weekday, as Hagedorn Before enrolling, Scott and his wife, model-turned-financial rinker had already strategist Katarina Maxianova ’04, ’05 SIPA, B ’05 walked to the subway station near their East secured a place in tech Village apartment, they passed a shoe repair shop that looked like the perfect location history by helping to for a Central European-style coffeehouse modeled after the ones in Maxianova’s build one of the most native Slovak Republic. Now, suddenly, the repair shop was important computer and shuttered, the space was for rent—and the moment of truth had arrived. The couple telecommunications drew up a business plan, and armed with Maxianova’s annual bonus, a veteran’s loan companies of the from the Small Business Administration, and the assistance of partners Alex Clark pre-Internet era.

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After a while, Fabian Pfortmuller concluded that he did not want to spend the rest of his life as an event manager. “What he could, racking up credits part-time while on the Left Bank. Gordon enrolled, went would be the social impact forest and native tree species, while visits to working full-time at ion. His conversion premed—fulfilling a “contract that I had the American West gave her an appreciation was so complete that he picked up a master’s with my mother that said I had to be a of that?” asks the former for how deforestation has affected wildlife. degree in computer science from Harvard doctor,” he says—and was well on his So in 2007, George founded two ventures: after earning an MBA from MIT. way to finishing his medical degree at political activist. Odyssey Sport Technology and Silk Tree Brinker’s Columbia courses weren’t of NYU when he decided that he did not, Gardens. The first offers serious athletes direct use to him at work, but they did allow in fact, want to practice medicine. So he help in applying the latest sports science and him to return to his real-world puzzles with began experimenting with other pursuits: technology to their training regimens. The fresh eyes. And the intense collaboration he organizing events for his fellow medical second, which occupies the bulk of George’s enjoyed with his fellow students—all of them students, founding the Middle East Medical Gordon’s trajectory from physician entrepreneurial efforts, is a container tree huddled around a whiteboard, struggling to Association with the goal of coordinating to personal-care innovator might seem nursery and landscaping business with a solve problems together—served as a model healthcare throughout the region, and rather circuitous, but it is all par for the serious environmental mission: to revive for the kind of dynamic he wanted to create studying finance on the side. As graduation entrepreneurial course. “Sometimes, life and propagate native tree species like white at ion, which he and his partners had decided neared in 2008, Gordon was interviewing takes you on a path that you don’t fully plan birch that have largely vanished from the to take in a new direction. (Since 2007, the for a position as a healthcare analyst in the in advance,” he says, articulating a concept scene. “Is it something that’s going to make firm has specialized in building cloud-based banking sector. But the global financial with which many GS alumni are familiar. a million dollars for me? I’m not so sure,” software tools to help online marketers create meltdown intervened, and he decided to go “The truth is,” he adds, “in business and says George, who also works as a substitute and manage sophisticated websites.) Perhaps the entrepreneurial route instead. entrepreneurship, nothing works according teacher in Norwalk’s public schools. “But more than anything, Brinker’s experience at For someone who hailed from a family of to plan—and that’s the first thing you learn.” it’s important to me personally.” And GS reinforced his belief that the greatest gift that he did not want to spend the rest of his organized around hubs in 25 cities on three academics rather than businesspeople, and Judging by the long, varied, and still- though she muses that her career might an entrepreneur can possess is the ability to life as an event manager. “What would be continents. And Holstee, which began who graduated from med school with more evolving career of Elaine George, ’85, it have unfolded differently had she found her recognize that things can be different; that the social impact of that?” asks the former life as an online apparel company with debt than cash, the experience of trying to may also be something that you never stop focus earlier, she evinces no regrets about the way the world works today need not political activist. So he decided to leave an emphasis on sustainable design and a start a business on his own was “frightening learning. Fascinated by biology but also by following a path that has brought her closer be the way it works tomorrow. To Brinker, Switzerland and return to college in order to single product—t-shirts featuring giant, as hell.” Nonetheless, armed with nothing subjects like art, music, and anthropology, and closer to the things about which she who had always assumed that an Ivy League broaden his horizons. As a twentysomething holster-like pockets–has since moved into more than a credit card with a $10,000 limit, George was disappointed by her initial cares most. “As I’ve gotten older,” she says, education could only be had straight out of who hadn’t cracked a textbook in five years, accessories and artwork. Gordon soon had his first venture up and college experiences, and left school to work “I’ve been allowed to pursue what I really high school in a single, four-year dose, GS however, Pfortmuller feared being the While he is sometimes described as a running: Nios Spa, a hair removal clinic. in a corporate health clinic in Manhattan. wanted to do.” offered proof that “no, actually, this can work proverbial “stupid old kid in class.” When social entrepreneur, Pfortmuller himself— Gordon then used the revenue generated It was not until her co-workers persuaded At first blush, Jon Snyder ’92, ’93 BUS, entirely differently.” he stumbled across GS, he couldn’t quite whether out of modesty or brutal honesty, it by Nios to fund two additional businesses. her to complete her education that she owner of the high-end gelateria Il That sense of possibility appealed to believe that such a place existed. He applied is hard to tell—disputes the claim, insisting The first of these, Noya, comprises a line found her way to GS and discovered that Laboratorio del Gelato, might seem to Fabian Pfortmuller ’11, as well. A native in April of 2008, arrived in New York City that he has never been motivated by the of all-natural kosher lip balms—a product she could earn a BS in Biological Sciences embody a very different entrepreneurial of Switzerland, Pfortmuller spent a couple in August, and began classes one week later. desire to solve a particular societal problem. category that existed in Israel, but remained without abandoning her other interests—or trope: the innovator who finds his passion of semesters at the University of Zurich a Pfortmuller’s visa required him to study Instead, he says, he has simply sought to do foreign to the American market. The her job. The research skills she picked up at an early age, and pursues it with single decade ago, before leaving to pursue other full-time, but he still managed to launch things that he enjoys; though as he admits, second, Nios Shield, is a line of SPF-rated at Columbia served her well during the 10 minded intensity. In reality, though, his interests. In high school, Pfortmuller had two new enterprises while pursuing a the activity he most enjoys is “building hairstyling products. Gordon got the idea years she spent doing clinical research for story is much more complex. “I’ve struggled been heavily involved in student politics degree in Middle Eastern studies. “It was things that have an impact on other people.” for the latter when he went to the beach one pharmaceutical companies Purdue Pharma with what I wanted to do with my life,” says at the canton and federal levels, and had an intense three years,” he says. Sandbox, Joshua Gordon ’04 is less equivocal. “I day, came back with a sunburn on top of his and Schering-Plough. And they served her the man who introduced New Yorkers to the gone so far as to establish his own event a social networking service that connects want to change the world here and now,” head, and discovered that there was as yet no just as well when she decided to reassess her joys of artisanal Italian-style ice cream back management company in order to mount more than 800 under-30 overachievers to says Gordon, who was born and raised such thing as hair-care with UV protection. priorities, leave Big Pharma, and strike out in the 1980s. some of the largest student gatherings a global community of peers and mentors, in Israel but has built his life, and several So he invented it. The result, he says, is an on her own. Snyder’s grandfather was a contractor in the country—an experience that got came close to bankruptcy several times. “We businesses, in New York. Gordon made entirely new category in beauty—one that A lifelong athlete with a love for the who built many of the Carvel ice cream him thoroughly hooked on “the whole had absolutely no business model when we his first trip to the city after completing his aligns with his world-changing ambitions. outdoors, George picked up a masters’ shops in the New York region, and he kept entrepreneurial game.” Eventually, he started,” Pfortmuller says. Today, however, mandatory service in the Israeli army, and “Hairstyling with SPF is perhaps a small degree in physical education and sports the last one he erected—a drive-up stand in graduated to corporate events, and spent Sandbox attracts corporate sponsors for its fell in love with it immediately. But he only start, but six per cent of cancers occur in the science while working full-time on drug Peekskill, NY—for himself. Snyder grew several years building offline communities annual events and charges consulting fees learned about GS while studying in Paris, head and neck, and very few people think development. Travels throughout the wilds up working summers there alongside his for the European social network XING. to companies that are eager to brainstorm where he met a group of Columbia students of protecting those regions,” says Gordon, of her home state of Connecticut, meanwhile, siblings and cousins (his grandmother and, After a while, Pfortmuller concluded with its dues-paying members, who are from Reid Hall, the University’s foothold sounding every inch the doctor. led to a concern over the loss of old-growth later, his mother ran the operation); but

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we are all in this together: RALC Transforms Into a New GSAA

BY nancy brandwein

do; Ciao Bella was really my life,” he says— At June’s Alumni Reunion, School Snyder knew that he wanted to stay in the of General Studies Dean Peter J. Awn v id D ini

city. He also wanted to finish his education. announced a development that has a So he turned to GS, ultimately completing been a long time in the planning stages the college’s combined program with the and that will benefit current and future Columbia Business School. There followed students enormously. The Recent Alumni

seven years in the financial services industry, Leadership Committee (RALC), the highly D ALL PHOTOS: first at Lehman Brothers and then at ABN active group that has mentored hundreds Amro. But Snyder was not happy trading of current students and spearheaded so equities, and his old entrepreneurial urges many GS alumni programs and events, has eventually began to reassert themselves. It been renamed the General Studies Alumni was not until the events of 9/11, however, Association (GSAA). Not only is there a when his brother narrowly avoided the new name, but there is also a more formal collapse of the World Trade Center, that structure and a succession plan to draw Snyder’s own “if not now, when?” moment more alumni into its ranks. arrived, and he felt compelled to open Like a vibrant plant pushing against the another business in Manhattan—and to confines of its pot, RALC had outgrown return to his roots in ice cream. both its name and its informal structure. Thus was born Il Laboratorio del Gelato, Those most active in RALC, including its which follows in the wholesale footsteps co-chairs Chris Riano ’07 and Alex Vial ’09 he did not go straight into the frozen-treat out, and had little desire to ever handle an of Ciao Bella—the company supplies and alumni Mason Beard ’04, Richie Space business. A strong science student with an ice cream scoop again. (The new owners more than 250 flavors, many developed ’05, and Justin White ’05 all graduated nine interest in the stock market, Snyder spent turned Ciao Bella into a national brand, and in collaboration with local chefs, to more to ten years ago—hardly the most “recent” to homemakers—it can take 8 to 12 years GSAA co-chairs Mason Beard ’04 (left) the year after high school working as a moved the company’s headquarters to New than 500 restaurants in Manhattan and alumni. As a result, School of General to graduate. “Because you can attend part and Christopher Riano ’07 talk with margin clerk on Wall Street, then enrolled Jersey.) Brooklyn—but adds a hip retail storefront Studies leadership together with active time or full time, you may begin with a Elizabeth Hollister ’07, chair of the in the Colorado School of Mines to study By then 25 years old and unsure of what on Ludlow Street. Though Snyder says he alumni and administrative officers of the particular cohort, but there’s no guarantee 2014 Reunion Committee, and Elaine Bernstein ’72. engineering. A summer trip to Italy between to do next—“there was some mourning to embarked on his second act in the gelato Columbia Alumni Association Office of you’ll graduate with the same group of his freshman and sophomore years sparked business with limited expectations, Il Alumni Relations recognized it was time people,” Awn explained, emphasizing that a gelato obsession, however; and though Laboratorio does more than $2 million in for an upgrade. Columbia University Senior unlike traditional colleges, GS alumni he returned to New York to continue his By the time he sold annual sales. And it is another family affair: Director of Alumni Relations Jill Marie historically did not associate with a class- studies at Brooklyn Polytechnic, the die was Snyder’s sister helps with the books, and his Galas Hickey said of RALC, “There wasn’t year contingent. cast. After pulling in a couple of cousins as the company in 1989, Jon mother, now 80, lives in an apartment above a deep bench of potential leaders. We had However, he has noticed an evolution helpers and raising $25,000 from family and the shop and comes down seven days a week roughly twenty volunteers—one to three in class identity, particularly over the last 12 nyder was selling gelato friends, Snyder left school in 1984 to launch S to lend a hand. (A former night-shift nurse, committee heads, and we needed to create years, most likely attributed to the fact that she is often the first one in at 3am.) a sustainable succession plan. Now we have upwards of 65% of GS students now attend Ciao Bella, a wholesale gelato supplier in to some 60 restaurants lower Manhattan. It has been a long, winding road from one, and now we have the ability to grow the full time, which has built a sense of class ice cream to finance and back again. But people we have and to think about the people cohesion. “All of the sudden, the student Carving out a niche for the city’s first and generating revenues of purveyor of small-batch, handcrafted gelato throughout, Snyder followed his bliss as best we don’t have, and get them involved.” council began to appoint class presidents he could, letting his interests lead him where Transforming incoming students into and give them serious money to run events.” was a long and grueling process. Three approximately $200,000; but years passed before Snyder could take any they might. In the end, his take on the late- active alumni will be a much easier task The desire to be integrated into stage success of Il Laboratorio could be read for the GSAA than it was for the fledgling undergraduate student life is what fueled money out of the business, and for the first he was also thoroughly four, he did pretty much everything from as a life lesson for entrepreneurs in general— RALC. “The history of GS is not one of RALC’s formation in the mid 2000s. As GS making the gelato to delivering it. By the burnt out, and had little and perhaps for anyone who is not quite sure great alumni involvement,” said General students, many RALC members fought to time he sold the company in 1989, Snyder where they are headed in terms of job or Studies Dean Peter Awn while citing the pay the same student activity fees as other was selling gelato to some 60 restaurants desire to ever handle an ice career, much less how they will get there. nature of the nontraditional students’ CU students for the right to participate in and generating revenues of approximately “You find your passion,” says Snyder, alumni-path. For many GS students—from campus life as equals (A triumph detailed in $200,000; but he was also thoroughly burnt cream scoop again. “and the money will find you.” veterans to ballerinas and business owners a 2005 Owl story, “Student Life Evolves.”).

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“A project I thought was going to take two to three years took a matter of months.”

Janet Griffin, Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Military veterans Richie Space ’05 and fact, students enrolled today, said Griffin, Justin White ’05 became RALC’s first “are shocked” to learn that when these co-chairs in 2007, roles they held for six alumni were students, they did not have years. Space concurred with Beard on the all the resources that students have now. importance of those GS alumni-student Alumni who graduated five to ten years ago, interactions, “Part of the impetus for building Griffin explained, recall how, as students, the alumni group is the idea of mentoring. they created post-graduation planning As a veteran coming out of the United States programs at a grassroots level with few Marines and four years of college, I went resources. That may have been the case through my own bumps and hurdles, and any during their time as students; however, it time I see students struggling, I try to pair is important to note that before RALC was them up with alumni.” established, there existed a core group of By 2011, RALC’s continued engagement active GS alumni who operated the first GS has been enrolled at GS since fall 2013, so he Mason Beard ’04 (center) talks with current students through mentoring at alumni association that had been established is personally invested in the school’s success with new graduate Justin New Student Orientation and networking sixty years ago, aptly named General Studies and contribution to the greater university Nathaniel Carter ’14 (left) and events during the school year caught the Alumni Association (see “Back Then Too, community. Associate Director of Alumni attention of Peter Awn and Office of Alumni Owls Gave a Hoot,” page 13). Within GS, Awn points to the ever Relations Janet Griffin. Relations administrators; they knew they Today’s students likely take for granted higher caliber of admitted students, “We’re had a vital resource in the cadre of RALC all the panels, mixers, and funds that RALC attracting an incredible group of people members. Janet Griffin, Associate Director produces to foster student and alumni- who can handle full-time loads and handle of Alumni Relations, was charged with centric events. It seemed only natural, them incredibly well.” While the uptick in cultivating this group and was bowled over by then, that in 2012, Alumni Relations full-time GS students makes them a more Dean Awn’s enthusiasm for engaging RALC grew organically, as alumni from the members’ energy and sense of purpose. administrators and Dean Awn decided cohesive group, it also presents challenges. alumni was a vital component for the those heady times continued the strong “A project I thought was going to take two to to expand RALC’s mission to serve the Awn admitted, “A really interesting quirk development of the new GSAA. extended GS alumni community. bonds they had forged during their GS years three years took a matter of months.” of GS is the students enroll with 40 to 50 “Everyone talked about this and began to give back to the school after After her initial meeting with RALC and Office of Alumni Relations administrators credits. They often graduate in two years, graduation. Beard ’04, a former ballerina its then-current co-chairs Chris Riano and and RALC members alike consider Dean taking full summer terms, too, so they don’t deep connection with GS, with the Pennsylvania Ballet who is now Alex Vial, she said the group immediately got Awn’s passionate involvement as key to have time to think, ‘What am I going to do major gifts officer for the nonprofit Summer to work. For example, they re-branded the RALC’s smooth transition to the new for a living?’ As a result, there’s a real urgency identifying it as a journey Search, remembers, “The General Studies annual Recent Alumni Reception renaming GSAA. Mason Beard, who this year replaces in trying to get incoming students not only Student Council (GSSC) invited alumni it the Mid-Winter Mixer, enhanced the Alex Vial as the GSAA co-chair to serve to engage one another in a meaningful that not everyone embarks on back as panelists for networking nights, event’s publicity with a more attractive email alongside Chris Riano, said, “It’s amazing way, but also to almost immediately engage résumé review sessions, and mock interview invitation, and conducted personal outreach how much time Dean Awn has devoted to them with alumni.” The next challenge at the same time. Some people events. Once we graduated, we wanted to be to draw people’s interest. “Attendance went the conversations.” For his part, Awn points is to capture the attention of Postbac the ones offering those kinds of sessions.” up 30% that year,” said Griffin. to larger forces at play on campus that make Premed Program students and alumni. As say it starts the moment Beard also said that a significant part of “It was just really exciting to watch it it an opportune time for GSAA’s formation. Awn pointed out, once they start on their RALC’s early mission was “wanting our all come together. At the next meeting, “There’s a sense of celebration of both path as medical students and then doctors, you get accepted. Others alumni-veteran population and our current everyone was excited to start new projects the community and the university and the they have very little time to devote to students attending on the GI bill to interact, and continue the momentum that had begun diversity within the university. The leadership engagement. Yet, as with the undergraduate say there is a distinct, very therefore helping the vets adjust to student at the Mixer. We redesigned the monthly of the university has really embraced what population, Postbac Premed alumni life and, later, transition to the workplace.” newsletter, revamped our orientation GS represents,” Awn reflected. “So much involvement with current students is highly personal moment you fall in panels, and had RALC recruit people to run so that Dean of Columbia College James love with panels on careers, job hunting, and other Valentini is championing GS, saying, ‘What GS.” professional concerns. makes the Columbia classroom unique is the “They owned these projects,” said Griffin. level of diversity to which we are committed. Jill Marie Galas Hickey, Senior For current GS students, RALC’s efforts It’s different than any other Ivy.’” Awn noted to engage them have been a real boon. In that Dean Valentini’s son, a former marine, Director of Alumni Relations

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New GSAA Committees Invite Alumni Engagement Back Then Too, Owls Gave a Hoot BY nancy brandwein beneficial and rewarding for both parties. In reinventing the Recent Alumni Leadership Committee (RALC) as the new General Many students—and recent alumni— compiling the Alumni Notes because GS Adopting a concept pioneered and Studies Alumni Association (GSAA), Dean Peter Awn, Alumni Relations Senior Director Jill don’t realize that The Alumni Association of graduates followed such interesting paths. executed extremely well by Princeton Marie Galas Hickey, and Associate Director Janet Griffin—together with alumni leadership— the School of General Studies (GSAA) was Ehrlich, for instance, went from philoso- University, according to Awn, GSAA’s goal created the following committees, each one representing opportunities for students and founded in 1948 and established as a non- phy to art; his 22 inch polished bronze owl is for GS students to consider themselves alumni to interact and be engaged with GS. profit organization in 1954. Alumni such as sculpture, dedicated in 1996, presides over alumni as soon as they matriculate. This Barbara Voorish Levy ’48 and Mrs. Helen the GS student lounge and can be seen from approach, coupled with putting the existing ANNUAL FUND Gilbert Baer ’50 (for whom Lewisohn Hall’s the Lewisohn foyer. experience and energy of RALC to work Together with the Development staff, members of the Annual Fund Committee will be Baer Room is named) cultivated a robust and Over its history, the group accomplished within the new GSAA framework, will help ambassadors for giving to and investing in GS. They will serve as leadership for campaigns such active organization. In fact, Baer received the many successes, yet ironically, Ehrlich says GS’s nontraditional student and alumni as the Annual Fund and Giving Day. alumni medal in 1960 for her contributions his principal achievement as president was populations realize success. to the School. leading the effort to integrate the group’s op- The GSAA will consist of a leadership AWARD According to Philip Ehrlich ’88, presi- erations with the School’s enhanced alumni board made up of co-chairs and committee The Awards Committee will create and maintain a portfolio of GS and University-wide dent of GSAA from 1994–1998, there were relations program, therefore paving the way chairs who have clearly defined roles citations for which GS alumni may be eligible, such as the Columbia Alumni Association 21 members of the original board, and amaz- for increased investment in the university- enabling the association to be more efficient (CAA) Medal and the University’s Medal of Excellence. Alumni members of the committee ingly, though names and faces changed, that wide Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) and focused (see sidebar). A two-year will research and nominate fellow alumni who they believe deserve accolades for outstanding number of involved individuals held constant and eventually, for today’s re-launch of the term for co-chairs and a succession plan service to the School and beyond. for fifty years. The GSAA was in a unique GS Alumni Association. “Although we be- will enable smooth leadership transitions. position as an entirely independent orga- came inactive as an organization, several of us Hickey pointed to a print-out of a COMMUNICATION nization, which, nevertheless, was totally remained active as individuals,” said Ehrlich, presentation she had prepared for one of the With a mission to ramp up the social media activity that RALC initiated, the Communications supportive of the School. Ehrlich thinks it who regularly participates in events spon- GSAA planning meetings that outlined the Committee will address all means of messaging, not only about events, but also about news, amazing that for many years there was only sored by the CAA and annually, along with new organization’s vision. It stated, career development, and community development. one dedicated staff member, Carol Burton, GS Alumni Association Scholarship founder The alumni board passionately leads who handled alumni relations and develop- Roussin, attends the GS Scholarship Recep- and dedicates ambassadors to enhance OUTREACH ment. Yearly dues enabled the GSAA to raise tion and other events where they proudly the GS experience for alumni from the The Outreach Committee will aim to engage students and alumni in career panels, orientation enough money to not only endow a yearly meet the recipients of the group’s commem- beginning of their Columbia journey panels, and other career-related programs. Members of the committee will help identify and scholarship that was established by former orative scholarship. through their lives as members of the cultivate future alumni leaders and build awareness about the alumni community among president Lucille Roussin, but also to put out worldwide Columbia community. current students. a yearly mailing and host social and educa- The idea of a “Columbia journey” tional events such as lecture series. Ehrlich v id D ini

PROGRAMMING a is a powerful one for GS alumni. At the cites memorable speakers such as Nobel planning meeting, said Hickey, “Everyone Alumni members of the Programming Committee will be instrumental in recommending Prize winner and father of modern brain content, venues, and target audiences for events. Each member will sponsor or assist with the science, Eric Kandel and the immensely

talked about this deep connection with GS, D PHOTO: identifying it as a journey that not everyone production of one event annually. In addition to helping promote programs, members will help popular history professor James Shenton. embarks on at the same time. Some people develop engaging happenings outside the tri-state area. On one memorable evening astronomer say it starts the moment you get accepted. Neil DeGrasse Tyson (host of the re-tooled join us! Others say there’s a distinct, very personal hit television series Cosmos), then a Columbia moment you fall in love with GS.” It is a new era for the GS community. Those interested in participating in the General Studies grad student, took a group of GS alums up to Whenever their journey begins, all GS Alumni Association (GSAA) and the committees listed above are encouraged to contact: the Pupin Hall observatory where he showed alumni and students now have the support them the rings of Saturn. and resources of the General Studies Alumni Columbia GS Alumni Relations The Owl also got its start through GSAA Association, a organization that possesses 622 West 113th Street, MC 4525, New York, NY 10025 funding. Melissa Bell ’93 and Kate Mellor the structure and strength required to foster Phone: 212-851-7432 ’91 took this publication from a sometime life-long relationships with alumni from Fax: 212-851-1957 newsletter to a biannual publication, and both past years and recent years so they, in email: [email protected] Bell, a playwright and content developer, turn, will be inspired to keep giving back was editor from 1993–2000. She remembers Two former GSAA presidents Philip through mentoring, networking panels, and walking the proofs to the printer in Journal- Ehrlich ’88 and Lucille Roussin ’69 professional programs. ism Hall, and says a highlight for her was at the 2014 Alumni Reunion in May

12 13 the owl • reunion news • the owl

at the Dinner, Dean Awn introduced the nascent organization as a way to strengthen GS’s alumni and student community and its fundraising efforts. Furthermore, GSAA co-chairs Mason Beard ’04 and Christopher GS Graduate is First Riano ’07 invited attendees to “continue their GS stories and get involved.” Saturday’s dinner was just one highlight 2014 Alumni of a Reunion that was packed with lectures, U.S. Navy Officer Commissioned discussions, and social events. Another was Saturday morning’s Talks Across Campus Reunion Recap when Pulitzer Prize-winning author at Columbia Since 1973 Anna Quindlen ’74BC led a session that garnered much discussion by attendees who reported feeling “fired up” by the lecture “What’s the fun of being traditional?” classes spanning from 1948 to 2014 that addressed how much progress women For the first time since 1973 and since and the Marines’ Hymn and was followed education and become commissioned asked Gergana Pancheva ’12 when she to, like Gergana, share their stories by have made in American society over the past the return of the NROTC to campus, a by a reception where the cutting of the officers in the U.S. Navy. She has spent the addressed more than 100 alumni and guests creating hashtag-phrases that described 50 years. At another talk, DeWitt Clinton NROTC cadet, GS graduate Abigale Marie cake was performed using the sword that past five years in the Navy and graduated on Saturday, May 31 during the 2014 their GS experiences. Hashtag-phrases Professor of History Eric Foner ’63CC, Wyatt ’14, was commissioned as a U.S. Navy was bestowed upon Ensign Wyatt. Ensign from Columbia University School of Alumni Reunion Cocktail Reception and such as #Rebirth, #AlwaysWelcome, and ’69GSAS discussed “The Emancipation of officer on May 22, 2014 in Low Memorial Wyatt then took a moment to toast all in General Studies on May 21, 2014 with a Dinner. “I want to break the rules,” she said, #GSsavedMyLife demonstrated the diversity Abraham Lincoln,” a topic that captured the Library Rotunda at Columbia University attendance and express her gratitude for the Bachelor of Arts in mathematics. as she described her journey from being a of the GS alumni community, as well as a interest of many history buffs. in the City of New York. More than 100 opportunity to be part of such an historic She will now head to Naval Air Station non-English-speaking Bulgarian immigrant common thread—that their nontraditional At the Dean’s Luncheon, more than 85 guests, including family, friends, educators, moment. Pensacola to begin her training to become to a Columbia GS graduate and now Vice paths converged at GS, where they sought a alumni gathered in Faculty House’s Skyline administrators, and Naval officers attended Ensign Abigale Marie Wyatt was born a Naval Aviator. Wyatt will have an eight- President at a private equity placement world-class education that would transform Ballroom to socialize and learn about the the historic ceremony that celebrated the and raised in New Hampshire. At 21, year commitment to the Navy after she group. Gergana’s journey was one of many their lives. state of the School of General Studies. Dean achievements and bright future of Ensign she enlisted in the United States Navy finishes pilot training, and she expects to stories highlighted at this year’s all-class Transformation was another powerful Awn thanked members of the Recent Alumni Wyatt. and became a Cryptologic Technician - go to graduate school, which the Navy Reunion held Friday, May 30 and Saturday, theme of the weekend, as Dean Awn Committee for their commitment and tireless The ceremony opened with the Interpretive (CTI) and subsequently was encourages. She leaves Columbia with May 31 on the Morningside Campus. and leadership of the Recent Alumni work for GS. He recounted the successes presentation of the official party and an employed providing translation services at a wealth of knowledge and experience. Throughout the weekend, Reunion Leadership Committee (RALC) rolled GS has had in recent years raising funds invocation from Commander Joel D. NSA Georgia at Fort Gordon. “I’ve met so many intelligent people Chair Elizabeth Hollister ’07 encouraged out the new General Studies Alumni for student scholarships, and he laid out his Newman ’76, U.S. Navy, followed by During her time at NSA Georgia, with so many different goals and so many the more than 240 alumni from graduating Association (GSAA). During his remarks vision for building upon the School’s strides remarks from Columbia University Provost Wyatt was selected for the Navy’s Seaman different opinions,” she says. “It’s a unique toward offering a world-class education to all John H. Coatsworth and Professor Peter J. to Admiral-21 Program, a prestigious environment and I’m going to miss it.” deserving nontraditional students. He also Awn, Dean of the School of General Studies, program that provides support and financial To watch a video about Ensigh Wyatt, discussed issues that have recently been in who introduced Rear Admiral Dan Cloyd, assistance, allowing outstanding active visit http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/ national news: the call to warn students about U.S. Navy. Captain Ted Graske (ret) ’59CC, duty sailors to receive a top-notch college commencement2014/abigale-wyatt.html triggering content in the classroom and the U.S. Navy performed the Presentation discourse on sexual assault and misconduct of the Sword. All the speakers focused on on college campuses, and, importantly, steps Ensign Wyatt’s impressive achievements, Columbia is taking to address them. as well as the importance and historical arroso The afternoon’s Mini-Core Courses significance of the relationship between featured classes such as Contemporary Columbia University and the U.S. Navy. Civilization: Is It Right to “Nudge?” with The commissioning then became official with the Reading of the Commissioning humanities professor Patricia Kitcher and eileen b PHOTO: Frontiers of Science: Saving the Forest for Scroll and the administration of Oath of the Trees led by Don Melnick, professor of Office by Captain Matthew Loughlin, conservation biology. Columbia University NROTC director. More than thirty alumni attended the Ensign Wyatt was joined by family and v id D ini a GS-sponsored veterans reception where friends for the Installation of Insignia. alumni leader Richie Space ’05 and Dean Awn In a touching moment, the traditional 1 2 celebrated the 71 veterans that graduated Rendering of First Salute was performed PHOTOS: D PHOTOS: from GS in May 2014 as well as that the by Ensign Wyatt’s father, Petty Officer, University has raised close to $370,000 from First Class William Wyatt, U.S. Navy (ret). 1. Jesse Dean ’08, The ceremony closed with Anchors Aweigh Pamela Arteaga a campaign that will support the student- Mata ’09, and Evan veteran community for years to come. Elisseou A favorite event for many attendees Captain Ted Graske (ret) ’59CC was the nighttime Starlight Reception and presented the sword to Ensign Wyatt. 2. Gergana Pancheva ’12 Dance. The weather was perfect, and alumni 3. Mpule Kwelgobe ’06 and guests from every Columbia generation enjoyed an all-school gathering on the Plaza with Low Library lit in blue flood lights and Butler Library glowing over South Lawn.

3 14 15 the owl • on campus on campus • the owl JTS Offers Prestigious On Campus Social Entrepreneurship BY ALLISON SCOLA Fellowship Faculty Spotlight: David Chambliss Johnson “Participating in the Fellowship GS Dedicates in Jewish Social Entrepreneurship has been a defining experience during “The better you understand fficial chool lag my time at Columbia and JTS,” said O S F 2014 Joint Program graduate Marisa the world, the better you Rader. “Combining social justice One could argue that David Chambliss can solve its problems y entrepreneurship and Judaism in this Johnson’s academic career started in 1965 . M when he was just 16 years old. The Vietnam way has helped me solidify what I want inclination is to understand On Wednesday, December 11, 2013, students and alumni of to be doing [after graduation] and War was raging in South East Asia, and at home in East Tennessee, a battery of Columbia University School of General Studies held a dedication where I want to be doing it.” the issues, and with that, ceremony on the northeast corner of Lewisohn Lawn where a new Rader, who majored in American questions provoked the high school student. “My father was a highly ranked captain in flag symbolizing School of General Studies school pride is now studies and modern Jewish studies, is I can help other people flying. The flagpole and flag were a gift of the Class of 2013. one of 10 student-fellows who spent their senior year participating in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was supportive of the War in Vietnam, and I was Spearheaded by former General Studies Student Council Vice professional development internships as part of the Fellowship in Jewish understand the issues and President of Policy Nikki Morgan ’13, the flag initiative was a way Social Entrepreneurship (FJSE), a unique program started in 2009 not,” recalls Johnson, Professor of Political for the Class of 2013 to give back to GS. “The flag represents the that is designed to give List College seniors a capstone experience, one Science and Director of Undergraduate give rise to solutions.” banner under which incredibly diverse walks of life converge. It acts where they develop an understanding of how the Jewish values they have Studies in the Department of Political as a guide showing GSers that they have a clear place on campus learned during their time at JTS could be directly applied to the working Science at Columbia. avid hambliss ohnson and in the Columbia community,” Morgan said. “I wanted to leave world in order to elicit positive social change. Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz, Johnson remembers several discussions D C J something behind for future students that encapsulates this unique Dean of List College, explained that through intensive orientation over many years with his father where they journey—something that says, ‘You are part of this community.’” and training sessions, weekly seminar meetings that include reflective disagreed with each other. But for Johnson, The flag bears the letters G and S and the School’s official discussions and presentations by leading professionals, and internships it was not simply enough to disagree. 1960s’ historic anti-war and civil rights shield that was designed by students in 1950 and re-designed with organizations and businesses that demonstrate effective modes of Having come from a family were every demonstrations, Johnson saw higher value by alumnus Philip Ehrlich ’88 in 2001. Its placement on the social change, FJSE “prepares fellows to be visionaries and realists.” adult relative he knew was a lawyer, he had in forming a strong understanding of the Morningside Campus, in front of Lewisohn Hall, marks the home- This past academic year, Rader served as a Development Intern at to understand why his opinion differed from issues, versus participating in rallies. “I’m base for Columbia’s students who have followed a nontraditional AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps, an antipoverty and community his father’s and be able to explain it. So, at an intellectual. I’m interested in ideas and path towards a traditional education. Ultimately, however, it building organization that operates a one-year program that places the prompting of his social studies teacher, the world. The better you understand demonstrates students’ strong school spirit. As Dean of Students young adults in service positions in inner cities. “I wanted to do the he read about the history of the War. But the world, the better you can solve its Tom Harford wrote in an email to the GS community, “The flag Fellowship because I wanted to get a better understanding of how his inquiry did not end with a book or two. problems. My inclination is to understand represents students’ pride in their college.” social justice organizations operate,” said Rader, who worked on Johnson proceeded to survey 1000 people the issues, and with that, I can help other about their attitudes regarding the Vietnam people understand the issues and give rise Speakers at the ceremony included School of General Studies fundraising campaigns and donor relations. “I learned that social David Chambliss Johnson Dean Peter J. Awn, Dean of Students Tom Harford, and Co-Chair of justice work is a partnership among many different players. It was conflict in order to form his own opinion to solutions,” says Johnson who brings that Professor of Political Science and the Recent Alumni Leadership Committee Christopher Riano ’07. great to see a non-profit organization in action, learning what can be and feel secure in his discourse. “My father resoluteness to his writings, research, and Members of the Class of 2013 along with 2013 Senior Class accomplished when donors are engaged to give.” Director of Undergraduate Studies, was a New Deal Democrat and ex-military. work with students. President Angelica Hoyos and Nicole Morgan were in attendance. Rader found her experience to be highly rewarding and Department of Political Science Like many from his generation, he trusted Since joining the Columbia faculty eye-opening, and as a result, she plans to work for a nonprofit his government to make good decisions—I in 1986, Johnson has challenged GSSC Vice President organization after graduation. Education: BA, Swarthmore was taught in civics classes to have faith in undergraduates to inquire and discuss of Policy Nikki In addition to internships that require 10-12 hours of onsite College; MPhil, Oxford University; government too, but the War in Vietnam social thought through courses such as Morgan ’13, Dean of work, students in the program participate in a weekly seminar PhD, Princeton University was a huge failure with regards to loss of life, Contemporary Civilization, Political Students Tom Harford, energy, and resources,” recounts Johnson Theory, Theories of Justice, and Justice, and 2013 Senior Class designed to deepen their understanding of Jewish engagement in social action, develop and strengthen leadership skills, and Publications include: The who, at the same time, was grappling with all of which consist of elements of thought President Angelica the other significant social issue of the history, theory, law, legal cases and writings, Hoyos proudly present dialogue with change-makers working in a variety of contexts. Led Rhetoric of Leviathan: Thomas 1960s: the civil rights movement. and applied political theory. His objective as the GS flag. by Associate Dean Aliyah Vinikoor, the weekly seminar involves

PHOTO: michael di v ito PHOTO: Hobbes and the Politics of Cultural reading related texts, engaging in interactive discussions, visiting “I was from the American South. We an educator is to encourage his students to Transformation, The Idea of a Liberal had legal segregation when I was growing question and discuss their points of view. organizations such as Greyston Bakery in Yonkers and the Lower Theory, and A Brief History of Justice East Side Tenement Museum, and connecting with guest speakers up, which created an astounding impression “People don’t have to accept the way from Jewish and secular social change organizations including Alcoa on me. It was the biggest issue of my youth,” the world is. We are in a position to do Current Projects: A work with says Johnson who, as a result of exposure to something about it, whether that’s as an Foundation, The Advocacy Lab, Ma’yan, and many others. the tentative title Justice as Reciprocity “It was a very meaningful hour and a half,” said Rader about the such social discord, today writes and teaches activist or a practitioner of some kind,” weekly seminar. “We really bonded over the course of the year. We and a book with the expected title classes on social justice. Johnson asserts. “We can each spend a learned from each other and helped each other when we were struggling. The Birth of Social Justice Although he was a college student segment of our lives working to rectify the “The Fellowship really embodied the best of both my amazing at Harvard and Swarthmore during the injustices of the world.” Columbia education and phenomenal JTS education.” 16 17 the owl • on campus spotlight • the owl

Postbac Premed Program Enhances Postbac Alumnus Feature: Benefits and Support For Students Dr. David T. Scadden ’76

By Noah Kutzy BY ALLISON SCOLA

Despite being the oldest and largest “We are constantly seeking ways to opportunities such as clinical and research “The best scientists think like the best who, while at Bucknell, wrote his senior program of its kind in the United States support and provide for our students as work, academic degree programs, and poets,” said biologist and Pulitzer Prize- thesis on the poet W. B. Yeats. and having a placement rate of up to 90 they pursue their careers in the medical international fellowships. His addition to an winning author E. O. Wilson on the “Doing scholarly research on Yeats percent in American medical schools, the field,” Senior Associate Dean for the advising team staffed by the senior associate National Public Radio podcast The Really and having to distill it down to something Columbia University Postbaccalaureate Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program dean and four dedicated, academic advisors Big Questions. “The ideal scientist thinks like readable for my thesis advisor was a Premedical Program continues to pursue Victoria Rosner said, “I feel that the recent means the Postbac Premed Program now a poet and writes like a bookkeeper. But he’s concept-builder for me. It proved that I new ways to enhance the support services additions we’ve made establish the depth of has an even greater ability to help students still a poet inside.” could take on big challenges. As a result, and opportunities it offers to students in our commitment to our students and their meet their intellectual and career goals. This great insight from the world’s while still at Bucknell, I wanted to see if I order to help all Columbia Postbacs succeed success.” leading authority on ants is particularly could get reengaged with the sciences, so in their premedical and prehealth pursuits. A Growing List of Opportunities appropriate when one considers the path I took a few math classes to test myself. I work as a physician, but also as a teacher. This includes adding more academic Specialized Advising for Medical and successes of fellow Harvard professor loved coming from the world of ambiguity For most of his career, Scadden has taught Beginning this spring, Postbac students advisors and glide year advisors, expanding School Application and physician-scientist David T. Scadden, to the world of clarity and of right and medical students and postdocs, but in have the opportunity to apply for the mentoring and coaching programs, adding MD ’76PBPM. wrong in mathematics,” recalls Scadden. “I addition, for the past six years, he has lead The program recently added Assistant Combined Postbac Premed-MS in Human new linkage programs to an already robust Scadden, who attended the thought, ‘I would really enjoy getting back a freshman seminar at Harvard that bridges Dean of Students Glenn Novarr as a Nutrition Program, offered in partnership roster, and forming new graduate program Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program after to the sciences,’ but then my task was to sort literature with science. specialized advisor helping prepare with the Institute for Human Nutrition at agreements; all of which continue the graduating with a degree in English from out how one could craft a life out of the love “The creative challenge of medical students for medical school interviews and Columbia University College of Physicians program’s unparalleled level of commitment Bucknell University in 1975, is a practicing of the humanities and use those principles as research is not immediately visible to people, connecting them with ideal Glide Year & Surgeons, or the Mailman School of to premedical and prehealth students. hematologist/oncologist who focuses on a way to pay the rent. and I thought if I connected with students Public Health Accelerated MPH Program. bringing stem cell biology to patient care. “Medicine was a way to do that.” early, they might be more encouraged to These programs, along with the Combined His research and practice focuses on targeting Scadden enrolled in the Columbia stay with the inherent joy of thinking about Postbac Premed-MS Bioethics Program the stem cell niche to attain novel therapies Postbac Premed Program and saw it as how the body works,” says Scadden. help students enrich and diversify their for blood diseases. Scadden is currently the a rigorous way to test himself. He found Each semester twelve first-year students premedical education prior to enrolling in Gerald and Darlene Jordan Professor of success and enthusiasm for biology and the enroll in Blood: From Gory to Glory, a medical school. Medicine at Harvard University, Director principles of how life is organized. He also course that examines blood as represented The new combined master’s programs of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at volunteered at Memorial Sloan Kettering in texts ranging from ancient Greek classics come on the heels of new linkage agreements Massachusetts General Hospital, Co-Director Cancer Center and in the emergency room through modern ones, such as Dracula, with Columbia University College of of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Co- at Columbia Medical Center. “It was a test and then explores the science associated Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Chair of the Department of Stem Cell and of whether or not I could enjoy being a with blood. Students study this “giver and University College of Dental Medicine Regenerative Biology at Harvard University, caregiver and help people with acute need. taker of life” through many lenses—those (the only dental linkage program in the and former Chief of Hematologic Malignancies It all felt right,” he recalls. of ritual and religion, good versus evil, and nation), Weill Cornell Medical College, and at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer While a student at Case Western Reserve then through that of the microscope, for New York University School of Medicine. Center. He holds over 20 patents, and therapies School of Medicine, Scadden thought he after considering how blood is represented Along with the Program’s ten additional based on his research and work are utilized to would become a clinician, not a researcher. throughout history, students then go to the linkage agreements, they enable qualified treat blood diseases and cancer patients with But what he found was that his background lab to conduct experiments to understand Postbac Premed students with a strong immunodeficiency worldwide. in the humanities not only enabled him to blood’s power in the medical realm. interest in one linkage school to accelerate As a child, Scadden loved science. His sympathize with patients and their families, Scadden’s message to students: For as the application process and potentially father fostered his interest by building but it also gave him a valuable foundation for long as there has been human life, there matriculate in that school in the academic him a lab outfitted with a chemistry set in successfully processing research. “I felt capable has been an evolving understanding and year upon completion of the orgo/bio year, the family’s basement. However, once he of being able to take complicated situations curiosity about this substance and “…we are forgoing the Glide Year. reached high school, the Bergen County, and break them down,” Scadden says. all part of the discovery process.” As these and other additions and New Jersey native found science to be When his mother was diagnosed with It is that sense of curiosity and analysis— enhancements show, the Columbia tedious. Literature, on the other hand, terminal cancer while Scadden was an one that Scadden has held since he was a University Postbaccalaureate Premedical captured Scadden’s imagination. “It brought intern, he realized that hematology and young man—combined with his desire to Program’s dedication to its students’ success to life elements of the heart and head and oncology were areas where he wanted to share it with not only his students, but also has never been greater. A Postbac Premed Program history in ways I hadn’t previously imagined. make a difference. Now, over 30 years later, with his colleagues and patients, that make student with his advisor, Literature also awakened in me an interest Scadden has clearly done just that, and not him not only a wildly successful scientist, but Limary Carrasquillo, TC ’02. in the craft of writing,” remembers Scadden, only with his ground-breaking research and also a poet, in the truest sense of the word.

18 19 the owl • gallery gallery • the owl

Class Day 2013 PHOTOS by Michael DiVito

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1. GS salutatorian Damian Harris-Hernandez 2. Class Day procession 3. Mahogany Wright and family 4. Marissa Gavin and family 5. GS Class Day speaker Nicholas Dirks, chancellor designate of the University of California at Berkeley 6. Howard Fishman and the Biting Fish Brass 10 Band performs for GS graduates 7. GS valedictorian Benjamin M. Shababo with his wife and daughter 8. Dean Peter J. Awn celebrates with GS graduates 9. Sciences Po Dual BA graduates Margot Renaut, Corentin Charlès, and Nur Arafe 9 10. Christopher Riano ’07 (Co-Chairman of the recent Alumni Committee) withAlumni Key Award recipients Kevin McWilliams and Brian Driscoll 3 11. GS salutatorian Tiekka Tellier

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Postbac Premed Class Day 2013

PHOTOS by Michael DiVito

1. Columbia Postbac Premed graduates at Class Day 2. Tyler Lopachin delivers the student address 5 3. Richie Dubey and Instructor Lise Hazen, Biological Sciences 4. Dr. David Newman, director of clinical research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, delivers the keynote address 5. Dean Peter J. Awn congratulates Postbac Premed Program graduates 6. Senior Associate Dean Victoria Rosner (Right) with (from Left) Ashley White-Stern, Eugene Carragee, and Allison Lockwood 7. Katie Pivarnik (Center) and her husband with Professor Deborah Mowshowitz 8. Postbac Director and Associate Dean Andrew Sunshine (Right) with Walter Klyce and Phoebe Johnson-Black 9. Postbac Premed graduates from the Premedical Association celebrate their achievements at Class Day 10. John Andrews, Stephanie Sutter, and family with Student Affairs Officer Mike Allen 6

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Class Day 2014 PHOTOS by Michael DiVito

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5. Biting Fish Brass Band leads the Procession 6. Rakan Altouq (Left), Andre Bautista (Middle Left), Richard Baldassari (Middle Right), and Yiling Bao (Right) 7. Aries Dela Cruz ’09 and Elegance Bratton ’14 8. Gale Brewer ’97, Manhattan Borough President, addresses the graduates as their Class Day keynote speaker. 9. Valedictorian Ido Haimi addresses the audience 10. Kasey Lockwood (Left), Alexander Owusu (Middle), and Adam Abin (Right) 11. Luka Kvirikadze and Lile Gelashvili with their son 12. Robert Britt (Left), Atetegeb Worku (Middle), and Elie Bleier (Right)

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1. Salutatorian Gabriel Jackson address the graduates and guests 2. Graduates listen 3. Christopher Riano ’07 (Co-Chairman of the General Studies Alumni Association) presents the Alumni Key award to recipient Ryan Kendall 4. Hua Tong (CityU Hong Kong Joint Degree Pro- gram Grad) and Saroj Siegler (Senior External Liaison Officer, City University of Hong Kong)

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Postbac Premed Class Day 2014

PHOTOS by Michael DiVito

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1. Outgoing PMA Board Walter Klyce, Eugene Carragee, Donte Watkins, Phil Plevek, Allie Lockwood, Ashley White-Stern, Davis Verde 2. Class Day Speaker Dr. Linda P. Fried 3. Student Speaker Evan Joiner 4. Shimon Jacobs, Allie Lockwood, Jaime Rojas, Matthew Aizpuru, Davis Verde, 4 and Elizabeth Evans 5. Monique Hedmann-Maxey, Instructor Lise Hazen and guest 6. Dean Peter J. Awn, Ashley White-Stern and family, along with Associate Dean Victoria Rosner 7. Desiree Oyola and Dean Peter J. Awn 8. Kei Tateyama and Postbac Director Andrew Sunshine 9. Associate Dean Victoria Rosner

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Aryeh Primus Born in Manchester, started his England, and undergraduate raised in East career at Brandeis Jerusalem, Palestine, University, but Nur Arafeh dropped out to took a uniquely work in the high international path 2013 New tech industry. He to GS. Nur, who 2013 Postbac was employed by a was named class number of startups, valedictorian at the Grad Notes and eventually Lycée Français de New Grad Notes landed at Hewlett Packard, where he Jérusalem, was awarded a full scholarship worked as a software evangelist, promoting to attend Sciences Po in Menton, France, products to customers at conferences and where she focused on Middle Eastern other events. In 2009, Aryeh took a year studies and was eventually offered the Born in Alberta, and in April of 2013, she completed the off from work, but quickly got restless. A opportunity to participate in the Dual After completing Born in Sugar Canada, Lisa Cant Paris Marathon, raising nearly $6,000 friend told him about GS, and because he BA program between Sciences Po and his bachelor’s of Land, Texas, is an international to donate to the Child Development had always wanted to finish his degree at GS. At GS, Nur was involved in Students fine arts in dance at Mary Nwosuocha model who has Agency in Jamaica. After graduation, April a top-tier institution, he decided to apply. for Justice in Palestine and the Turath Purchase College, completed her worked for such will continue running her charity while As a student, Aryeh made his mark by Association, and is also a member of the GS Peter Chamberlin bachelor’s degree companies as Betsey launching the Savour Jamaica Supper Club, teaching a lecture series entitled “Unix and and Phi Beta Kappa honors societies. After immediately began in comparative Johnson, Chanel, an enterprise that will bring international Advanced Networking” for the computer graduation, she enrolled at Cambridge a career with a literary studies Dolce & Gabbana, chefs to Jamaica to cook exclusive dinners science department. A member of the GS University to pursue a master’s degree in professional dance at Northwestern Tommy Hilfiger, and around the island. Honors Society, Aryeh graduates magna development studies, and plans to enroll company, traveling University before Juicy Couture, and cum laude with a degree in economics and in a doctoral program shortly thereafter. worldwide and working for who was featured statistics, and a concentration in computer Longer term, Nur hopes to return to performing for the Nordstrom, where twice on the cover of Vogue Italia. While a One of 63 U.S. science. After graduation, he enrolled at Palestine to work for the Ministry of likes of President Barack Obama, Oprah, she helped high-end clients update their student at GS, Lisa took classes full-time veterans who Oxford to pursue a master’s in computer National Economy, helping to build a and Paul McCartney. After five years, Peter wardrobes or dress for special events. while continuing to model, and in 2012, graduated from science. better Palestinian government. was ready for a change, and he wanted to Shortly thereafter, her younger sister, she received the Herbert H. Lehman Prize GS in 2013, Dan work in a field that allowed him to directly who was still in high school and having for Excellence in History. A member of Lagana, who was impact the well-being of others. He decided trouble at home, moved in with her. The the Phi Beta Kappa society, Lisa was also born in San Salvador, Tiekka Tellier left GS/JTS graduate on medicine as a means to pursue that experience of having another person awarded the Olga H. Knoepke Scholarship El Salvador, served high school early Sam Shuman goal, and enrolled in the Postbac Premed depend on her led Mary to realize she and graduated summa cum laude. Since two tours of duty in to pursue ballet, has always been Program. During his second semester, Peter wanted to make a career out of helping graduation, Lisa has been raising her Iraq and received the eventually joining interested in lost his mother to cancer, and while it was those in need, and she enrolled in the newborn baby girl. Bronze Star Medal the Houston Ballet politics. He began a heart wrenching experience, it reaffirmed Postbac Premed Program to prepare for for performance and in 1988, where she his college career his decision to pursue medicine as one of the medical school. As a Postbac student, she leadership. During his time at GS, Dan became an acclaimed at Northwestern most meaningful ways to help ease others’ volunteered at New York-Presbyterian Born in Jamaica, was very involved in student life, serving as professional University. During suffering. While at GS, he volunteered in Hospital as a videographer for the COACH April Jackson has President and Board Member of the U.S. ballerina. After that time, he Brooklyn at New York Methodist Hospital’s program, an online medical education also lived in France Military Veterans of Columbia University a 16-year career completed an Emergency Room as well as with the Kings training tool, and also as a research and England, and from 2009-2011, raising $25,000 for the that included performing leading roles internship for a Against Violence Initiative, a youth violence assistant in their Pediatric Emergency was named the organization, and participating in successful for royalty, presidents, and diplomats U.S. Senator. He chose to continue his intervention, prevention, and empowerment Department, where she helped one of the valedictorian of congressional lobbying in D.C. for the around the world, she decided to pursue studies at GS because he wanted to attend program. Peter enrolled at Weill Cornell doctors draft her IRB proposal. This fall, her senior class at Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act. He also the college degree she had always wanted. a school that demonstrated concern about Medical College this fall and plans to return Mary matriculated at her first choice, Icahn the Royal High served as Student Council Treasurer and Prior to enrolling at GS, Tiekka studied political and social issues taking place in the to his rural Maine hometown to practice School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. School in Bath, Finance Delegate for the General Studies at Borough of Manhattan Community global community. Sam served as president family medicine. U.K. In 2008, April Student Council from 2009-2011. Dan College, and as a GS student, she took of Gayava, the Jewish LGBT club, and was named Miss was one of six students in 2011 to be classes while juggling the responsibility of also organized with Occupy Columbia. A Jamaica Universe, and served on a national selected for the Spirit Award, the highest being a working single mother to a special member of the GS and Phi Beta Kappa Save the date education board at the request of the Prime leadership award at GS. In the fall of 2012, needs child. Tiekka was named salutatorian honors societies, he is the recipient of the Minister. Shortly thereafter, she established Dan completed an internship at the White of the Class of 2013, and also received the GS Dean’s Prize in Anthropology, an Ella Below are just two of the engaging events we have planned for Give Children a Future, a charity that House. Since graduation Dan has pursued a Lifchez-Stronach Scholarship Award. A Deloria Research Fellowship from the provides development-aid for children career in public service. member of the GS and Phi Beta Kappa anthropology department, a grant from this year. Join the GSAA as we embark on a new era together! worldwide. At GS, April was a member of honors societies, Tiekka graduates summa the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, the Caribbean Students Association and cum laude with a degree in art history, and departmental honors. Sam graduated Mid-Winter Mixer participated in “Paris Then and Now,” which she hopes to use to pursue a career with a degree in Jewish women & gender February 12, 2015 the creative writing program’s study in the arts, perhaps working with special studies from List College and a degree in abroad program in France. She also kept needs children. In the meantime, she will sociocultural anthropology from General All-Year Alumni Reunion busy by writing a memoir and cookbook, continue to teach ballet. Studies. He hopes to apply for a PhD program in sociocultural anthropology in May 30, 2015 the next few years. Visit gs.columbia.edu/alumni for the latest news, 28 event information, and more! 29

the owl • new grads new grads • the owl JASON 2014 New EVERMAN ’13 Jason Everman has cultivated a life of adventure. Grad Notes Kristine Görgen Justin Nathaniel Elegance Bratton In 1987, Everman, then a commercial fisherman embodies the Carter hails from left home at age 16 off the coast of Alaska, quit his job and moved international the Bay Area and due to a contentious to Seattle where he made his mark in the mu- character of the Dual came to GS as a relationship with sic scene, becoming the second guitarist for the BA Program Between transfer student and his mother over his band Nirvana with whom he recorded and Born in Michigan, recognition of Tina’s leadership on campus, Columbia University Phi Theta Kappa admission that he toured the country to promote their Bleach al- Chad Brauze she was awarded the GS Spirit Award, GS and Sciences Po. member from West is gay. Following bum. One year later, he auditioned for a spot in began cooking in Service Award, Dean’s Citation, Office of Raised in Germany Valley Community nearly ten years Soundgarden, beating out the competition and restaurants at the Multicultural Affairs Award for Service to parents who College. As a of homelessness playing bass on their “Louder than Love” tour age of 14. In 2002, and Leadership, and a Helena Rubenstein were foreign Columbia student, on Manhattan’s that took him through the U.S., Canada, Mexico, he enrolled in the Foundation Scholarship. After graduation, correspondents, Justin personified Christopher Street, and Europe. Upon the tour’s completion, Ever- Culinary Institute Tina drove cross-country to research the Tine attended an international high school school spirit. His commitment to service he joined the U.S. Marine Corps during man moved to New York City where he was of America, where, migration of displaced Chinese railroad in Hong Kong and volunteered in China, was unparalleled, representing GS in the height of the Iraq War and served as recruited as the bassist for Old Lady Drivers. before completion of workers transitioning to gold rush mining Tanzania, and Burma before moving to the University Senate for two years and a combat specialist. At GS, Elegance was Shortly thereafter, he went on to sign as a gui- his first semester, he in the West. France to study Euro-Asian relations at serving as an EMT with the University’s awarded a Humanity in Action fellowship tarist with alt-metal group Mind Funk. was tapped by world- Sciences Po’s Le Havre Campus. At Sciences Emergency Management Service as well to study French social justice movements Everman eventually outgrew the rock renowned chef Daniel Boulud to work in Po, she studied English, French, and as participating in the GS Student Council and was a member of the Dean’s List. scene, and in 1994, he traded his pick for a rifle his restaurants, progressing through each Born in New Hindi alongside a rigorous social science and Columbia University Family Support He also wrote and directed Pier Kids: The and enlisted in the U.S. Army special operations station of the kitchen within three years Orleans, Louisiana, curriculum. As a GS student, Tine majored Network. Justin also served as a GS tour Life, an independent documentary initially forces as a part of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, and attaining the role of sous-chef. At the former American in political science and served as a tour guide guide and Orientation Leader and worked funded through Kickstarter that follows partially inspired by his grandfather, who was encouragement of Boulud, Chad then Ballet dancer for GS. She plans to return to Germany for a part time for the school’s Communications the lives of LGBT youth of color. While a a WWII tank commander. After about three embarked on a series of apprenticeships at Jacquelyn Reyes position with the government and will apply department. He graduated with a degree student, Elegance also published books on years of service, Everman found a job as a bike some of the best kitchens in Paris. When began training at to graduate school. in political science and hopes to use his photography and poetry. He graduated with messenger in Manhattan in order to save mon- he returned to New York, Chad served four and performed education to reduce social inequalities and a degree in African American studies and has ey for a trip to Nepal. He hiked the Himalayas as Saucier at Per Se before reuniting many leading roles work on grassroots political campaigns. been accepted to the graduate film program for several months and stayed in a monastery with Boulud at Daniel. After reading the in productions Ryan Kendall came at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. in the Everest region for a few weeks, dividing autobiography of and consulting with GS including The to GS from Denver his time between meditating and doing chores. alumnus and world-famous chef Jacques Nutcracker, Hansel with an activist Robert LeDesma In 2000, Everman re-enlisted in the U.S. Pépin ’70, ’72GSAS, Chad enrolled at GS. and Gretel and Aladdin. Accelerating her streak. Having spent several years William Tant Army special operations forces and was de- He earned his BA in computer science studies, she graduated with honors from emancipated himself in his native Arizona enrolled at GS ployed to S.E. Asia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. After and mathematics while also working full high school in three years and began from his parents as a dog trainer in 2011 after a finishing his tour of duty, Everman decided to time. While at GS, he also worked with performing on some of the world’s greatest at age 16 after before transferring successful career attend college, considering the completion of Daniel Boulud and author Bill Buford to stages in cities such as Paris, Tokyo, undergoing two years to GS from Mesa as a professional his bachelor’s degree the final step in pursuing a help create the cookbook Daniel: My French London, Seoul, and Beijing. With dance as of antigay reparative Community College surfer that ended well-rounded life. Cuisine. Chad is currently Executive Chef her first passion, Jacquelyn enrolled at GS (or conversion) where he was a following a diagnosis “Throughout my adult life I have made the at Rotisserie Georgette, a NYC French where she pursued her interest in the arts therapy, Ryan member of Phi of a rare disease conscious effort to develop three aspects of restaurant recently named a Critics’ Pick by and graduated cum laude with a degree in spent several years battling homelessness, Theta Kappa and a that required him who I am: the artist, the soldier, and the philoso- The New York Times. film studies. Jacquelyn has been honored depression, and addiction before enrolling nominee for the All to have open-heart pher. I believe GS has been the ideal place to as a National Coca-Cola Scholar and in community college and working with USA Academic Team. At Columbia, Robert surgery in 2013. realize this development,” Everman said. recognized by the National Foundation for law enforcement organizations on issues was a Program for Academic Leadership Will runs a charity and is the sponsor During his time at GS, Everman was an Tina Ling enrolled Advancement of the Arts, an organization of LGBT equality and discrimination. His and Service Scholar, majoring in biology of an annual surfing competition in his active member of the U.S. Military Veterans of at GS after a committed to identifying the next expertise brought him to the U.S. District with a premedical concentration; he also Florida hometown that memorializes his Columbia University student organization. Since successful career in generation of emerging artists. Jacquelyn Court, where he served as a key witness in served as a GS tour guide and Orientation brother, Tommy, who passed away from the graduation, he has spent time traveling, and he the fashion industry is currently directing her first short film the case that overturned Proposition 8, the Leader and was an active member of same heart condition in 1998. In addition hopes to publish a novel. He also plans to apply where she was a called Spicy Tuna, which she plans to enter amendment banning same-sex marriage in the GS Student Council and Columbia to surfing, Will was also a professional to a graduate degree program to study history. top seller and the into SXSW film festival. California. While at Columbia, Ryan majored University Family Support Network. model featured in Nautica’s 2011-2012 youngest member in political science, was a member of Phi Beta Robert received the Dean’s Citation in international ad campaign. He graduated recruited for the Kappa. He received the Alumni Key Award 2014 for his commitment to the Columbia as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the GS opening team of for his exceptional academic achievement community during his tenure at GS. Honor Society with a degree in religion Dolce & Gabbana’s and service to the Columbia community. Following graduation, he plans to pursue and plans to apply to graduate school. New York boutique, Ryan also received the Courage Award from full-time work in laboratory research their first flagship store in the United the National Center for Lesbian Rights and before applying to PhD programs in States. As a GS student, Tina was president continues to testify as a fact witness in states virology. of Columbia University Family Support where reparative therapy bans are being Network (CUFSN), a support network considered. Ryan will attend law school in the for Columbia Students and their family fall and pursue a career in civil rights law. members that she co-founded in 2012. In

30 31 the owl • giving giving • the owl Jalloh—the first person in his family to graduate elementary school— Umaru Jalloh ’14 could not be more thrilled to earn his BA in anthropology. xtraordinary trides “I am dedicating my degree not only to my sister, who was forced E S , iving to drop out of school in second grade because she is female, but also to G my brother who also was forced to drop out because of a disability. I am xtraordinary ratitude On Oct. 2, 1992, with his brother on his shoulder and mother and sister indebted not only to them, but to girls and children with disabilities with E G close behind, Umaru Jalloh ran for his life as grenades exploded and bullets marginal circumstances everywhere,” Jalloh said. screeched by his head. Twenty-two years later, Jalloh, a 42-year-old Sierra Education is not only Jalloh’s personal mission, but it was also his path- Leonean refugee who has endured personal tragedies such as homeless- way to the United States in 2002. As a political refugee in one of the largest Over the past 10 years, GS has seen a significant ness and triumphs such as being named to the Dean’s List, graduated from refugee camps in Guinea, he learned from a United Nations field worker increase in contributions received from alumni Columbia University School of General Studies on May 19, 2014. of a teacher shortage for English-speaking refugee children in the Guinean and friends. The size of the GS endowment has capital, Conakry. It was there that he met Lisa Gimbel, an American who was more than doubled, from 15.8 million to 39.7 mil- volunteering at the school, and who eventually encouraged Jollah to come to the United States to work as a camp counselor in Wading River, N.Y. lion. This increase translates to better access to “After working at Camp Wolfson and learning new skills from pro- housing and improved academic and student sup- gram mangement and wilderness survival, my desire to be a college-ed- port services. Additionally, GS has created over ucated, certified teacher was even stronger, and in the fall of 2006, I en- 30 new named scholarships. Armed with the abil- raised for rolled at Suffolk Community College (SCCC)—17 years after graduating ity to give more financial aid, the School has been from high school. I felt reborn,” Jalloh said. able to attract the best nontraditional students ONE the 2013-14 At SCCC, Jollah was a straight-A student and the president of the from around the country and the world. Phi Theta Honor Society, an international honor society of two-year col- Million Annual Fund leges and academic programs. His success at SCCC led him to apply to Unless otherwise noted, the numbers expressed below are based on donations received between June 3, 2013 and June 2, 2014. DOLLARS Columbia University School of General Studies for the spring of 2010. “When I enrolled at Columbia University, I struggled not only with health issues, but also homelessness. The School of General Studies, how- ever, supported me through these tough times with tuition, housing, and medical assistance. I’ve made life-long friendships; I always felt welcome; more than 1,800 donors and I could not be prouder to be a GS alumnus and a member of the Columbia community,” Jollah said. $17.1 After graduation, Jollah would like to study the history of technology through a joint program at the University of Pennsylvania and the Franklin Institute Museum where he serves as a science fair volunteer. He has also gifts in 2013-2014 Million initiated plans to open an inclusive school in rural Sierra Leone called Fair- 69% play Academy to ensure all students receive a quality education. ranged from $1 to $1 MILLION students given as scholarships or receivE grants to gs students scholarships or grants 2014 Postbac New Grad Notes thank gs.columbia.edu/give you #ColumbiaGS Thanks you! Born and raised Francisco. It was on this trip that Ashley New York City in Boston, Mass., decided to pursue a career in medicine where he worked Ashley White- because she realized that as a physician, as an actor and an Stern earned her she could combine her passions for food, academic tutor. more than BA in cinema and community building, population health, and Through his role as media studies from community health. While in the Postbac a tutor, he developed $250,000 the University Program, Ashley was very involved, serving a strong interest of Chicago and as President of the Premedical Association in child psychiatry $33 raised for gs on giving day 2014 her masters in Board and helping to organize the Annual that inspired him Financial Aid Pools film studies from Medical School Fair and the Annual Postbac to pursue a career Million the University of Symposium. She began medical school at in medicine. For average award in 2003-2004: California, Berkeley. Columbia University College of Physicians the past year, he raised for After completing her MA, while working as and Surgeons in the fall. volunteered in the Psychiatric Recovery gs financial aid $5,949 $17.1 a Maître D’ at a Boston seafood restaurant Center at St. Luke’s Hospital where he via the Columbia Million and oyster bar known for its local menu, Evan Frederickson Joiner grew up in worked primarily with patients with Campaign average award in 2013-2014: she had the opportunity to travel to Sicily Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2007, he earned his psychotic disorders. He matriculated at for a course on health and terroir with BA in American studies and theater studies Columbia University College of Physicians a Sicilian chef and a physician from San from Yale University. He then moved to and Surgeons this fall. $12,217 $3.7 Million 32 33

2003-2004 2013-2014

the owl • giving alumni • the owl Alumni Giving Back and compiled BY Christopher Young Climbing High News

“I trace everything I’ve done so far coordinating a number of different lawyers 1953 make you pay a second fare to change direc- professionally, back to GS,” says 2006 from different legal disciplines along with The Judd Foundation, established in recogni- tions, this map also shows future lines, such as the 7 Line extension to 34th Street and 11th graduate and class salutatorian Pavan brokering an unprecedented agreement tion of minimalist artist Donald Judd, re- Surapaneni. “GS took a chance on me that with the Office of the Commissioner of furbished Judd’s former residence in order to Avenue (planned to open later in 2014), and no one else would—and for that reason, I Major League Baseball and Guggenheim open it to the public as a museum featuring the Second Avenue Line (planned to open in joined RALC—and I now serve on the Baseball Management, which eventually the artist’s collection of works by Duchamp, 2016). Board of Visitors.” acquired the team, its media rights, and real Frank Stella, Stuart Davis, and Dan Flavin. Ad- That “chance” to which Pavan refers, estate that included Dodgers Stadium. ditionally, the gallery will exhibit Judd’s own 1965 is one to which many GSers can relate. Such deals can be stressful and all- sculptures. Catherine Robbins’s book All Indians Do Before enrolling at the School of General consuming, so to decompress, Pavan heads Not Live in Teepees (or Casinos) is a tale about Studies in 2002, the now attorney was a high to the hills—but not just any hill. An avid contemporary American Indian life. Origi- 1960 nally published last year, it is now in its sec- school dropout and troubled teen. After hiker and climber, Pavan takes day trips out Barbara Probst Solomon’s archive was a life-altering experience, he sought help, of Manhattan up to the Hudson Highlands recently acquired by the Harry Ransom Cen- ond printing. Robbins is currently working on earned his high school diploma at The John and Cold Spring, N.Y. to challenging sites ter, a humanities research library and museum her second book, Nobody Travels South of Rome, Dewey Academy, and found a new path. like the one that hikers call Breakneck at UT Austin. The archive, which includes man- about Calabria, a region in southern Italy. Once at Columbia and part of a community Ridge. Or during the colder months, he uscripts, correspondence, published books, of diverse and dynamic students, Pavan goes ice climbing in New Hampshire’s first drafts, interviews, documentaries and 1967 worked harder than ever before, and it paid White Mountains. “I was born in Maine, so photographs, tells the story of Probst Solo- Leni Miller recently had her first book, off. Upon graduation, he attended Harvard I was born to be in the mountains,” he said. mon’s life as a prolific writer, journalist, and Finding Right Work: Five Steps to a Life You Love, Law School. When Pavan has more time, he climbs activist focused on fascist Spain in the second published. With almost four decades of expe- Today, Pavan is an Associate at Sullivan some of the world’s tallest peaks. Every half of the 20th century. Solomon is still reg- rience in professional job placement, Miller & Cromwell LLP, a leading law firm based two years, after extensive training and ularly featured in The New York Times, Harpers, helps people find “right work” that is fulfilling in New York City. He landed a position preparation, he picks a new summit to Vogue, The Los Angeles Times, and El País. She is and utilizes their talents. there after serving as a Summer Associate conquer. To his credit thus far, he counts also the publisher and editor of the literary Eli Zabar, son of the founder of Zabar’s during both of his summers breaks while in Mount Aconcágua in Argentina, Mount “Serving on the Board journal The Reading Room. specialty food market, now owns a number law school. After briefly meeting a partner of Elbrus in Russia, Mount Kilimanjaro in of gourmet cafés and specialty food shops the firm at a job fair during his first semester Tanzania, and Mount Rainier in Washington of Visitors is a tremendous 1962 throughout Manhattan, the most well-known in Cambridge, Mass. he was invited to join State, to name a few. opportunity to give back to Robert Lockwood wrote political thriller being the Vinegar Factory and E.A.T. them for the summer. “They were interested This June, he took a month off from A Dragon Defanged, which intertwines domes- in me not based on my Harvard grades— work to climb to the summit of Denali the school that gave me so tic politics, economic issues, and the rivalry because at that point I hadn’t earned any. (also known as Mount McKinley) in Alaska, 1969 between China and the United States. Previ- Susanne Braham is having several of her po- They were interested in me solely based on a vast wilderness of forest, tundra, rocky much. At the end of the day, ously, Lockwood held various political posts, ems about widowhood published in two anthol- my work at GS,” recalled Pavan. landscapes, and glaciers. ranging from Counsel to the U.S. Senate Ju- ogies, On Our Own: Widowhood for Smarties and As an attorney, Pavan helps clients “When you’re on the mountain, you given my past, I have a sense diciary Committee and Army Colonel to De- The Widows’ Handbook, which will feature a for- evaluate and allocate the risk of, and must be in the moment. You must focus on fense Secretary Caspar Weinberger’s chief ward by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader negotiate and ultimately close, business each step to do it safely. And when you’re that I was granted a chance. speechwriter and Deputy Special Arms Con- Ginsburg. transactions. For example, Pavan was one of able to stop, you look around at the stunning trol Adviser to President Ronald Reagan, all the members of the S&C team advising Frank views and think, ‘Wow, this is beautiful!’ I want to help other people before becoming a Washington lobbyist for McCourt in connection with the settlement There’s no time to think about work and 1972 several Fortune 500 companies. Anne-Marie Brumm just published her of his divorce and martial property dispute the stress it brings. You have to think about to have that same chance.” latest book Honor Killing: a Novel of Israel about over—and subsequent sale of—the Los how you are going to take the next step,” 1963 a Mossad agent sent to infiltrate a Hezbol- Angeles Dodgers. The transaction involved said Pavan. Pavan Surapaneni ’06 John Tauranac, who led the Metropoli- lah camp by seducing the leader’s aging sis- tan Transportation Authority committee that ter. Brumm, already the author of a number created the iconic 1979 subway map (the ba- of other books has lived in Israel for 15 years sis for the map still in use today), has inde- and is already planning her next book about a pendently produced an updated Subway map. double murder on a state university campus. Showing such useful details as what stations

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the owl • alumni alumni • the owl 1979 1986 Bernice Berger Bonnie Lee Black just had her third book, James Braly is a comedic writer who per- Elliot How to Make an African Quilt: The Story of the forms his works as monologues. His show Patchwork Project of Ségou, Mali, published. How “Life in a Marital Institution,” about his long M iller ’53 Levioff ’60 to Make an African Quilt is a memoir about and tumultuous marriage to a wife he met “President Eisenhower was my Fall 2014 marks the third season for the Seniors Orchestral Society Black’s time living in Ségou, Mali teaching Ma- while they attended GS, is available as a mem- neighbor for a time,” wrote of New York City (SOSNY), founded by Elliot Levioff ’60. SOSNY lian women how to make American quilts as oir, has been optioned for television, and was Bernice Miller ’53 of her time is the first permanent symphonic ensemble in the City composed part of an economic initiative called the Patch- featured on “This American Life.” at Columbia—an experience of senior citizens. The ensemble brings together accomplished mu- work Project, while simultaneously exploring that was quite some time ago, sicians who are over 60 years old and wish to study, learn, and the historic and contemporary issues in Mali. but for this liver-transplant sur- 1992 rehearse the classical music repertoire with the goal of making Black has written two other books, Some- Jay Amari was featured in a book by T. J. vivor, each moment of life is classical music available to as wide an audience as possible through where Child, about when her daughter was kid- Banks. He has also been in a number of inde- vivid and lived to its fullest. Au- the presentation of free concerts throughout the five boroughs. napped by her ex-husband, and How to Cook pendent films and written several screenplays. thor of three novels and now, Before leading SOSNY, Levioff enjoyed a long career as a con- a Crocodile, chronicling her other experiences Two of his scripts were nominated as finalists Liver Transplant: My Story, after ductor and musician. After earning his bachelor’s degree in music in Africa. at the Actors Theater of Louisville National graduating from GS, Berger at GS in 1968, he was awarded his doctorate in music and music 10-Minute Play Contest. Miller raised a family, earned education from Teachers College. Once settled in the Philadelphia her MA in English from Florida 1981 area, he led a number of noteworthy community orchestras, and Jean Foss wrote a book, Sun, Clouds, and Stars Atlantic University and her PhD 1994 until 1994, Levioff taught music and was the choral conductor at of Mrs. Kermit Roosevelt, about the life of a young Katherine Dufault (nee Fields) curated from University of Florida. She Overbrook High School in Pennsylvania. Additionally, he founded woman who married into the Roosevelt family an exhibit of 40 abstract works at the Rye Arts owned and operated a building company, spent 25 years in the and was the conductor of the Philadelphia Promenade Orches- and all the excitement that it entailed. Center, including several of her own. Over the antiques and collectibles business, and traveled widely. No doubt, tra, a 60-piece professional ensemble that gave free concerts. Visit past several years, Dufault has had her work a full life, but certainly, one not lived without hardship. www.sos-nyc.org to learn more about the Seniors Orchestral So- exhibited at a number of venues around New Liver Transplant: My Story, which was published in 2012, is 1982 ciety of New York City and their upcoming concert schedule. John Horgan recently had his latest book, The York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. a memoir in which Berger Miller describes in detailed, layman’s End of War, published. Already the author of books terms her experience from the moment she learned her liver Rational Mysticism: Dispatches from the Border Be- was diseased in 1990 through pre-transplant and post-transplant 1996 tween Science and Spirituality and Where Was God Chris Dixon is a General Partner at the periods. By explaining this serious subject with humor and an on September 11?, Horgan is a science journalist investing firm A16Z (formerly Andreessen uplifting message, she hopes that her account will help other and director of the Center for Science Writings Horowitz). Over the last decade, Dixon co- transplant candidates—liver or otherwise—become more famil- at Stevens Institute of Technology. founded several startups, such as Hunch, iar and, therefore, less anxious about what is facing them. which was bought by eBay, and has since been 1983 an angel investor in companies such as Four- Brent Weingard, who has cleaned win- square, Kickstarter, Pinterest, and Dropbox. dows in New York City for more than 35 years, He also co-founded a New York-based seed- 1973 was featured in The New York Times. Weingard, stage venture firm called Founder Collective. Joseph Jacobs’ new book Mohawks on the who started his window cleaning business Nile is about how he, a member of the Kahn- while at GS, discussed the complex technical 1997 awake Mohawk tribe, navigated the divide be- aspects of window cleaning, from harness rigs Gale Brewer, the School of General Studies tween being Native American and white. The to cleaning solvents, as well as his numerous 2014 Class Day keynote speaker, is serving as youngest of four children and the first to grad- encounters with famous New Yorkers whose Borough President of Manhattan. Elected to uate from high school, Jacobs describes how windows he has cleaned over the years. the leadership post in fall 2013, she was previ- he graduated from Columbia GS and Yale be- ously a longstanding member of the New York 2000 fore rediscovering his Mohawk identity. 1984 City Council as a representative of the Upper Yael Israel joined Pricewaterhouse Coo- West Side and parts of Clinton in Manhattan. Chris Robert Smith, who uses the pseud- 1975 pers as a Director in Practice in charge of a onym Chris Cannon, is enjoying the success team working to optimize tax engagement 1998 of his most recent book America, But Better: Ralf Hertwig retired from federal service The Canada Party Manifesto, co-authored with in 2011. He most recently held a position at strategies in investment management groups. Rojé Augustin published her first novel The Unraveling of Bebe Jones. After initially Brian Calvert. His photography and writings the Bureau of Labor Statistics as an economist have appeared in publications such as Rolling and statistical analyst. Ralf writes extensively 1985 working as an editorial assistant and writing Lisa Bennett coauthored her first book short insert pieces for the New York Daily News Stone, Men’s Journal, University of Chicago Mag- about deficit finance and the national debt de- azine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and others. bates. Ecoliterate: How Educators Are Cultivating Emo- and BET Weekend Magazine, Augustin began a tional, Social, and Ecological Intelligence. She is career in television working on such shows In 2006, under the name Chris Smith, he au- often featured in The Huffington Post, the Chris- as 20/20, Primetime, and Good Morning Amer- thored 101 Albums that Changed Popular Music. 1976 Read more from Smith at cannonwriter.com. Anouk Markovits authored I Am Forbid- tian Science Monitor, and The New York Times, ica Weekend Edition. Augustin now lives in Syd- den, a gripping story of what happens when and has contributed to several other books. ney, Australia. Bennett is currently the communications di- 2001 unwavering love, unyielding law, and centuries Eytan Schwartz recently ran for a seat in the of Jewish tradition collide. She was featured rector for the Center for Ecoliteracy. 1999 Wade Black was recently appointed to the Israeli Knesset. Previously, he won the first sea- in the 20th Annual Mandell JCC Jewish Book Tina Casey writes about military, corpo- board of Alabama Graphite. He is also Presi- son of The Ambassador, a popular Israeli reality Festival. rate, and technological sustainability for sites dent of Blackberry Fund Management, Inc. and show focused on creating a better public image such as CleanTechnica and TriplePundit. Director of Tiex, Inc., a Canadian mineral ex- for Israel. This led him to work at Israeli at Heart, ploration company. a New York-based Israeli advocacy group.

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Larysa Kondracki directed The Whistle- Chad Miller starred in An Ordinary Family, a blower, a film starring Academy Award win- film about a family reunion that takes a very dif- 2011 Justin Humphries is a retired minor Miriam Kartch ’70 ner Rachel Weisz. Featured at the Athena Film ferent turn when Miller’s character arrives with league baseball player and was one of the first BY ALLISON SCOLA Festival, The Whistleblower was inspired by true a male partner and his conservative family must participants in George Washington Universi- events and tells the story of a peacekeeper decide how to react. Premiering at the Los An- ty’s STAR Program (Special Talent, Access, and in postwar Bosnia who discovers an elaborate geles Film Festival, An Ordinary Family later won As a piano student at Mannes Responsibility), which helps current or retired human-trafficking operation. Best Narrative Feature at the New Orleans Music School in the early 1940s, athletes earn their MBAs. Film Festival. Miller is also now co-producing Miriam Kartch ’70, ’77GSAS, and Renée D’Aoust’s book Body of a Dancer, a Ponies! Live on Broadway, a new web series. Christine McHone received her second ’80GSAS was identified by Co- memoir about of her time as a modern dancer Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship, Director Clara Damrosch Mannes in New York City and the history of modern Ali Naderzad is narrating and producing a this time for graduate studies in anthropol- as having a gift for pedagogy, and dance as a style, was published by Etruscan podcast series MOVIE TRACKS! about movie PHOTO: E ugenia A mes PHOTO: ogy, which she is also undertaking at Colum- thus began an inspired, 70-year Press. Additionally, she has written a number soundtracks for the website Screen Comment, bia University. career as a music educator. of other short essays on dance such as “Read- where he writes film news and movie reviews. “Ms. Karch cares greatly for her ing Dance” and “On Stage Alone.” Naderzad is also a frequent contributor to the Sara Ziff, while continuing her modeling students,” said percussionist and Mannes College of Music graduate French edition of The Huffington Post. Daniel Mallon, who was a student of Kartch’s in the mid-1980s. “I’ve Adam Weinstein was hired as a full-time career, started Model Alliance, a labor orga- been honored to know her for the past thirty years, first as her stu- staff writer for Gawker. An investigative re- Christopher Riano was appointed to the Co- nization working to improve the industry con- dent, and now as a colleague on the faculty.” porter who used to be the Engagement Editor lumbia University faculty where he teaches ditions for models. One recent success was Known for her dry wit and unconventional personal style, during the for Mother Jones, Weinstein has also written undergraduate law courses. He was recently her lobbying of the New York State Senate post-War 1950s, Kartch was ahead of her time. “In my day, girls mar- for the Wall Street Journal, Village Voice, and the interviewed by USA Today for a legal opinion and Assembly to categorize models under 18 ried in order to get married. I was teaching [Mannes Preparatory] and Columbia Journalism Review. on the implications of the Supreme Court’s as child workers, allowing them much more Extension School piano lessons, and then I was Director of the Prep case dealing with Affirmative Action. protection under the law. Her other endeav- school. I had a calling,” said Kartch. 2002 ors include Save the Children, a program that One of her Extension piano students was Vernon W. Hughes Sara Landeau joined the punk rock band 2008 helps alleviate childhood malnutrition. ’41CC, ’50GSAS, a PhD candidate in physics at Columbia. “He came called The Julie Ruin. Landeau has taught mu- Robert Brink wrote and directed a short to Mannes for evening lessons; since we lived two blocks apart, we sic at the Willie Mae Rock Camps for Girls in film, Insecurity, which premiered at the open- 2012 became acquainted and dated.” At the time, Hughes was interested in Brooklyn and now runs her own music school ing night of the Trinity International Film Festi- Heather D’Angelo is a member of the getting married. Kartch had other ambitions. teaching guitar and drums to girls of all ages, val where it won Best Short Film. band Au Revoir Simone, which recently re- helping to empower them through music. leased its newest album Move in Spectrums af- A few years later, in the summer of 1962, her then fiancé died sud- Marey Jencks recently published her first ter a break of several years. denly of a cerebral hemorrhage. The loss was shocking. A year later, Gerard Jackson is the creator of Five Alive novel Heights of Desire under the pseudonym seeking a countermeasure to her grief, a bereft Kartch was encour- Films, an independent film company which Mara White. The book was nominated as one Maurice Decaul is a poet, librettist, and es- aged by music theorist and then dean of Mannes Carl Schachter to has produced music videos, book trailers, and of the top 50 indie books of the year by Indie sayist whose work has been featured in The visit Donald Klein at the School of General Studies at Columbia. “I had documentaries. Author Land, and it recently topped the Ama- New York Times, Sierra Magazine, and others. to do something that nobody could take away from me, and that was zon urban erotica best-sellers list. He recently performed in the theatrical pro- education,” recalled Kartch. duction Holding It Down: The Veterans Dreams 2005 Danielle Klein (GS/JTS) married Avi GS appealed to her. She started taking one class at a time, and even- Marguerite Anderson (née Daniels) is Project, which premiered at the Harlem Stage Aarons in March 2014. The couple grew up, tually two. “Completing my bachelor’s took me seven years because I a freelance web designer and publishes a food Gatehouse. Holding It Down, a collaboration met, and wed in New York. After graduating could only do a little at a time.” Kartch said. blog, ASingleChef.com, where she has com- between jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer from Columbia, Danielle earned an MS in in- “GS was a wonderful place—it was a mind-opening experience. We piled and created recipes designed for making and poet Mike Ladd, tells the story of soldiers terior architecture and design from Drexel were all working hard to fit courses into our schedules. We were all a single serving. Last spring she had her wed- in Iraq and Afghanistan. University and is currently working as a show- trying to enrich our lives” ding noted in The New York Times. After completing her undergraduate degree, Kartch went on to pur- room designer for Ralph Lauren at the com- Aelfie Oudghiri (née Tuff) recently sue a master’s, and subsequently, a doctorate in musicology at the Grad- Carolyn Castro is now Executive Director pany’s global headquarters. The wedding party married a Columbia College alumnus in a uate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS), during which she taught Music of the Livery Roundtable, where she most re- included fellow alumni Jamie Diamond ceremony presided over by GS Dean Awn in Humanities and piano at Columbia. Then, in 1979, her recently widowed, cently created policy suggestions for the City ’09 GS/’09 JTS and Lisa (Kravitz) Staten Island’s Chinese Scholar Garden. After old boyfriend Vernon Hughes, by now Sterling Professor of Physics at of New York regarding the use of taxi-call- Mamaysky ’08 GS/’08 JTS. graduating, she opened a boutique rug show- Yale University, called. This time, she accepted his marriage proposal... ing apps for smart phones. Previously, Castro room in Brooklyn and launched her own line Jacqueline Wayans recorded her first al- meanwhile, she failed to earn her doctorate. spent five years as the Assistant Director at of affordable kilim rugs. bum, My Strength, My Song, where she covers While fulfilling her new role over the subsequent decades, Kartch the New York City Taxi and Limousine Com- Christian music in a smooth, jazzy style. She Cameron Russell has been a model for continued to teach piano to undergraduates at Mannes and courses mission. celebrated her album release with a concert brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, in music history in Mannes Extension Division. She is still a member series in Harlem and the Bronx. Wayans also and Ralph Lauren and has appeared in Amer- of the faculty. 2006 had her first book Ambrose published. A chil- ican, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Jap- At age 90 and after decades of teaching, her influence on current In February, Erich Erving exhibited live dren’s book, Ambrose retells the story of the anese Vogue. She gave a TED talk at the and former students runs deep. She receives letters and visits from printmaking at the Shoestring Press studio Garden of Eden from the snake’s perspective. TEDxMidAtlantic conference titled “Looks all over the world. “Everyone needs a grandmother,” she laughed. opening party in Brooklyn. Additionally, Wayans is the host of an inspira- aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model,” as Well, if that is a succinct way to sum up that Kartch is an inspirational tional radio program, Don’t Give Up, broadcast well as appeared on shows like ABC’s Nightline example of grace, style, perseverance, and humility, then it is a 2007 out of New York City. to speak out against constraining definitions of marvelous tribute to her. James McGirk was published in Wired Mag- beauty and their negative reflections on society. azine writing about his experience living in For Kartch’s full story, including a wonderful account of her experience study- Arcosanti, famous architect Paolo Soleri’s at- ing Italian Renaissance painting with Columbia’s legendary professor Howard tempt at designing a utopian community in the McParlin Davis, please visit http://gs.columbia.edu/miriam-kartch. Arizona desert.

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the owl • alumni alumni • the owl

Eric Shaw ’03 In Memoriam Scores Emmy for Animation Writing Eric Shaw’s ’03 path to becoming an Emmy-winning writer has been a cir- After graduating in the spring of 2003, Shaw was looking for work cuitous one. It began in 1994, when he crammed everything he owned while he applied to law school, and reached out to his former boss at into his Toyota Corolla and drove from Jericho, N.Y. to Los Angeles, Calif. to FOX. After following up on several referrals, he eventually found himself on pursue a career in screenwriting. With no job secured, he relied solely on the phone with the executive producer of the animated series SpongeBob a friend’s reference, which allowed him to rent an apartment. He wasted SquarePants who said he would be looking for a writer in a few months and no time, however, and began diligently faxing his resume to more than 200 would call back. Shaw never expected to hear from him again, but three Barbara Voorhis Levy donald richie patricia ryan leslie woodard production companies. months later the phone rang. Only one company responded—Wapello Productions, then owned Shaw seized the opportunity to dive back into writing, but it re- ’48 ’53 ’68 ’94 by Tom and Roseanne Arnold—and at the interview, he was hired on the quired some sacrifices because the Nickelodeon office was located in spot. One year later, with Tom Arnold’s help, Shaw landed a position as a Burbank, Calif., and his children were living in Long Island, N.Y. at the time. When Henry C. Stevens ’42 during World War II making Norden returned to Japan where he wrote Division of Law of the Office of the production assistant at FOX, where he served his time making coffee runs To balance his career with parenthood, Shaw flew home more than 40 passed away in January 2014 at 95, bombsights. Levy also served as a prolifically as a film critic and of Attorney General for the state of and photocopying scripts. It all paid off when he was offered the chance to weekends of each year. he was the oldest instructor at Congregation Daat Elohim board his own experiences traveling the New Jersey where she worked until write his own script for an episode of FOX’s Secret Service Guy. “I would take the Burbank to JKF red-eye Friday night, and then I’d be University of Akron, Ohio where member and vice president and, in Japanese countryside. He lived in her death in December 2012. he was scheduled to teach a 1975, was elected to P.S. 9 district’s Japan until his death. “It is a very small business, and there is no better recommendation for back at JFK for a 6 a.m. return flight on Monday. I just couldn’t stand being chemistry course as usual, for the school board in New York City. Leslie Woodard ’94 passed a gig than from someone your prospective bosses know and like. But I was away from my kids,” Shaw said. spring semester. “Hank” received his Geraldine (Jean) Zamoyski away on Monday, October 15, finally offered the script because I begged! To succeed in Hollywood, you When his role at Nickelodeon concluded, Shaw’s agent found him a undergraduate degree in chemistry Gerhard H. Roberts ’50 died ’54 died on July 29, 2012. Zamoyski, 2013. After directing the Columbia must be persistent,” Shaw said. job as a head writer with the PBS animated series, WordGirl, a show in its fifth from Columbia and his master’s and on March 23, 2013. Born in Berlin, who put herself through GS while undergraduate creative writing After a few years in the business, Shaw realized that opportunities season, intended to expand children’s vocabularies. Shaw was nominated for, doctorate in chemistry from Case Germany, Roberts received both working full-time as a medical program, Woodard became dean in his niche industry were dwindling as the reality television phenomenon and eventually won, an Emmy award for outstanding writing in animation at Western Reserve University. He holds his undergraduate and graduate assistant, met her future husband of Yale’s undergraduate Calhoun 40 patents and was employed by PPG degrees from Columbia University. while finishing her internship and College. Remembered by all for her took off. With his first child on the way, he decided to step away from the the 40th Annual Creative Arts Daytime Emmy Awards on June 14, 2013. Industries for 42 years. He began After serving in U.S. Army in the residency at Lenox Hill Hospital. warmth and passion for teaching, uncertain world of sitcom writing and applied to GS with the intention of Lately, Shaw’s focus has been shifting from children’s programming to teaching chemistry at UA part-time in Pacific Theater during World War Together they set up a practice in Woodard worked to foster a sense going into law or medicine. live action drama, and he hopes to write the next Breaking Bad. He is also 1986 and since, impacted thousands II, Roberts moved to Long Island Brewster, N.Y., where Zamoyski of community around the Columbia Upon matriculating in the spring of 2001, Shaw supported himself by currently a visiting instructor at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, of students with his enthusiasm and and was a mathematics teacher was a family physician, in addition writing program. Originally a dancer working a staggering 70 hours per week as a facilities manager at a stock Colo., where he teaches a course in basic screenwriting. energy for the subject. and administrator for two school to being active in the local medical with the Dance Theater of Harlem footage company in downtown Manhattan. He also found time to write for “So many professors, like Brigitte Nacos in the Political Science De- districts for a number of years. community where she taught before enrolling in GS, Woodard Louis Simpson ’48, Pulitzer- and helped establish local health pursued a variety of interests and the Columbia Spectator while completing a bachelor’s degree in political partment at Columbia, have had a profound effect on my life. If I can make winning poet, passed away on William L. Carroll ’52, a veteran organizations. was working on a novel called The science with a focus on constitutional law. that sort of impact on someone else’s life, I want to do it,” Shaw said. September 18, 2012. Though and finance tycoon, passed away on Last Tour of the Hot-House Flower Simpson was best known for his May 5, 2013. Carroll received a degree Patricia Ryan ’68, managing when she passed. award-winning poetry, he achieved in industrial psychology and industrial editor of People and Life magazines, many other feats in his life. Born in engineering from GS. During World died on Friday, December 27, 2013. Andrew Hamilton ’13 passed Jamaica to a Scottish and African War II, Carroll served in the 785th Starting in the secretarial pool, away unexpectedly in late June. 2013 father and a Russian mother, after Tank Battalion in the Philippines Ryan’s exceptional talent allowed Andrew, who earned a Bachelor of In addition to teaching piano, voice, and gui- Send Us Your News high school he moved to the United before working as an engineer at the her to become the first woman to Science in neuroscience in 2013, tar privately, Sebastian Clegg is Director States to study at Columbia. When financial consulting firm McCormick be appointed the top editorial job was selected as one of 100 students of Music at Mott Hall Charter School in The World War II started, Simpson & Co. He was also a vice president of at a Time Inc. publication in 27 years. chosen nationally as a 2012 White Bronx. In November 2013, he led a fund raiser The Owl wants joined the 101st Airborne Division. the National Bank of Westchester and During her time at People, Ryan House Fellow. In this role, he He survived some of the toughest later returned to McCormick & Co. transformed it into the magazine it interned in the President’s Office of powered by the website Donors Choose that to hear from you! fighting in France and Belgium. After to serve as its president. Carroll went is today, both expanding its coverage Communications in Washington, D.C. aimed to raise money to purchase instru- the war, he studied in Paris for a on to establish his own company, of more serious news while also ments for his students. Please send us news about your latest time before returning to the U.S. Carroll & Co. Ltd., a management instituting the now famous annual accomplishments, milestones, and projects. to finish his degree at GS. In 1963, consulting firm. “Sexiest Man Alive” issue. Under her Pablo Mota is pursuing a graduate degree Simpson published his Pulitzer- leadership, People also won its only Friends at the London School of Economics and was Email us at: [email protected] winning collection At the End of the Donald Richie ’53, film critic national magazine award for general named as a Santander Scholar. Upon gradua- Open Road. and writer who introduced the excellence in 1987. Mariam Chamberlain (Faculty tion, he plans to pursue an MPA in Public Policy. Mail it to us at: English-speaking world to Japanese Member), an influential thinker The Owl Magazine Barbara Voorhis Levy ’48, cinema, passed away on February 19, Rachel Jeanne Lehr ’81 was 49 who helped create the field of 408 Lewisohn Hall, MC 4101 an extremely dedicated and active 2013. Richie was first introduced to when she graduated from GS. After women’s studies, passed away on 2014 April 2, 2013. After receiving her 2970 Broadway alumna, passed away on June 27, Japan when he was stationed there high school, she completed one year After publishing an essay in HuffPost Women, 2014 in New York City. Levy, who as part of the American occupying of college, but then focused her PhD in economics from Harvard, Katie Naum was featured on HuffPost New York, NY 10027 worked full time while enrolled at force. While working for the Pacific time on raising five children. At age Chamberlain taught at the School Live’s “What’s Trending” in a segment that ac- Stars and Stripes, the soldier-run 52, she earned a JD from Rutgers of General Studies before joining Visit our website at: GS, earned a BA in history and went counted her tumultuous past before attending on to serve as the first president newspaper, he became fascinated by University and then embarked upon the Ford Foundation, where she www.gs.columbia.edu/owl-magazine Columbia and her personal triumph of earn- of the General Studies Alumni the Japanese culture and people, and a 28-year career as an attorney, first arranged numerous grants to kick- start research into the inequality ing her undergraduate degree. Association and as an editor at the began to write movie reviews. After with the New Jersey Department of Columbia University Press. Prior to returning to the United States for Environmental Protection and then between men and women in the her enrollment at GS, Levy worked a few years to study at GS, Richie as a deputy attorney general for the workplace.

40 41 the owl • in general annual fund • the owl Larry J. Lawrence ’69 n eneral Trustees Chair I G William V. Campbell Recognized For ’62CC, ’64TC, Michelle S. Kolb Transformational ’05, ’09NRS, Larry “ It’s not only what you learn Lawrence ’69, ’71BUS, and President Lee C. Leadership Bollinger ’71LAW inside the classroom, but also During the Columbia Alumni Leaders Weekend luncheon on Saturday, October 12, 2013, Larry J. Lawrence ’69GS, ’71BUS was pre- the experiences along the way— sented with The Richard E. Witten Award for Transformational Volunteer Leadership. Law- rence is a dedicated alumni leader who over Columbia transforms you...” many years has shown a profound determina- tion and commitment not only to the School of – Aries Dela Cruz ’09GS, General Studies and Columbia School of Busi- ness, but also to the University as a whole. His Anthropology Major fundraising efforts and their results have ben- efited students, alumni, and faculty in countless ways. michael dames PHOTO: Lawrence has served as co-chair of the Columbia Undergraduate Campaign Council A retired venture capitalist known for his nition of fundraising efforts on behalf of schools and worked closely with faculty and University strategic thinking and candor, Lawrence serves or programs in two categories: Volunteer Lead- leadership to support the strategic needs of on the board of the Columbia Investment Man- ership, for extraordinary and innovative efforts the School of General Studies. His initiative and agement Company. In 2010, his dedication to over two to four years, and Transformational leadership were instrumental in establishing a increasing alumni engagement and his legacy of Volunteer Leadership, for exceptional service $3 million matching program for GS financial distinguished service was recognized with the over five or more years. Honorees are selected aid and in raising over $6 million in The Co- Alumni Medal. by representatives of the University Trustees lumbia Campaign. He currently serves on the He and his wife Sally Lawrence are bene- Committee on Alumni Relations and Develop- ILLUMINATE GS Board of Visitors. In addition, he has been a factors of the University, focusing their gifts on ment and the Office of the Executive Vice Presi- member of the Columbia Business School Lang student support and scholarships. dent for University Development and Alumni Center Advisory Board, served on his reunion The Witten Award was created in 2012 in Relations. committee, and was the recipient of the 2009 honor of former Trustees Vice Chair Richard E. In addition to Lawrence, Michelle S. Kolb ’05, CHANGE Entrepreneurship Partner of the Year Award. Witten ’75CC. It is presented annually in recog- ’09NRS was also honored.

Since November 2012, Jill Galas Hickey has What does your position at Columbia entail? eet ill alas sat at the helm of School of General Studies M J G I help individual schools within Columbia GIVE TODAY AT GS.COLUMBIA.EDU/GIVE Alumni Relations, guiding her colleagues and develop their alumni communities. This means GS alumni in community building. Before Hickey, Senior collaborating with deans, senior administration serving in her current capacity, Jill worked as officers, and student and alumni leaders. Over the Director of Programming and Alumni the past year, we’ve worked on creating a Director for Career Development at the University. She new GS Alumni Association (GSAA) that holds a Master of Social Work from Columbia reflects the School’s current needs. We’ve also Alumni Relations School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts committed to organizing more regional alumni from the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Jill programming. and her husband James live in New Jersey with their two sons, Owen, 12 and James, 9. What is the most rewarding aspect of your position? The Owl: What did you do before your current position? In my past position it was incredibly fulfilling to meet and work with GS students in career Jill Galas Hickey: Before assuming my role counseling relationships. GSers have fantastic at the Office of Alumni and Development, I stories, and reconnecting with them now as worked for the Columbia Center for Career alumni allows me to hear about—and be a Education, and my position allowed me to part of—the next chapters in these stories. work closely with GS students and alumni. GS alumni are doing amazing things, and most Prior to that, I was a social worker at a foster importantly, helping each other along the way. care agency in the Bronx.

42 43 The Owl The Alumni Magazine of Columbia University School of General Studies

Proudly Flying Our Flag | On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 students, alumni, and administrators dedicated and raised the official flag of the School of General Studies on the northeast corner of Lewisohn Lawn. The flag bears the School’s official shield and the letters G and S. Members of the Class of 2013, who gave the flag and flagpole as a gift to the School, were in attendance, including 2013 Senior Class President Angelica Hoyos (First row, fifth from right next to Dean Awn) and 2013 Dean’s Citation recipient Nicole Morgan (First row, second from right). (Photo: Michael DiVito) See full story on page 16.

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