Columbia College Summer 2012 TODAY Jodi Kantor ’96 Takes Readers Inside the White House in The Obamas your Contents columbia connection. COVER STORY FEATURES The perfect midtown location: 34 A Closer Look • Network with Columbia alumni An exhibit of student • Attend exciting events and programs photography from East • Dine with a client and Southeast Asia features • Conduct business meetings images with narratives • Take advantage of overnight rooms hidden beneath the surface. and so much more. 6 Class Day and Commencement The Class of 2012 joins the ranks of alumni. 40 Wallace Broecker ’53 Battles the Angry 22 The Obamas Climate Beast 28 The Full Jodi Kantor ’96 offers a revealing portrait Broecker popularized the of the First Couple in her new book. Spectrum term “global warming” BY ALEXIS TONTI ’11 ARTS As FCC chairman, Julius and explained how ocean Genachowski ’85 has currents effect abrupt made universal access climate change. to wireless, high-speed BY TIMOTHY P. CROSS Internet a priority. ’98 GSAS APPLY FOR BY MICHAEL R. SHEA ’10 ARTS MEMBERSHIP TODAY! 15 WEST 43 STREET NEW YORK, NY 10036 TEL: 212.719.0380 in residence at The Princeton Club of New York www.columbiaclub.org COVER: DANIELLA ZALCMAN ’09; BACK COVER: EILEEN BARROSO MESSAGE FROM DEAN JAMES J. VALENTINI DEPARTMENTS ALUMNI NEWS Our Greatness Is in Our Community 53 Message from the CCAA President Kyra Tirana Barry ’87 an- nounces the Board of Direc- ear Columbians, accomplished only if we recruit students with- tors’ newest members and At the beginning of the out regard for their ability to pay for that expe- outlines how alumni can Fall semester, when I had just rience. And once they are here, we must ensure turn ideas into action. been appointed Interim Dean that we provide opportunities to develop the of the College, I greeted new talents and further the accomplishments that students with, “Welcome to led to their selection for admission. Dthe greatest College, in the greatest Univer- The inimitable experience of Columbia Jennifer Medbery ’06 sity, in the greatest city in the world.” After College is largely due to the Columbia faculty serving nine months as dean, I am even more members who engage and inspire students in 59 Class Notes convinced of that truth. It is founded in our the classroom and mentor them in research Alumni Reunion Weekend 2012 Alumni Profiles unique and uniquely valuable curriculum, in of the highest caliber. We must enable our the world-leading scholarship and dedicated faculty to continue as the best teachers and 3 Message from 20 Alumni Reunion 81 Armen Donelian ’72 teaching of our faculty, in our brilliant and di- scholars in the world, and recruit faculty the Dean Weekend and 89 Frank Seminara ’89 verse students, and in the deep commitment of the same distinction, year after year. This 93 Dylan Voorhees ’98 and intense affection that former students have means developing endowed professorships Columbia’s greatness lies Dean’s Day 2012 for their alma mater. But our greatness is in our and other supports, individual and institu- 98 Jennifer Medbery ’06 in its community. Classmates reconnected, community, which is much more than the sum tional, financial and structural, to enable the of our individual accomplishments. most effective teaching and the most creative revisited the classroom 104 Alumni Corner 4 Letters to the experience and celebrated My challenge as the 16th Dean of the Col- scholarship in the humanities, the social sci- Editor on campus and throughout Lou Gehrig ’25 in his own lege — no, our challenge — is to make the claim “greatest College, ences and the natural sciences. in the greatest University, in the greatest city in the world” self- The centerpiece of our common intellectual experience is New York City. words, as selected by his Steven J. Ross ’71 biographer Ray Robinson ’41. evident to all who are part of Columbia and even to all who are the Core Curriculum, ever-changing but ever-constant, linking 8 Within the Family not. That is a tall order, but it is a goal that we can achieve. generations of faculty and students. Building on the Core is the 46 Columbia Forum: 54 Bookshelf To achieve it the College must continue to admit students who curriculum of 72 majors and 58 concentrations, evolving all the 9 Around the Quads Scribble, Scribble, Featured: Hollywood Left are the best in the world, and who also are best able to profit from time, serving students’ individual intellectual interests and spe- and Right: How Movie Stars and contribute to the educational experience we offer. That can be cial abilities. That curriculum, from the Core through the most Professors Christia Mercer Scribble Shaped American Politics by advanced courses, transforms College under- and David Lurie ’01 GSAS A University Professor Steven J. Ross ’71. graduates from brilliant students to brilliant, win awards. posits Washington the city thoughtful and creative thinkers. is the vision of Washington 56 Obituaries As alumni, you serve another special role: 18 Roar, Lion, Roar the man. as advisers, as role models and as inspiration BY SIMON SCHAMA for current students. Among the most impor- tant assets you can contribute to current stu- dents are the life experiences you have that show the many and varied paths of success that a Columbia College education opens. All of your experiences are valuable ones. WEB EXTRAS Because of that, we aim to know all of your 5 More Minutes with Julie Crawford stories and have all of you involved, in some way, with the College. A very, very ambitious Like Columbia College on Wallace Broecker ’53’s Op-Ed on the Facebook: facebook.com/ goal, indeed, but then we have one very, very columbiacollege1754 Direct Air-Capture of CO2 ambitious group of alumni. Dylan Voorhees ’98 Dons a Polar Bear Suit for I am honored to have been appointed the 16th Dean of Columbia College. I am respect- Environmental Policy Reform Follow @Columbia_CCAA ful of the responsibility being dean conveys. on Twitter Academic Awards and Prizes I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the College and the University that I love. Senior Dinner Photo Gallery To all our great lions, I say Roar, Lions, Roar, Join the Columbia Alumni Class Day and Commencement Photo Galleries Association Network on Reunion and Dean’s Day Photo Galleries LinkedIn: alumni.columbia. Dean James J. Valentini (right) and President Lee C. Bollinger share a lighter moment edu/linkedin college.columbia.edu/cct during Class Day 2012. PHOTOS: EILEEN BARROSO SUMMER 2012 3 ture short, Meet the Professor. Descendants Remembering Piero Weiss ’50 of those scholarships. Letters to the Editor of band alumni may have material from I join Peter Jacoby ’71 in mourning the My Columbia education served me those or other early appearances; we’re death of Piero Weiss ’50, ’70 GSAS (Winter well throughout my business and military interested in those, too. 2011–12), for I, too, had him as my instruc- careers. My military experience taught me to make my imprint on the female experi- I was the head manager from 1964–65 tor in Music Humanities, and he was in- to think in terms larger than myself, a use- Volume 39 Number 4 ence at Columbia. and am coordinating the exhibit effort. I deed a knowledgeable, witty and inspir- ful perspective in my personal and busi- Summer 2012 I can only hope that today’s “lionesses,” will be pleased to hear from anyone with ing teacher. I recall that at the time, spring ness lives. My military training provided EDITOR AND PUBLISHER and those to come, will find ways to make material or leads at jdonaldsmith65@com 1965, he was engaged in translating and the technical foundation for my business Alex Sachare ’71 their own “first” contributions to Morn- cast.net. editing a selection of composers’ letters. career in aviation as well as early expo- ingside Heights, embracing opportunities J. Donald Smith ’65 sure to organizational and people man- EXECUTIVE EDITOR Perhaps I may be permitted to add a that fuel their passions, whatever they may CAMBRIDGE, MASS. agement. Lisa Palladino comment here about CCT’s relation to be. Our campus will be the richer for their some of our former instructors. It I believe the breadth and depth of my MANAGING EDITOR efforts. is understandable that the passing Columbia education allowed me to con- Alexis Tonti ’11 Arts Stephanie Schwartz ’88 of so internationally renowned a tribute to the organizations and individu- AIRFIELD ONN EDITORIAL ASSISTANT F , C . figure as Edward Said (my Litera- als I worked with. The experience gained in my military and business communities Karen Iorio Band Memorabilia? ture Humanities teacher; we ar- rived at Columbia together, in fall allowed me to offer a cross perspective to FORUM EDITOR Attention alumni: Do you have a great pho- each. Rose Kernochan ’82 Barnard 1963) should receive wide notice. to or video of the Marching Band at a foot- But we were also taught, and of- I believe our country will maintain a CONTRIBUTING WRITER ball game? An old Concert Band or Wind sizable military. This will keep avenues of Coeducation ten not taught less well, by gradu- Shira Boss ’93, ’97J, ’98 SIPA Ensemble audio recording or program? ate students, whose appearance contact between civil and military valu- EDITORIAL INTERN A hearty thanks for the inspiring and won- A backstage shot from the time the band in these pages is rare. In the same able even as our all-volunteer forces have Benjamin W. Gittelson ’15 derful coverage of Columbia College’s mi- played in the 1985 feature film Turk 182! or spirit Jacoby showed, I should reduced the direct exposure of civilians to gration to coeducation (Spring 2012).