Columbia University News

Men's Cross Country Team Wins 2009 Ivy League Championships

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:08:50 -0500

The Columbia men's cross country team ended Princeton's run at a fourth straight Ivy League title, as the Lions beat the Tigers by a point, 60-61, for the closest Heptagonal Cross Country Championships finish in 27 years. The women's team placed third, just six points behind second-place Harvard, with Princeton taking the team title.

Professor Curates Retrospective of Legendary Jazz Photographer

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:18 -0500

"I did not set this up," insisted Herman Leonard, a photographer best known for the intimate, smoke-hued black-and-white portraits he took of jazz musicians in the 1940s and ’50s.

Leonard, who has been called the dean of jazz photographers, was speaking at a discussion, sponsored by Columbia's Center for Jazz Studies on Oct. 19, that looked at his work as art and historical record.

Poetry Professor Richard Howard Celebrates a Life of Teaching at Eighty

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:09:09 -0500

On Oct. 13, poetry professor Richard Howard celebrated his 80th birthday with current and former students under an intriguing premise: Howard read his poetry along with six former student poets who read their own.

The format of the evening was Howard’s idea, but there was another intellectual twist—after each former student read a poem, Howard provided commentary on it, turning what happens in a writing workshop into a public performance.

Prof. Nayar's Little Camera Is a Big Idea for Children Around the World

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:52:45 -0500

Shree Nayar has dedicated much of his computer science career to improving the way cameras take pictures. Four years ago, he decided to move in a new direction: to design a camera that could improve the way children learn about science and one another.

Columbia Researchers Explain Gap Between Climate Change Information and Action

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:26:59 -0500

A recent poll shows that the number of Americans who accept that human activity is changing Earth’s climate is declining—down from 47 percent to 36 percent—even though the scientific data is overwhelming and continues to build rapidly. A concise new publication delves into what goes on in the human mind that causes this disconnect, and what communicators of climate science can do about it.

The new 43-page guide, The Psychology of Climate Change Communication, released by Columbia University’s Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, looks at how people process information and decide to take—or not take—action.

Photography Exhibit Illustrates Life in East and Southeast Asia

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:24:31 -0500

A new photography exhibit by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute features 25 photos taken by undergraduate students who traveled to East and Southeast Asia over the past year. The photographs illustrate key trends and concerns in East and Southeast Asia today such as the balance between urban and natural environments, the role of the worker and cultural customs and tradition.

University Closed, Nov. 3

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:53:47 -0500

Afghanistan/Pakistan Events at Columbia University

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:50:34 -0500

Phelps, Sachs and Hubbard Weigh In on Rebuilding War-Torn Societies

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:08:29 -0400

Columbia professors and other scholars gathered with diplomats and policy makers on Friday, Oct. 23 for a conference on how to effectively rebuild war-torn societies, with specific attention paid to Afghanistan and the continent of Africa.

The “Peace Through Reconstruction” conference, presented by Columbia’s Center on Capitalism and Society and the Earth Institute, featured four panels on economic and policy guidelines as well as investment and community-based reconstruction strategies.

Study Shows Thousands of Consumer Internet Connectivity Devices Are Vulnerable to Attack

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:04:12 -0400

Following news reports that 65,000 modems and wireless routers used by Time Warner Cable customers are vulnerable to attack by hackers, a Columbia University expert on computer security and privacy has found that software flaws in embedded devices like routers, webcams and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone adapters are far more widespread than previously known.

Four Columbians Elected Members of Institute of Medicine

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:25:07 -0400

Three Columbia faculty members, and one Harvard professor who will join Columbia later this year, have been elected members of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies, considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

The IOM is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1970 as the health arm of the National Academies, which also includes the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council.

Q&A With Cuban Blogger Yoani Sánchez

jeu2104@columbia.edu — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:11:01 -0400

Columbia Journalism School Report Proposes New Steps to Support Quality Public Affairs Reporting

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:57:09 -0400

As the news business continues to confront fundamental economic challenges, a report released today by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism proposes new steps for maintaining a vibrant, independent press, with special emphasis on local “accountability journalism” that is essential to civic life. The report, “The Reconstruction of American Journalism,” was written by Leonard Downie, Jr., former executive editor of The Washington Post, and Michael Schudson, professor at the School of Journalism.

Their cautiously optimistic report, commissioned by Columbia’s Journalism School and underwritten in large part by the Charles H. Revson Foundation, takes full account of the well-known problems caused by deep cutbacks in reporting on public issues, especially in local newspapers.

Award-Winning Cuban Blogger Barred From Attending Cabot Prize Ceremony

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:24:30 -0400

In a ceremony held at Low Library on Wednesday, Oct. 14, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism honored winners of the 2009 Maria Moors Cabot Prize for outstanding reporting on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Conspicuously absent from the ceremony, however, was Yoani Sánchez, a Cuban journalist who was awarded a Maria Moors Cabot Prize special citation for her blog, Generación Y, about life in communist Cuba. Sánchez was denied permission to travel to New York City to receive the citation.

Columbia Research Program Shows Teachers Improve Students' Achievement in Science

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:03:23 -0400

Research assembled over the last decade—now published in the Oct. 16 issue of Science—shows that high school students’ pass rate on New York State standardized tests, called Regents examinations, can be significantly improved if they study under a teacher trained in Columbia University’s Summer Research Program for Science Teachers.

Reporters Discuss the Reality of War in Afghanistan

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:39:49 -0400

On Oct. 7, the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, a project of Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, held a panel discussion, "In Afghanistan: Reporting America's War," featuring a conversation between David Loyn of the BBC and Christina Lamb of The Sunday Times of London.

New Provost Claude Steele Shapes Role as University's Chief Academic Officer

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:36:53 -0400

University Provost and professor of psychology Claude Steele discusses his decision to come to Columbia, his research and his vision for the job of chief academic officer.

While he has directed important research institutes, Steele says that taking on the management of a university of Columbia's scope and scale offers an invigorating intellectual opportunity.

Using Simple Genome, Columbia Researchers Move Personalized Medicine Closer to Reality

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:16:49 -0400

Researchers at Columbia University have developed a statistical method that accurately predicts how an organism will respond to dozens of commonly used drugs. This clinical and conceptual advance moves medical science a step closer to an era of personalized medicine—one where doctors could prescribe treatments based on an individual patient’s genome.

Spreading Facts About Viruses, One Podcast at a Time

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:50:35 -0400

Vincent Racaniello, a virologist at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, is sick of how fast inaccurate information about viruses can spread. So last year, he began a podcast, This Week in Virology, that attempts to explain the science of viruses in a clear, understandable and conversational manner. (Continue to this story for fun facts about viruses and links to the podcast.)

New York Cultural Leaders Examine Future of the City's Performing Arts

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:41:46 -0400

For arts and cultural organizations in New York City, many of which plan their upcoming seasons’ lineup and budgets years in advance, the recession hit quickly and devastatingly. Endowments plummeted. Donations from major funding sources fell. Membership numbers slumped.

As a result, New York’s arts and cultural organizations and their financial backers have started initiatives aimed at saving current seasons and securing a stable path for the arts in the city. On Sept. 30, Crain’s New York Business brought a one-day symposium to the Columbia campus titled “The Future of New York City: New York’s Performing Arts at a Crossroads,” which was cohosted by the School of the Arts.

Business School Scholars Offer Novel Solution to World Poverty

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:48:06 -0400

A new book by Dean Glenn Hubbard and senior business lecturer William Duggan of Columbia Business School presents a different approach to solving world poverty. In The Aid Trap, Hubbard and Duggan argue that direct loans to businesses similar to the Marshall Plan is a more effective way to help sub-Saharan Africa pull out of poverty, rather than direct aid from charities and NGOs.

Columbia Rolls to 38-0 Victory Over Princeton in Ivy League Football Opener

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:33:26 -0400

In its Ivy League opener, Columbia emphatically defeated Princeton, 38-0, in the Lions' first road shutout of a league opponent since 1961.

Columbia (2-1, 1-0 Ivy League) used a balanced offensive attack, sparked by a career-high 201 passing yards by M.A. Olawale, 93 yards receiving by Austin Knowlin and 79 yards on the ground by Ray Rangel, who entered the game as the league's leading rusher.

Columbia Researchers Awarded Prestigious NIH Grants

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:45:13 -0400

Four Columbia faculty members have received prestigious grants from the National Institutes of Health, which recently announced 115 awards totaling $348 million to encourage high-risk research and innovation.

James Hone, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and David Fidock, associate professor of medicine and microbiology and immunology, received the NIH Director's Transformative R01 Award. Alla Grishok, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and Naa Oyo A. Kwate, assistant professor of sociomedical sciences, received the NIH New Innovator Award.

New Research Finds Poor Planning and Growing Population Responsible for Southeast Drought

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:35 -0400

A 2005-2007 dry spell in the southeastern United States destroyed billions of dollars of crops, drained municipal reservoirs and sparked legal wars among a half-dozen states—but the havoc came not from exceptional dryness but booming population and bad planning, says a new study. Researchers from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory defied conventional wisdom about the drought by showing that it was mild compared to many others, and in fact no worse than one just a decade ago.

Film Faculty's "Precious" Wins Top Prize at Toronto Film Festival

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:16:52 -0400

Study Suggests Glaciers Expanded in Tropical Regions During Last Ice Age

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:05:18 -0400

A new study adds evidence that climate swings in Europe and North America during the last ice age were closely linked to changes in the tropics. The study, published in the journal Science, suggests that a prolonged cold spell that sent glaciers in Europe and North America creeping forward several hundred years ago may have affected climate patterns as far south as Peru, causing tropical glaciers there to expand too.

Kofi Annan Warns "Time Is Running Out" to Reverse Climate Change

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:09:13 -0400

In his first address to the University community as a Columbia Global Fellow, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke to a capacity audience in Low Rotunda about leadership and climate change on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Annan delivered the Gabriel Silver Memorial Lecture, an annual lecture series on world peace and international relations, as part of the World Leaders Forum, co-hosted by the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

Daria Schneider Fences With the President in Support of 2016 Olympic Bid

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:22:05 -0400

Columbia senior fencer Daria Schneider was invited to the White House last week in support of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

One of the nation's top women's sabre fencers and a hopeful for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Schneider and fellow U.S. National team member Tim Morehouse put on a fencing exhibition with President Barack Obama, detailed in an article on the United States Olympic Committee websiteand a video from the CBS News website.

London and NYC Mayors Launch Urban Policy Forum

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:14:47 -0400

Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs kicked off its first Global Mayors Forum on Sept. 15 with a conference headlined by leaders of two of the most vibrant and diverse large cities.

Appearing in the Low Library Rotunda, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and Mayor Boris Johnson of London discussed public policies to boost the economies and quality of life in their cities, and later offered their views about each other’s plan.

Engineering Professor Seeks Sustainable Conversion of Waste to Energy

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:41:22 -0400

Ah-Hyung (Alissa) Park gets some of her best research ideas from her mother. One of the most recent was about garbage.

“My mom says she spends hours sorting garbage and recycling, and asked me one day if there is at least something useful done to all this,” said Park, the Lenfest Junior Professor in Applied Climate Science at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Green Salvage Program Provides Training for Local Workers

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:25:54 -0400

When the University gutted two floors of a brick building on 125th Street over the summer—an early step toward the creation of its Manhattanville campus—almost nothing that came out of the building went to waste. Instead, some 77 tons of furniture, computers and building materials were prepared for reuse or recycling.

Student Military Veterans and Alumni Gather to Salute Yellow Ribbon Program at Columbia

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:49:35 -0400

In a ceremony held at Faculty House on Sept. 10, student and alumni veterans, military service members and University officials gathered to celebrate Columbia’s participation in the new Yellow Ribbon Program, part of a new federal initiative that makes private universities like Columbia more financially accessible to student-veterans. A provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the program has the potential to offer the kind of broad expansion of educational opportunity generated by the original GI Bill of 1944.

Climate Events at Columbia University

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:50:03 -0400

To mark the UN Climate Change Summit and Climate Week NY°C (Sept. 20-26), a diverse array of events featuring experts from Columbia and elsewhere will be held on the University campus. Please see the listing below for more information.

Vishaan Chakrabarti, Developer, Architect and Planner, Will Lead Columbia’s Expanded Real Estate Development Program

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:44:09 -0400

Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation has named Vishaan Chakrabarti, an architect, former city planning official and executive vice president of design and planning at Related Companies, as the first full-time director of its real estate development program. The creation of the position—the program’s first endowed professorship—was made possible by a generous donation from alumnus Marc Holliday and his wife, Sheree Holliday.

Researchers Link Subregion of Brain to Early Schizophrenia

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:29:00 -0400

In the first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of its kind, neurologists and psychiatrists at Columbia University have identified an area of the brain involved in the earliest stages of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.

Activity in this specific region of the hippocampus may help predict the onset of the disease, offering opportunities for earlier diagnosis and for the development of drugs for schizophrenia prevention.

Columbia Athletics and Columbia Community Service Team Up at First Home Football Game

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:49:04 -0400

Columbia Athletics and Columbia Community Service (CCS) are teaming up to support the Lions as they take on Central Connecticut State in Columbia's first home football game of the season, Sept. 26 at 12:30 p.m.

For each $10 ticket purchased in advance through the CCS office, $2 will go to the worthwhile causes of Columbia Community Service.

September 11 as a Day of Honoring Public Service and Active Citizenship

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:27:23 -0400

Engineers Without Borders

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:07:39 -0400

Standing in the civil engineering lab last May, Peter Traverso (SEAS’10) held up two aluminum pots. Turning one upside down, he pointed to an electrical heating element at the bottom—one of the only features that distinguishes it from pots used in the Indian village of Purnaguma. There, women cook rice and curry indoors over an open fire that fills their homes with carbon monoxide and soot, a leading cause of global warming. Traverso hopes that using electricity instead of fire will help villagers improve their health and the environment.

Health Care History: Faculty Q&A With David Rosner

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:03:34 -0400

Lost in the cacophony of debate swirling around health care reform is the historical context of this hot-button issue. Few are better at explaining the history of America’s health care and its potential future than David Rosner, a historian who holds a joint appointment in the Department of History and the Mailman School of Public Health’s Department of Sociomedical Sciences.

Presenting the New Improved Faculty House

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:50:02 -0400

When the University decided to build Dodge Hall at 116th Street and Broadway 88 years ago, it first had to appease denizens of the all-male Faculty Club. Their haunt, which served as a gathering place for social and intellectual interaction among the Columbia community for decades, was located on the corner where the construction was to take place.

Rothschild Fellowship Brings Jewish and Muslim Social Entrepreneurs Together at Business School

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:31:15 -0400

If political solutions can’t solve the historical tensions between Muslim and Jewish communities, perhaps good business practices can.

That was the philosophy behind a new entrepreneurial program held here on the Morningside campus in July, designed to spark just such a cross-cultural conversation.

College Football Trophy Renamed for Former Columbia Coach

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:44:42 -0400

The National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame have renamed college football's premiere scholar-athlete award, the Vincent DePaul Draddy Trophy, in honor of William V. Campbell, chair of Columbia University Trustees and former captain and head coach at Columbia University.

New Study Shows Climate Change May Lead to Extreme Decline in U.S. Crop Production

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:12:18 -0400

Three of the most important agricultural crops produced in the United States—corn, soybeans and cotton—are predicted to suffer a devastating decline if temperatures continue to rise as a result of climate change. The study appears online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

2009 Convocation Ceremony, Aug. 31

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:13:09 -0400

Kristine A. Billmyer Appointed Dean of Columbia's School of Continuing Education

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:35:06 -0400

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger today announced the appointment of Kristine A. Billmyer as dean of the School of Continuing Education, effective Nov. 1.

Billmyer comes to Columbia from the University of Pennsylvania, where she has served as executive director of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies and associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences since 2005.

Grant Supports Innovative Web Archiving Program at Columbia Libraries

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:00:10 -0400

Columbia University Libraries will soon begin an archive of human rights content published on the Web. The Libraries has received a three-year, $716,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to develop and implement a program that will establish best practices for collecting, managing, preserving and providing access to at-risk digital content on human rights.

Scientists Discover Hunger's Timekeeper

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:08:02 -0400

Researchers at Columbia and Rockefeller Universities have identified cells in the stomach that regulate the release of a hormone associated with appetite. The group is the first to show that these cells, which release a hormone called ghrelin, are controlled by a circadian clock that is set by mealtime patterns. The finding, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has implications for the treatment of obesity and is a landmark in the decades-long search for the timekeepers of hunger.

Mailman School Awarded $14.7 Million Grant to Strengthen Health Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:57:09 -0400

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s (DDCF) African Health Initiative has selected the Mailman School of Public Health as one of four research partnerships to design and implement large-scale primary healthcare programs in sub-Saharan Africa, totaling roughly $44 million over five to seven years.

New Study Suggests Young Early-Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients Can Preserve Fertility

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:36:32 -0400

A new study has found that young women in the early stages of ovarian cancer may be successfully treated for the disease without losing their healthy uterus or ovary. The results of the study will appear in the Sept. 15, 2009 issue of the journal Cancer, published by the American Cancer Society.

New Curriculum Adds Flexibility to Med School Program

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:40:03 -0400

The College of Physicians and Surgeons is transforming its four-year curriculum for the first time since 1991.

Combination of Exercise and Mediterranean Diet Appears to Lower Alzheimer’s Risk

jeu2104@columbia.edu — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:11:24 -0400

A combination of exercise and adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet appears to be associated with reduced Alzheimer's risk, according to a new study of elderly subjects living in northern Manhattan. Previous studies have only investigated the association between either physical activity or diet and Alzheimer's disease risk, whereas this new research explored their combined effect.

White House Honors Two Columbia Early-Career Scientists

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:18:54 -0400

Two Columbia University faculty members have received the nation’s highest honor for scientists at the outset of their professional careers. Helen H. Lu, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Tanya Zelevinsky, assistant professor of physics, are among this year’s winners of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

Engineering School Launches Dual Master’s Program With University of Bologna

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:34:23 -0400

Engineers and cultural representatives from Italy and the United States came together at Columbia’s Low Library this week to celebrate a new program that, beginning in the fall of 2010, will train Columbia engineering students to work anywhere in Europe. The exchange program confers a master’s degree in civil engineering from Columbia’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and another from the University of Bologna, with one year of study at each institution.

Journalism School Announces 2009 Cabot Prize Winners for Latin America and Caribbean Reporting

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:51:18 -0400

The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism has announced the 2009 winners of the Maria Moors Cabot Prize for outstanding reporting on Latin America and the Caribbean. Now in its 71st year, the Cabot Prize honors journalists who have covered the Western Hemisphere and, through their reporting and editorial work, have furthered inter-American understanding.

Polls Show Policymakers Lag Behind Growing Public Support for Same-Sex Marriage

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:29:47 -0400

According to a comprehensive new analysis of public opinion surveys conducted over the last 15 years, support for the legalization of same-sex marriage has grown substantially in the United States. Among other conclusions, two political science professors at Columbia University found reluctance among state and local policymakers to expand equal rights laws and protections even where majorities of voters support them.

Yankees' Alex Rodriguez Helps Boost Dental Health in Upper Manhattan With $250K Gift

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:18:49 -0400

Hundreds of children joined Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez to celebrate the opening of the new Columbia University College of Dental Medicine mobile dental van, which will provide much-needed services to the Washington Heights community and other neighborhoods in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

Columbia Faculty Analyze Major Elections Underway Around the Globe

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:24:23 -0400

Columbia Faculty Analyze Major Elections Underway Around the Globe

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:17:26 -0400

Columbia Faculty Analyze Major Elections Underway Around the Globe

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:10:29 -0400

Columbia Faculty Analyze Major Elections Underway Around the Globe

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:26:40 -0400

This year, elections taking place in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia could bring major changes to key issues affecting the United States and its policy on national security and other issues. Professors of political science, history, and international and public affairs at Columbia University and Barnard College help assess elections in Afghanistan, Japan, Germany and Kyrgyzstan.

Columbia Researchers Lead Race to Find Dark Matter

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:07:02 -0400

Inside a mountain range in central Italy, Columbia researchers are trying to solve one of the most pressing questions in modern physics: What is dark matter? The riddle has obsessed astronomers and physicists since the 1930s, when Caltech professor Fritz Zwicky first predicted its existence. Because dark matter neither emits nor reflects light and cannot be directly observed, no one has ever proven that it exists; yet theories show it makes up as much as a quarter of the universe. Columbia physics professor Elena Aprile, with collaborators from universities around the world, is leading the race to find and identify dark matter for the first time.

Diverse Experts Weigh In on the Overpopulation Debate

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:15:38 -0400

There is a growing sense among scholars that the issue of overpopulation—which has faded from public consciousness as the world's population growth rate has declined—is reemerging as a hot topic. In the latest issue of Columbia Magazine, faculty experts from the fields of economics, demography, history and public health discuss how to handle a crowded planet.

Study Shows Children's IQ Can Be Affected by Mother's Exposure to Urban Air Pollutants

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:54:44 -0400

Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can adversely affect a child’s intelligence quotient or IQ, according to new research by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health. PAHs are chemicals released into the air from the burning of coal, diesel, oil and gas, or other organic substances such as tobacco. In urban areas motor vehicles are a major source of PAHs. The study findings are published in the August 2009 issue of Pediatrics.

Remembering Walter Cronkite's Last Appearance at Columbia Journalism School for 2007 Media Conference

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:27:56 -0400

As the world of broadcast journalism mourns the passing of legendary journalist Walter Cronkite, Columbia remembers his words of wisdom at a 2007 conference on media reform, hosted by the Graduate School of Journalism: "To my mind, what best would serve the country and the free press, is to encourage ownership by entities that are dedicated to public service."

Columbia Among Four Universities to Lead Largest Ever Study on Suicide in the Military

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:30:46 -0400

Four of the nation’s leading experts in suicide research, including Dr. John Mann of Columbia University Medical Center, will carry out the largest study of suicide and mental health among military personnel ever undertaken, with $50 million in funding from the U.S. Army. The announcement came from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which signed a memorandum of agreement with the Army in October 2008 authorizing the NIMH to undertake the investigation with Army funding.

Law Professor Michael Gerrard Discusses Global Climate Change With The New Yorker's Elizabeth Kolbert

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:05:59 -0400

In an interview with writer Elizabeth Kolbert in the latest issue of Columbia Law School Magazine, law professor Michael Gerrard, director of the Center for Climate Change Law, says the U.S. must enact significant new legislation this year if a meaningful international resolution is to be reached at the U.N.’s climate change conference in December.

African-American Patients With Certain Cancers Face Survival Gap

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:58:20 -0400

A new finding reveals that African-American patients with breast, ovarian and prostate cancer tend to die earlier than patients of other races with these cancers, even when they receive identical medical treatment and when socioeconomic factors are controlled for. The finding, an analysis of almost 20,000 patient records from 35 clinical trials, points to biological or genetic factors as the potential source of the survival gap.

Study Shows Older French Modernist Painters More Likely to Maintain Creativity Than Younger Counterparts

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:53:21 -0400

A recent study published by Columbia doctoral student Fabien Accominotti suggests that, if modern French painters are any indication, the key to a steady artistic career may be to bloom late.

According to the study, painters from the French modern era who showed early strokes of genius—usually in their 20s and early 30s—tended to be less creative as their careers moved forward.

Scientist Works to Mitigate Nitrous Oxide Emissions From Wastewater Treatment

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:01:55 -0400

Nitrous oxide, or N₂O, is a greenhouse gas considered by some experts to be 300 times more powerful in its atmospheric warming effect than carbon dioxide. The research of Columbia professor Kartik Chandran has shown that microbes involved in breaking down human waste in waste water treatment plants are to blame for the emission of both nitrous oxide and nitric oxide (NO), which causes atmospheric smog. Currently Chandran is working with 12 plants in the U.S to understand and mitigate the processes by which these gases are emitted.

Columbia Scholar, Former State Dept. Adviser Joel Wit Assesses Direct U.S. Negotiations With North Korea

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:48:13 -0400

Since May 25, when the North Korean government tested its second nuclear weapon, the question of how to diplomatically engage the nation has been of increasing international concern. According to Joel Wit, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute, the United States should play a central role in new negotiations with North Korea.

Economics Professor Edmund Phelps Awarded France’s Légion d’Honneur

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:56:38 -0400

On June 29, Edmund Phelps, the McVickar Professor of Political Economy and director of Columbia’s Center on Capitalism and Society, was awarded the order of Chevalier of the French Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest distinction, in a ceremony in Paris. The award recognizes his “remarkable economic work” and “distinguished achievements in promoting French-American cooperation and friendship,” according to an official letter from the French Embassy.

Cells, Bubbles, Drops: Meeting Brings Together Experts in Colloid and Surface Science

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:44:49 -0400

Paper, granite, water and crystals may seem unrelated to one another, however, they do share one commonality: they were among numerous topics discussed by 1,500 scientists who attended the 13th International Conference on Surface and Colloid Science and the 83rd Colloid and Surface Science Symposium held at Columbia from June 14-19.

Doctoral Student Continues Legacy of Professor's Spectral Music

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:20:52 -0400

In the late 1970s, French composers Tristan Murail, a Columbia professor, and Gérard Grisey developed a new approach to music that is influencing the next generation of composers. Spectral music, as their invention is known, is a method of composition in which individual notes are analyzed, often by a computer program, to expose a wellspring of micro-sounds that can become building blocks for harmony, melody and rhythm.

Until recently, spectral techniques have only been used in orchestral and chamber music. Now for the first time, a young composer is applying them to jazz.

Nicotine Dependence Remains Prevalent Despite Recent Declines in Cigarette Use

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:30:56 -0400

Despite recent declines in cigarette use in the U.S., nicotine dependence has remained steady among adults and has actually increased among some groups. The finding by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health suggests that public health initiatives have been far more successful in preventing Americans from taking up smoking than in persuading hard-core smokers to stop. The study is available online in the American Journal of Public Health and will be published in the August 2009 issue.

SLICE Program Highlights Columbia’s Role in Local Workforce Development

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:59:32 -0400

Many people don't realize that Columbia University is New York City’s seventh largest non-governmental employer, with more than two-thirds of its 14,000 employees residing in the city’s five boroughs, and nearly 30 percent of its staff in upper Manhattan neighborhoods. The University's Service Learning in a Community Environment (SLICE) program is a prime example of Columbia's commitment to expanding economic opportunity for New Yorkers. Such efforts will be a focus of the New York City Global Partners job creation and workforce development summit that Columbia will co-host on June 25-26.

Study Offers Detailed History of Greenhouse Gas Levels

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:48:05 -0400

Researchers have reconstructed atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past 2.1 million years in the sharpest detail yet, shedding new light on its role in the earth’s cycles of cooling and warming.

The study, in the June 19 issue of the journal Science, is the latest to rule out a drop in CO2 as the cause for earth’s ice ages growing longer and more intense some 850,000 years ago.

Researchers Show Daily Exposure to Mass Transit Noise Could Cause Permanent Hearing Loss

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:37:30 -0400

The U.S. mass transit system, the largest in the world, provides affordable and efficient transportation to more than 33 million riders each weekday. The system is generally considered one of the safest modes of travel. But recent public health studies have identified several sources of environmental hazards associated with mass transit, including excessive noise, a large and growing problem in urban settings.

Columbia Professors Share Expertise on Iran's Election

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:18:54 -0400

As the world watches hundreds of thousands of Iranians take to the streets of Tehran in protest of last Friday’s disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Columbia professors Gary Sick and Richard Bulliet have been sharing their expertise on the intensifying situation. Sick, a senior research scholar at Columbia’s Middle East Institute, and Bulliet, a history professor specializing in the Middle East, have been featured on CBS News, PBS and The New York Times, among other media outlets, commenting on the protests.

New Findings Encourage More Vigilant Monitoring of Seizure Activity Among Intensive Care Patients

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:15:14 -0400

Two new studies published by neurologists at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital demonstrate a need for more vigilant monitoring for seizure activity among intensive care patients who may be experiencing subtle seizures that are typically unrecognized. These subtle seizures may be affecting patients’ prognoses and causing long-term brain damage, death and severe disability.

Matchmaking Sessions Connect Entrepreneurs and Investors

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:39:36 -0400

On Thursday, June 4, hundreds of entrepreneurs filled the Low Library Rotunda for “Hatch Match 2009.” The goal: to catch the eye of investors who could help turn their ideas into the next Google or Amazon. Co-sponsored by Columbia’s Science & Technology Ventures, the Center for Advanced Information Management and The Hatchery, a forum for high-tech businesses and investors in New York City, the evening culminated in a speed-dating-style activity in which each entrepreneur made 5-minute pitches to the people who could put them in business.

School of the Arts Filmmaker Wins Gold at Student Academy Awards

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:23:43 -0400

Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program alumna Liz Chae (Film '09) won the gold medal in the Documentary category for her film The Last Mermaids at the 36th Annual Student Academy Awards, a competition for college and university filmmakers. The announcement and ceremony took place on June 13 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Los Angeles.

Brain Regions Responsible for Empathy Mapped by Columbia Researchers

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:29:19 -0400

Columbia University researchers have shown for the first time that two brain systems are primarily responsible for allowing humans to accurately predict the emotions of others. Psychology professors Kevin Ochsner and Niall Bolger, graduate student Jamil Zaki and research assistant Jochen Weber used functional MRI scans to zero in on the parts of the brain that people use when correctly discerning how others are feeling.

Columbia Partners With ARChive of Contemporary Music

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:52:00 -0400

A vast collection of sound recordings, books, photos, films, and music-related memorabilia will assist future research and help further integrate the arts into the University's educational experience. The new resource is a result of a recent agreement between Columbia University Libraries, the Arts Initiative at Columbia, and the ARChive of Contemporary Music (ARC), the world's largest archive of popular music.

Founded in 1985, ARC collects popular recordings from around the world made since 1950.

Climate Change Could Drive Vast Human Migrations

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:15:55 -0400

By mid-century, people may be fleeing rising seas, droughts, floods and other effects of changing climate, in migrations that could vastly exceed the scope of anything before, says a major new report. The document, authored by researchers at Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), the United Nations University and CARE International, was released today at a news conference in Bonn.

Many Breast Cancer Patients Take High Doses of Antioxidants Despite Possible Consequences

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:09:58 -0400

A new study conducted by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health finds that many women with breast cancer take antioxidant supplements while undergoing cancer treatment, even though the consequences of doing so are unknown. Published online in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that additional research should be undertaken to determine the effects of antioxidant supplementation on the health and survival of breast cancer patients.

Commencement 2009: President Bollinger Calls Global Free Speech Rights Vital to New Graduates

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:37:48 -0400

Columbia’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, as well as affiliated institutions all held graduation events from May 16 to May 21, in addition to the University’s main commencement ceremony, held on May 20. Most of the ceremonies were webcast live and can be seen in the archive.

United States Attorney General Eric Holder (CC’73, Law’76) joined a broad array of distinguished figures who addressed the various class day and graduation ceremonies for Columbia University’s approximately 12,000 graduates.

Double Discovery Center Holds 44th Annual Commencement

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:29:48 -0400

On Saturday, May 16, Columbia's Double Discovery Center (DCC) held its 44th annual commencement exercises in the Low Library Rotunda, celebrating the 2009 high school graduates from its two youth education programs, Upward Bound and Talent Search. This year's commencement included 167 graduates.

DDC was founded in 1965 by a group of Columbia students, alumni and faculty to engage the Harlem community and promote a mutual understanding between the campus and its neighbors in northern Manhattan.

Journalism School Prepares Students for Changing Media Landscape

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:45:59 -0400

Earlier this year, TIME magazine reported that the so-called journalism crisis had “reached meltdown proportions,” and that “some major cities will no longer have a newspaper.” Indeed, around the country, venerable newspapers have shuttered their doors and many more remain at risk. Experts at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism recognize the magnitude of the challenges facing established print and broadcast news organizations, but at the same time, are preparing a new generation of journalists for the opportunities that are being created by the changing media landscape, marked by advances in technology and expanded use of the Internet.

Lamont-Doherty Seismologists Show Latest Korean Blast Larger Than 2006 Nuclear Test

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:22:32 -0400

Columbia seismologists who have intensively studied North Korea’s nuclear testing efforts say Monday’s blast was certainly a nuclear bomb, roughly five times larger than the country’s first test in 2006. The scientists, at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, say signals picked up by seismic stations, including one in China, showed clear characteristics of a shallow underground nuclear explosion with a force of probably several kilotons.

Researchers Win Collaborative Grant to Develop Graphene Materials

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:46:03 -0400

An interdisciplinary team of Columbia researchers has won a major collaborative research grant from the Department of Defense to develop new materials technology. The grant, shared with Cornell University researchers, will provide $1.5 million a year for five years to explore the unique properties of graphene, a one-atom-thick crystal of pure carbon similar to graphite found in pencils or graphite lubricant.

Columbia Alumnus Dr. Thomas Frieden Named CDC Director by President Obama

jeu2104@columbia.edu — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:01:59 -0400

Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., MPH, alumnus of Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons (‘86) and Mailman School of Public Health (‘85) was today appointed as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by President Barack Obama. Dr. Frieden currently serves as commissioner of the New York City Health Department.

First Columbia Global Fellows to Include Kofi Annan, Former U.N. Secretary-General and Nobel Laureate

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:36:15 -0400

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger has named Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations, as a Columbia Global Fellow, part of a new initiative to bring distinguished leaders to campus to play significant roles in designing, shaping and implementing solutions to critical international problems.

New Geochemistry Center Wins Awards

jeu2104@columbia.edu — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:45:37 -0400

The new Gary C. Comer Geochemistry Building at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, N.Y., has won three top architecture awards. Recognized for its environment-friendly features, the building houses more than 80 staff, many of whom have long been at the forefront of global climate research.

Stanford Psychology Professor Claude M. Steele Appointed Columbia University’s Next Provost

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:50:56 -0400

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger today announced his appointment of Claude M. Steele as the University’s 21st provost, effective Sept. 1.

Steele comes to Columbia from Stanford University, where he has served as a professor of psychology since 1991, leading the department as chair from 1997 to 2000. He is currently the Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences and director of Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.

Graduate Explores Race, and a Rare Genetic Condition, in Thesis Film

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:11:19 -0400

When Osato Dixon, 27, was a child growing up in Baltimore, his mother was afraid to let him play outside. Both his parents are immigrants from Nigeria, and his mother encouraged him to read and concentrate on his education. Dixon stayed in the house and became fond of drawing, learning to express what he called his "desire for the outside world" by recreating it on paper.

National Academy of Sciences Elects Three New Members From Columbia

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:42:55 -0400

Three Columbia faculty have been named members of the National Academy of Sciences. Election to the Academy, in recognition of "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research," is considered one of the highest honors a scientist or engineer can receive.

Astronomy Department Celebrates Galileo Anniversary With Public Stargazing Events

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:16:19 -0400

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the first time Galileo peered through a telescope at the night sky. Columbia’s astronomy department is celebrating this anniversary, dubbed The International Year of Astronomy 2009 by UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union, with a series of public lectures, star gazing events and science demonstrations.

Notable Speakers and Honored Scholars Highlight Graduation Ceremonies, May 16 to 21

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:29:51 -0400

United States Attorney General Eric Holder (CC’73, Law’76) will join a broad array of distinguished figures scheduled to address numerous ceremonies for Columbia University’s approximately 12,000 graduates. Events take place between Saturday, May 16 and Thursday, May 21.

The University will confer eight honorary degrees and one Medal for Excellence at its main commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m., at its Morningside Heights campus. During the ceremony, Columbia will also recognize the service of outstanding alumni, as well as excellence in teaching among its faculty.

Helicopter Pilot and Iraq Veteran Fulfills Dream of Becoming an Engineer

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:15:58 -0400

By the time he was 11, Jonathan Belmont knew three things: he wanted to be a pilot; he wanted to serve in the military; and he wanted to be an engineer. When he graduates with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science on May 18, he will have accomplished all three goals.

Wall Street Trader Invests in Second Career to Transform State Social-Services Industry

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:06:05 -0400

John Maltby began his Wall Street career in 1972, when traders used ledger sheets and calculators. He was there during its boom years, as computers and new financial products transformed the industry. And last year he observed its dramatic collapse.

Now, Maltby, 59, who recently left a successful career as a hedge fund executive, wants to apply the lessons he learned from the Street to something far closer to his heart: social services for the developmentally disabled. He will earn a master’s degree next week from Columbia’s School of Social Work.

University Expands Participation in Generous Tuition Aid Program for Returning Veterans

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:49:02 -0400

Beginning this summer, all of Columbia University’s graduate and professional schools as well as its undergraduate School of General Studies will participate in a new federal initiative in which educational institutions provide eligible student-veterans with a tuition waiver or grant matched by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

The initiative, known as the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, will serve to make participating private institutions like Columbia more accessible to student-veterans and has the potential to be as significant and influential as the original GI Bill of 1944.

Student Uses Soccer to Bring Together War-Torn Communities

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:26:08 -0400

Jakob Silas Lund, 29, likes to think that he learned to walk and play soccer at the same time. As a graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Lund’s life-long love of soccer (or football, as it is known in most of the world), combined with his dedication to human rights, led him to establish an organization that uses soccer as a means for reconciliation in Sierra Leone, a country ravaged by an 11-year civil war.

Brain Protein Central to Both Parkinson’s and Drug Addiction Identified

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:03:12 -0400

Scientists have identified a brain protein apparently central to the process that causes Parkinson’s disease. This protein could also lessen the impact of methamphetamine and other addictive drugs.

Computational Analysis Helps Researchers Understand Emerging H1N1 Flu Strain

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:00:27 -0400

As part of a broad-based effort to understand the precise genetic make-up of H1N1—also known as “swine flu”—a group of virologists and computational biologists from Columbia University Medical Center is analyzing samples from New York, Texas, Ohio, California, Spain, New Zealand, and parts of Asia entered into the U.S. government’s National Center for Biotechnology Information database.

Partnership Helps City Schools Boost Science Grades

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:55:43 -0400

Two centers of Columbia’s Earth Institute, the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC) and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, have partnered with each other and with local middle and high schools to help boost curriculum development, teacher training and student achievement in science, math and technology.

Southern Glaciers Grow Out of Step With North

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:30:49 -0400

The vast majority of the world’s glaciers are retreating as the planet gets warmer. But a few, including ones south of the equator, in South America and New Zealand, are inching forward.

A new study in the journal Science puts this enigma in perspective; for the last 7,000 years New Zealand’s largest glaciers have often moved out of step with glaciers in the northern hemisphere, pointing to strong regional variations in climate.

Columbia Named an Energy Frontier Research Center; Federal Funding Will Help to Develop Solar Power

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:34:34 -0400

Columbia University will become home to one of 46 new Energy Frontier Research Centers announced this week by the White House in conjunction with a speech by President Barack Obama to the National Academy of Sciences. The new centers, which will pursue advanced scientific research on energy, are being established by the U.S. Department of Energy at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations and private firms across the nation.

The Columbia-led center—one of 16 to be funded by President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—will focus on the scientific and engineering basics necessary to achieve cost-effective and efficient solar cell systems.

Columbia Takes Lead Role in Big Read

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:30:01 -0400

Since March, Columbia has been hosting a series of local events as part of the Big Read, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the U.S. State Department and Arts Midwest. The Big Read is an annual initiative designed to restore reading to the center of American culture by encouraging communities to come together to read the same book. The theme for 2009 is Big Read Egypt/U.S.

Men's Golf Team Secures Second Straight Ivy League Title

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:41:46 -0400

Facing a three-stroke deficit heading into the final round, the Columbia men's golf team came from behind and overtook Penn on the last hole of the day to take home its second consecutive Ivy League Championship.

Local Restaurants Congregate on Campus for Food Festival Benefit

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:37:11 -0400

Two dozen Upper Manhattan restaurants braved rain and cold temperatures on Monday, April 20 to dish out hors d’oeuvres and desserts for the general public during the inaugural “Taste of Morningside Heights,” a food festival to benefit Community Impact, a local nonprofit organization.

A large tent on Low Plaza provided enough shelter for hundreds of students, faculty and community members to purchase benefit tickets and donate food in exchange for a sampling of local restaurant fare.

Feniosky Peña-Mora Appointed Next Dean of Columbia’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:00:00 -0400

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger today announced the appointment of Feniosky Peña-Mora as the next dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), effective July 15.

Peña-Mora has earned an international reputation for his scholarship, teaching, research and engineering innovations, as well as hands-on leadership in managing major university engineering programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Illinois, where he has served as associate provost.

Students Celebrate Earth Day with 10 Days of Panel Discussions, Sustainable Food and Music

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:00:48 -0400

Columbia students on Friday, April 17, launched a 10-day initiative to commemorate Earth Day and Earth Week that involves more than 30 campus groups in a series of cultural, political and religious events. Earth Day has been held every April 22 since 1970 to raise awareness and appreciation for the earth and its resources. The event series, named Greenspiration, aims to expand students’ thinking and action on the environment. It kicked off with a speaking panel on "renewing green politics," which assembled three environmental leaders to discuss effective environmental activism.

Men's Tennis Team Secures Second Ivy League Title in Three Years

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:55:25 -0400

On April 19, the Columbia University men's tennis team clinched its second Ivy League championship in three seasons, sweeping all nine matches en route to a 7-0 victory over Princeton. The victory gives the 56th-ranked Lions the Ivy League title with a 6-1 conference record (16-5 overall).

Five Columbia Professors Named 2009 Fellows of Academy of Arts and Sciences

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:05:42 -0400

Five Columbia professors have been named fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious honorary society and center for independent policy research founded in 1780, bringing “the arts and sciences into constructive interplay with the leaders of both the public and private sectors,” according to its website.

The new inductees from Columbia join 207 new fellows and 19 foreign honorary members inducted from a broad range of disciplines and professions—artists and scientists, jurists and scholars, corporate and civic leaders.

Columbia University Announces 93rd Annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music

jeu2104@columbia.edu — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:57:47 -0400

The 93rd annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music, awarded on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, were announced by Columbia University at its Graduate School of Journalism. The awardees will be honored at luncheon on Thursday, May 28.

More than 2,400 entries are submitted each year to the Pulitzer Prize competition and only 21 prizes are awarded. For consideration of the 2009 prizes in the 14 Journalism categories, 1,028 entries were submitted, down slightly from the previous year’s total of 1,167.

Columbia Announces 2009 Honorary Degree Recipients

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:11:40 -0400

Columbia University will confer eight honorary degrees and its Medal for Excellence at commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, May 20.

Vodafone Americas Foundation Awards Columbia Team for Disaster Recovery Proposal

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:13:49 -0400

An interdisciplinary team of professors from the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science has created a prize-winning proposal to use wireless devices to locate survivors trapped in structural collapses or fires. Professors Peter Kinget, John Kymissis, Xiaodong Wang and Gil Zussman of the department of electrical engineering and Dan Rubenstein of the department of computer science will receive funding from Vodafone Americas Foundation's Wireless Innovation Project, an initiative to identify and fund innovative wireless-related technology that addresses critical social issues.

Two Professors Named Carnegie Scholars

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:41:10 -0400

Richard Bulliet, professor of history, and George Saliba, professor of Middle East and Asian languages and culture, have been named 2009 Carnegie Scholars by the Carnegie Corporation of New York for their "compelling ideas and commitment to enriching the quality of the public dialogue on Islam."

Bulliet and Saliba are two of 24 scholars chosen this year to receive two-year grants of up to $100,000. They join eight previous scholars from Columbia who have won this award, including political science professor Sharyn O'Halloran and anthropology professor Lila Abu-Lughod.

Seven Columbia Scholars Awarded Guggenheim Fellowships

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:03:54 -0400

Seven Columbia faculty members representing fields as diverse as film, math and French history have won 2009 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships, in recognition of their "exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts."

The Columbia Guggenheim recipients include Ramin Bahrani, Stacey D'Erasmo, Pierre Force, Mae Ngai, Joseph R. Slaughter, Nicholas Turse and Shou-Wu Zhang.

Live Webcast: President Bollinger to Participate in PBS Debate on Affirmative Action

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:47:05 -0400

On Thursday, Apr. 16 at 8 p.m., President Lee C. Bollinger will participate in a debate on the future of affirmative action at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The event will be filmed for broadcast on PBS stations by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and will be available for viewing as a webcast through the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs.

Study of Rodent Mothers Sheds Light on Nature-Nurture Debate

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:34:38 -0400

It’s no surprise that mothers exert a powerful influence over their children’s personalities. Nurturing parents are likely to rear offspring who grow up to be affectionate, attentive caretakers in their own right. Abusive mothers are likely to raise abusive children.

Until recently, scientists assumed that genes transferred such behavioral traits across generations. They’re now finding that children’s social circumstances affect not only their own behavior but also that of their children and grandchildren.

Columbia Researchers Prepare To Launch 'Big Bang' Telescope

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:21:23 -0400

Most cosmologists agree that the universe started out hot, dense and microscopically small. But where did it come from, and how did it expand into its present form? One prevailing theory suggests that, in a fraction of a second, this embryonic universe expanded faster than the speed of light, increasing in size at a greater rate than it has in the 15 billion years since. Physicists believe that proving or disproving this theory will help them understand what existed before the big bang and why the big bang occurred in the first place.

New Columbia Climate Center Mobilizes University's Expertise on Climate Science and Policy

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:23 -0400

The University officially launched the Columbia Climate Center at a Mar. 31 event in Low Library Rotunda that included University President Lee C. Bollinger, Earth Institute Director Jeffrey Sachs, businessman and philanthropist Ted Turner and a number of leading experts in climate science from in and outside Columbia.

Law School Professors Envision Obama's Impact on Supreme Court

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:29:35 -0400

Melissa Smey Named New Director of Miller Theatre

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:39:43 -0400

Columbia University announced on Apr. 1 the appointment of Melissa Smey as the new director of Miller Theatre. Smey has been in the role of acting director of Miller since Oct. 1, 2008.

An accomplished and experienced arts administrator, Smey has served as general manager of Miller Theatre for eight years. Working closely with the former executive director George Steel, Smey was an integral part of the growth of the Theatre as it developed into one of New York City’s leading showcases for adventurous arts programming.

Campaign in Action: A Changing Financial Climate

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:45:18 -0400

How do you run a major fundraising campaign in the midst of a global financial crisis? Will the momentum of The Columbia Campaign—already at 75 percent of its goal—continue? Susan Feagin, executive vice president for University development and alumni relations, and Richard Witten, vice chair of the University trustees and co-chair of The Columbia Campaign, give their insights.

Thinking Outside the (Pizza) Box

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:35:55 -0400

Have you ever ripped off the lid of a pizza box to make an impromptu plate? With the Green Box, Jennifer Wright and her business partners at environmentally conscious organization, inc. (e.c.o.) have made the task a lot easier—changing the way we consume pizza, one box at a time.

Along with her two business partners, Wright—who is part of the Entrepreneurial Greenhouse Program Master Class led by Cliff Schorer, adjunct professor and entrepreneur in residence—created the box from 100% recycled material.

Michael Pollan Delivers Lecture on How We Eat

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:51:50 -0400

Americans should make more visits to the garden and fewer to the supermarket, says food and environmental writer Michael Pollan (GSAS '81), who spoke Monday to a capacity audience in the Low Library rotunda.

"We eat by the grace of nature, not of industry," said Pollan, the author of such bestselling books as The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, which advise a move away from what he calls "edible food-like substances" created by large industrial farms to locally raised vegetables and meat from farmers' markets or gardens.

Columbia Biomedical Faculty Receive HHMI Early Career Scientist Grants

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:31:27 -0400

Two Columbia faculty have received prestigious new appointments from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in recognition of their contributions to biomedical research.

Eric Greene, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the Columbia University Medical Center and Brent Stockwell, Ph.D., an associate professor in the departments of biological sciences and chemistry, were named to the inaugural class of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Early Career Scientists.

Mailman School Receives Grant to Evaluate New York State Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:58:28 -0400

Columbia Researchers Identify Early Brain Marker for Familial Form of Depression

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:11:14 -0400

Findings from one of the largest-ever imaging studies of depression indicate that a structural difference in the brain—a thinning of the right hemisphere—appears to be linked to a higher risk for depression, according to new research at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Revson Fellowship Celebrates 30 Years of Developing New York City Leaders

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:43:00 -0400

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Columbia University's Charles H. Revson Fellowship, which selects ten mid-career New York City civic leaders to come to Columbia for an academic year of reflection and intellectual enrichment on campus.

Through the leadership of former Charles H. Revson Foundation president Eli Evans and the late Columbia professor Eli Ginzberg as its founding director, the Revson Fellowship has welcomed 290 fellows to Columbia's campus since its inception in 1978-79.

Columbia Global Centers Open in Beijing and Amman

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:40:35 -0400

In a concerted effort to deepen its already extensive global perspective, Columbia University is establishing Columbia Global Centers in Beijing, China and Amman, Jordan. They are the first of what the University plans as a network of centers around the world to promote and facilitate international collaborations, new research projects, academic programming and study abroad, enhancing Columbia’s historical commitment to global scholarship.

Columbia Announces 2009 Bancroft Prize Winners

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:13:28 -0400

The authors of three acclaimed books—a study of the 1914 massacre of striking coal miners in Colorado, an analysis of the impact of death and dying in the Civil War, and a reinterpretation of the Comanches in the southwestern borderland in the 18th and 19th centuries—will be awarded the Bancroft Prize for 2009, Columbia University announced.

Research Links Depression to Cardiac Death in Women

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:46:54 -0400

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have found a strong correlation between depressive symptoms and cardiac events in women.

New data published in the Mar. 9, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggest that relatively healthy women with severe depression are at increased risk of cardiac events, including sudden cardiac death (SCD) and fatal coronary heart disease (CHD).

Wind Shifts May Stir CO2 From Antarctic Depths

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:03:34 -0400

Natural releases of carbon dioxide from the Southern Ocean due to shifting wind patterns could have amplified global warming at the end of the last ice age—and could be repeated as manmade warming proceeds, a new paper in the journal Science suggests.

Columbia Offers Fellowships to Mid-Career City Employees Committed to Public Service

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:28:10 -0400

Beginning this fall, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs will provide a few exceptionally talented mid-career employees of New York City government with full or partial support to pursue an executive master’s degree in public administration. The fellowships are made possible by a generous gift to the school from the estate of its former dean, Harvey Picker.

Ecosystems Push South in Antarctica

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:16:23 -0400

A new study in the leading journal Science explains why Adélie penguins are flocking closer to the South Pole.

President Bollinger Names Cornell Philosophy Professor and Vice Provost Michele M. Moody-Adams Next Dean of Columbia College

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:04:16 -0400

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger today announced the appointment of Michele M. Moody-Adams as the new dean of Columbia College. Moody-Adams comes to Columbia from Cornell University, where, since 2000, she has been the Hutchinson Professor and Director of the Program on Ethics and Public Life, and has served for the past four years as Cornell's vice provost for undergraduate education. Moody-Adams succeeds retiring Columbia College Dean Austin E. Quigley. Her appointment begins July 1, 2009.

Diabetes and Elevated Levels of Cholesterol Linked to Faster Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Patients

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:53:11 -0400

Dearth of Women at the Top Marks a Loss for Companies

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:30:28 -0400

As of 2006, less than a third of the nation’s largest 1,500 public firms counted at least one woman on their senior management team, according to Standard & Poor’s. Less than six percent of those firms claimed two top-tier female managers that year, and just 12 Fortune 500 companies were headed by a woman.

Such statistics may be depressing for women’s rights advocates, but it turns out the situation they reflect may be detrimental for firms that hew to an all-male executive philosophy, says David Ross, assistant professor of management at Columbia Business School.

Attorney General Eric Holder Will Be Columbia College Class Day Speaker

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:33:21 -0400

Columbia College has announced that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, an alumnus of both Columbia College and Law School, will serve as its speaker for Class Day, the annual ceremony honoring graduating seniors. This year’s ceremony takes place on Tuesday, May 19, on the South Lawn of Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus.

“Columbians are rightly proud to count both the President of the United States and his Attorney General among our graduates,” said Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger.

Clinical Trial Finds Microbicide Promising as HIV Prevention Method

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:21:28 -0400

A clinical trial involving more than 3,000 women in the U.S. and southern Africa demonstrates for the first time the promise of a vaginal microbicide gel for preventing HIV infection in women. According to findings presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), one 0.5 percent dose of a microbicide designed to prevent HIV from attaching to cells in the genital tract was 30 percent effective. While the results are encouraging, researchers on the study, known as HPTN 035, report that additional evidence is needed to determine more definitively its effectiveness.

Geologists Map Rocks to Soak CO2 From Air

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:03:02 -0400

To slow global warming, scientists are exploring ways to pull carbon dioxide from the air and safely lock it away. Trees already do this naturally through photosynthesis; now, in a new report, geologists have mapped large rock formations in the United States that can also absorb CO2, which they say might be artificially harnessed to do the task at a vastly increased pace.

Mobile Phone Technology Helps Improve Access to Vital Health Data in Africa

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:57:26 -0500

Two independent projects at Columbia University are using mobile phones to improve the collection of healthcare data in Ghana and Malawi. In both countries, laborious paper forms make it difficult for local health workers to submit accurate field data, and for that data to be properly registered at the national level. Mobile phone text messages, however, transmit data faster and more accurately, allowing officials and health workers to better care for their patients and respond to health emergencies, such as famines.

President Obama to Nominate Columbia College Alumnus Julius Genachowski as FCC Chair

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:55:35 -0500

President Barack Obama (CC’83) announced that he plans to nominate Julius Genachowski (CC’85) for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

If approved, Genachowski will join five other Columbia alumni—from Columbia College, Columbia Law School and the School of Social Work—who are joining the administration in a wide variety of positions, ranging from attorney general to White House counsel to the vice president’s economic adviser.

Columbia University Campuses Open Today

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:26:03 -0500

Columbia Students Host All-Day Music Festival to Benefit Public School Music Programs

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:26:24 -0500

The Columbia University Wind Ensemble is hosting its first annual music festival on Sunday, featuring wind ensembles from across New York City. Community members, students from city schools and Columbia, as well as professional musicians, will perform in the festival, the proceeds of which will be used to start a music education program administered by members of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble at a local public school.

Columbia Takes a Lead Role in Annual Big Read

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:53:27 -0500

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. State Department and Arts Midwest, Columbia University will host an extensive local component of the Big Read, an annual initiative designed to restore reading to the center of American culture by encouraging communities to come together to read the same book. The theme for 2009 is Big Read Egypt/U.S.

President Bollinger Names Cornell Philosophy Professor and Vice Provost Michele M. Moody-Adams Next Dean of Columbia College

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:50:01 -0500

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger today announced the appointment of Michele M. Moody-Adams as the new dean of Columbia College. Moody-Adams comes to Columbia from Cornell University, where, since 2000, she has been the Hutchinson Professor and Director of the Program on Ethics and Public Life, and has served for the past four years as Cornell’s vice provost for undergraduate education. Moody-Adams succeeds retiring Columbia College Dean Austin E. Quigley. Her appointment begins July 1, 2009.

Pitchfest Spurs Prospective Entrepreneurs

jeu2104@columbia.edu — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:56:51 -0500

Columbia School of the Arts Faculty Films Win Three Oscars, Including Best Documentary for "Man on Wire"

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:21:18 -0500

Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program faculty members were associated with two films that won three Oscars at the 81st annual Academy Awards on February 22, including Best Documentary for Man on Wire, co-produced by adjunct professor Maureen A. Ryan (M.F.A., Film '92).

Milk, produced by Focus Features, which is headed by Film professor James Schamus, won two Oscars, one for Best Actor (Sean Penn) and one for Best Original Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black).

Volcker Calls for Banking Reform, Says Any Inflation Brings Risk in Keynote to Conference on Financial Crisis

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:49:14 -0500

The current financial crisis will transform the way the financial system works, said Paul Volcker, chairman of President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, in the keynote luncheon address Friday at the Columbia Center for Capitalism and Society's sixth annual conference, "Emerging from the Financial Crisis."

In Memoriam: Architect Max Bond

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:15:47 -0500

Read President Bollinger's statement on the death of architect Max Bond, former professor and chair of the architecture department at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

University Recognizes Seven Great Teachers with Lenfest Distinguished Columbia Faculty Awards

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:26:50 -0500

Seven scholar-teachers have been selected as recipients of this year's Distinguished Columbia Faculty Awards. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences gives this honor annually to junior and senior faculty members who have shown exceptional merit in scholarship and dedication to teaching.

Columbia Center for Capitalism and Society Hosts Conference on the Financial Crisis

maf2182@columbia.edu — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:03:01 -0500

Columbia's Center for Capitalism and Society marks its sixth anniversary by hosting an all-day conference on "Emerging from the Financial Crisis." At a critical time for the U.S. and global economy, more than 30 noteworthy experts from academia, government and business will gather at Columbia on Friday, February 20 for discussions about financial system reform, regulation and other related issues. Paul Volcker, chairman of President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, will deliver the keynote luncheon address.

Columbia Researchers to Advise New City Task Force on Climate Change Adaptation

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:54:54 -0500

Professor Lincoln Mitchell on the Georgia-Russia Conflict

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:49:18 -0500

Columbia Launches Master's Program in Oral History

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:45:15 -0500

Two Columbia College Seniors Named 2009 Gates Cambridge Scholars

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:38:24 -0500

Columbia Dentists Give Free Oral Health Screenings and Treatment to Upper Manhattan Children

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:45:21 -0500

Nearly 1,000 children from across Upper Manhattan received oral health education and more than 500 received free screenings and treatments from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine faculty, residents, students and staff as part of the American Dental Association's national "Give Kids a Smile Day."

Health care professionals of Columbia's Community DentCare program visited seven public schools in Harlem and Washington Heights and treated children in CUMC's pediatric dental clinic on Haven Avenue.

What Will the Olympics Mean for China? A Conversation with Professor Andrew Nathan

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:39:07 -0500

Columbia Engineering School and Teachers College to Partner with Harlem Public Schools

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:37:41 -0500

Columbia Scientists Find Undersea Volcanic Rocks May Offer Vast Repository for Greenhouse Gas

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:10:26 -0500

Climate and Society Institute Working to Reduce Peat Fires and Emissions in Indonesia

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:54:20 -0500

In Indonesia, vast peatland swamp forests are diverse ecosystems that serve as habitats for a number of threatened species and are an important source of food, water and livelihoods for local people. When left intact, the forests also act as carbon-sinks by sequestering large amounts of carbon in their soil. But these important ecosystems are frequently threatened by sweeping, uncontrolled fires. Since 2006, scientists at Columbia's International Research Institute for Climate and Society have been working with diverse stakeholders in the country to develop and implement an early-warning system to prevent these devastating fires.

Columbia Engineers Prove Graphene is the Strongest Material

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:53:34 -0500

Scientists Open Columbia's New Computational Biology Lab

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:45:44 -0500

Is the Hudson Swimmable? New Partnership Tests the Waters

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:31:31 -0500

Harvard-Columbia Team Creates Neurons from ALS Patient's Skin Cells

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:24:40 -0500

Study Links Improved Fetal Health to Reduction in Toxic Releases

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:58:19 -0500

A new study by a Columbia economist definitively links a decline in fetal harm in the 1990s to stricter environmental controls. It proves, according to its authors, that living near a toxic manufacturing plant poses a significant risk to fetal health.

The study, by Professor Janet Currie and graduate student Johannes Schmieder, will be published in the May edition of the American Economic Association's Papers and Proceedings.

Columbia Neuroscientists Identify Brain Regions Responsible for Warding off Negative Emotion

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:18:32 -0500

Columbia University Earns Top Grade for Sustainability

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:28:51 -0500

Graduate School of Journalism Announces 2008 John Chancellor Award Winners

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:06:19 -0500

Three Columbia Scientists Named Fellows of American Geophysical Union

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:02:46 -0500

Three Columbia professors have been named fellows of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), a global scientific society with a membership of more than 50,000 researchers, teachers and students.

The new fellows join 52 additional inductees from across three continents.

Analysis of Past Glacial Melting Shows Potential for Increased Greenland Ice Melt and Sea Level Rise

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:13:10 -0500

Law School Launches Center for Climate Change Law

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:23:13 -0500

Obama's Alma Mater Maintains Commitment to Public Service Theme of Inauguration

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:09:08 -0500

New Book From Columbia University Press Sheds Light on Public Response to Autism

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:03:27 -0500

University Presidents and Nobel Laureates Call on President-elect and Congress to Support Funding of Scientific Research and Innovation

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:56:53 -0500

Journalism School Announces 2009 duPont-Columbia Award Winners

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:52:53 -0500

Columbia Researchers Link Blood Sugar to Normal Cognitive Aging

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:49:14 -0500

Notable Passings: Columbia Faculty

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:31:49 -0500

President Bollinger's Message to the University on the Death of Mailman School of Public Health Dean Emeritus Allan G. Rosenfield

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:27:56 -0500

Columbia's Journalism School Reaches Campaign Milestone Three Years Ahead of Schedule

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:22:46 -0500

Columbia/Stanford Study Shows People Make Generalizations by Linking Memories

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:19:59 -0500

Columbia Research Centers Awarded More Than $3 Million From Google.org to Bolster Disease Prevention

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:15:44 -0500

Journalism Students Hit the Streets for Live Election Night Coverage

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:10:43 -0500

Mayor Bloomberg, New York City Global Partners and Columbia University Host Public Health and Climate Change Summit

maf2182@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:57:55 -0500

Barack Obama, CC'83, First Columbia Graduate Elected President of the United States

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:55:59 -0500

President Bollinger's Message to the University on Columbia and the Economic Outlook

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:49:59 -0500

Columbia Establishes Master's Degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:39:50 -0500

Columbia College Student Jisung Park Selected as 2009 Rhodes Scholar

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:01:22 -0500

Columbia Scientists Discover Serotonin in Gut Crucial to Building Bone

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:51:04 -0500

University Trustee Eric Holder Named Next U.S. Attorney General Nominee

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:39:18 -0500

Alumnus Jared Bernstein Appointed Chief Economic Advisor to Vice President-Elect Joseph Biden

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:15:12 -0500

Columbia Professor Martin Chalfie Receives Nobel Prize in Stockholm

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:09:19 -0500

Columbia Hosts Major Conference on First African-American Filmmaker

jp2186@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:46:46 -0500

Nearly 100 years ago, Oscar Micheaux wrote, directed and produced dozens of films spanning both the silent and early sound eras. Being an influential pioneer of early cinema is an impressive enough accomplishment, but Micheaux has yet another distinction: he was the first African-American to produce a feature-length film.

On Feb. 6 and 7, Columbia University School of the Arts hosted a two-day conference on his work, titled "Faded Glory: Oscar Micheaux and the Pre-War Early Black Cinema."

Study Shows Alcohol to Blame in Many Fatal Subway Accidents

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:09:44 -0500

Explorers to Probe Hidden Antarctic Mountains

jp2186@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:56:39 -0500

Rocks Could Be Harnessed to Sponge Vast Amounts of Carbon Dioxide From Air, Say Researchers

jp2186@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:54:19 -0500

Carbon Dioxide Already in Danger Zone, Warns Study

jp2186@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:49:45 -0500

J. Lamar Worzel, Co-Founder of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Dies at 89

jp2186@columbia.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:27:44 -0500

J. Lamar Worzel, a pioneering geophysicist and engineer who helped shape human understanding of how sound travels through the oceans and who co-founded Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, died Dec. 26.

Columbia Filmmakers Capture Numerous Spirit Awards Nominations

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:01:48 -0500

Columbia College Student Samuel Daly Wins 2009 Marshall Scholarship

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:02 -0500

Memorial Honors the Lives of Alumni Who Died in Wartime Service

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:22:02 -0500

American Physical Society Names Pupin Hall a Historic Site and Honors Late Columbia Physicist I.I. Rabi

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:47:40 -0500

The American Physical Society, a national organization of physicists dedicated to the development and promotion of physics, named Pupin Hall, home to Columbia's physics department, a historic site. The society recognized the University's historic contributions to the advancement of the science, and singled out Isidor Isaac Rabi, the late Nobel laureate and Columbia professor, for his groundbreaking achievements in magnetic characteristics of atomic nuclei.

For Columbia Globetrotters, More Sites on the Map for Dual Degrees

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:29:54 -0500

Serving and Learning in Classroom and Community

maf2182@columbia.edu — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:12:52 -0500

ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum: Opening Remarks

maf2182@columbia.edu — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:22:15 -0500

At Columbia, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Speaks of Peace and Stability

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:46:15 -0500

Bovis Lend Lease and Columbia University Help Improve an Upper Manhattan Treasure

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:29:04 -0500

Dominican Leader Sees Role Model in Columbia-Assisted Public School

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:48:54 -0500

Alumnus Judd Gregg (CC '69) Nominated as U.S. Commerce Secretary

jp2186@columbia.edu — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:54:37 -0500

New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg, a graduate of Columbia College, has been nominated by President Barack Obama (CC’83) to serve as Secretary of Commerce.

Columbia College and Law School Alumnus Eric Holder Confirmed as U.S. Attorney General

jp2186@columbia.edu — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:24:57 -0500

As the University prepares next year's operating budget, the president provides an update on the economic environment the University faces and the context in which next year's budgets will be crafted.

Columbia Experiment Creates First Simulation to Assess Safety of New York's Suspension Bridge Cables

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:55:47 -0500

Research engineers at Columbia University launched the first of a series of experiments on Monday, Dec. 22, to provide the most sophisticated safety assessment ever conducted of New York's suspension bridge cables.

Antarctic Scientists Inaugurate "Ocean Station Obama"

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:28:29 -0500

As the U.S. research vessel Laurence M. Gould laid anchor off Antarctica, 10,000 miles from Washington, a team of scientists led by Columbia University oceanographer Douglas Martinson held its own presidential inaugural celebration on Jan. 20.

Columbia University Reports Progress Toward NYC Sustainability Goals

jp2186@columbia.edu — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:36:15 -0500

More than a year after Columbia committed to reducing its carbon footprint 30 percent by the year 2017, the University is well on its way toward achieving this important goal.

Engineering Professor Wins Presidential Award for Research Discoveries

dgs2110@columbia.edu — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:18:18 -0500

Xi Chen studies how basic engineering principles give certain fruits and vegetables their distinctive shapes.

Columbia and Apollo Theater Foundation to Create Oral History of the World-Famous Venue

jp2186@columbia.edu — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:07:57 -0500

Columbia University's Oral History Research Office has joined with the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. to document and preserve the vibrant history of Harlem's Apollo Theater and its surrounding neighborhood.

Journalism Students Profile New Yorkers Coping With Tough Economic Times

jp2186@columbia.edu — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:30:11 -0500

Students at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism are talking to New Yorkers in order to learn how their lives are being affected by the recession.

New Study Shows All of Antarctica Is Warming

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:21:15 -0500

Antarctica is getting warmer, according to a new study co-authored by Drew Shindell, a research scientist with NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, an affiliate of Columbia University's Earth Institute. Scientists have known that ice shelves collapsing on the continent's northerly peninsula were the result of rapid warming, however evidence on temperature change in the continent's interior have been unclear; some have believed it might actually be cooling. This new research, however, shows temperatures are rising throughout the continent.

Columbians Celebrate Inauguration of President Obama (CC'83)

maf2182@columbia.edu — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:04:06 -0500

A crowd of several thousand gathered together on the steps of Low Library to watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the first Columbia graduate to be elected president of the United States.

Students, faculty members, alumni, staffers and community members—even elementary school students from the School at Columbia—watched intently, with applause and occasional cheers during the ceremony.

Columbia Professors Offer New Proposal for Preventing Foreclosures

jeu2104@columbia.edu — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:05:59 -0500

Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School today announced a new joint proposal to stem foreclosures through loan modifications. The proposal, co-written by Professors Christopher Mayer and Tomasz Piskorski of Columbia Business School and Professor Edward Morrison of Columbia Law School, takes aim at privately securitized mortgages, which are at the core of the housing crisis, accounting for more than 50 percent of foreclosure starts.

Columbia Graduates Honor 9/11 Lives with Pentagon Memorial Design

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:31:15 -0400

Julie Beckman (GSAPP '01) and Keith Kaseman (GSAPP '01) were fellow students at Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) when they met and formed a business partnership and, later, were married.

Obama's Columbia Roommate Remembers the President-elect

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:26:20 -0400

In the latest issue of Columbia College Today, Phil Boerner '84, who lived with Barack Obama in the fall of 1981, remembers the 44th President of the United States as a friendly, thoughtful student who wanted to be a writer.

Columbia Professors to Receive Kavli Prizes in Norway Ceremony

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:34:59 -0400

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research will host on Sept. 9 a ceremony to honor the 2008 Kavli Prize laureates in the award's inaugural year. Among this year's seven awardees are two Columbia researchers, Thomas Jessel and Louis E. Brus.

Study Shows No Connection Between Measles Vaccine And Autism

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:12:23 -0400

A study authored by Columbia researchers debunks the suspicion that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the cause of the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism.

Community Dental Program Gives Elderly New Reason to Smile

admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:43:28 -0400

For more than four years, ElderSmile at Columbia's College of Dental Medicine has been providing much-needed dental care to older persons living in Upper Manhattan communities.

ServiceNation Announces Columbia University to Host "ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum"

admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:28:58 -0400

In their first joint appearance since the party conventions, presidential nominees John McCain and Barack Obama will discuss service and civic engagement in the post-9/11, post-Katrina world during the primetime televised "ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum" on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 11, hosted by Columbia University in the City of New York, as part of the ServiceNation Summit.

Public Intellectuals: Columbia Faculty Bring Insight to the News

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:41:33 -0400

On any given day of the week, the voices and ideas of Columbia faculty members can be seen and heard in the local, national and international media. But this has been an especially busy summer for many professors making contributions to the public's understanding of some of the great issues of our time.