Press Room | Columbia News

Columbia's Graduation Events Take Place May 13–17

Media contact: Eric Sharfstein, 212-854-6164, es3106@columbia.edu

NEW YORK, May 8, 2012—A number of distinguished professionals are featured speakers at more than 20 special events celebrating the commencement exercises of Columbia University’s 258th academic year. Events take place between Sunday, May 13, and Thursday, May 17.

Commencement Day Details

WHEN: Wednesday, May 16, beginning at 10:15 a.m. with the academic procession. That night, from dusk until after midnight, the spire of the Empire State Building will be lit in blue and white in honor of Columbia’s graduates.

WHO: University President Lee C. Bollinger presents the commencement address to more than 35,000 students, faculty members, staff and guests. Approximately 13,423 students are receiving degrees. Due to capacity constraints, commencement is not open to the public but a live Web cast can be viewed here.

NEWS MEDIA: Campus access and seating is granted to journalists registered in advance with Eric Sharfstein, es3106@columbia.edu. Check in at the Amsterdam Avenue gate at West 116th Street. Gate opens at 8:30 a.m. Click here for a map of Morningside Heights. The Broadway gate at West 116th Street is closed and no parking is permitted on campus. Television crews must be in place by 9:00 a.m. Mult box is provided.

Class Days, Graduation Ceremonies, Notable Speakers

Columbia’s 13 graduate schools and its three undergraduate institutions—Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies—each host separate special events. (Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia, hosts President Barack Obama at its graduation ceremony this year. Click here to learn more.) Due to capacity constraints, these events are not open to the public but some are Web cast and archived. To learn more, click here or call 212-854-8336. Speakers at events open to media coverage include:

Thomas Reardon, GS '08, principal architect of Internet Explorer, speaks at the School of General Studies Class Day, 9:00 a.m., May 13, Low Plaza, Morningside Heights campus
Ursula Burns, SEAS ‘82, chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation, speaks at The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Class Day, 4:30 p.m., May 14, South Lawn, Morningside Heights campus
Adrian Benepe, JRN ’81, commissioner of City of New York Parks and Recreation, speaks at the School of Continuing Education Class Day, 5:00 p.m., May 15, Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall, Morningside Heights campus
Susan B. Hassmiller, senior adviser for nursing at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and director of its Initiative on the Future of Nursing, speaks at the School of Nursing Graduation and White Coat Ceremony, 10:00 a.m., May 15, New Balance Track & Field Arena, 216 Fort Washington Ave. at 168th Street
John "Rick" MacArthur, CC '78, publisher and president of Harper's magazine, speaks at the Columbia College Class Day, 9:30 a.m., May 15, South Lawn, Morningside Heights campus (Gates open 8:30 a.m.; camera call 9:00.)
David Brooks, columnist at The New York Times, delivers Columbia Journalism School’s Pringle Lecture, 10:00 a.m., May 15, Miller Theatre, Morningside Heights campus
George Davies, professor at Armstrong State University, speaks at the Doctor of Physical Therapy Graduation, 10:30 a.m., May 15, Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street
Michelle Bachelet, under-secretary-general and executive director of U.N. Women and former president of Chile, speaks at the Mailman School of Public Health Graduation Ceremony, 4:00 p.m., May 15, New Balance Track & Field Arena, 216 Fort Washington Ave. at West 168th Street
Elizabeth Nabel, president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and former director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, speaks at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Graduation Ceremony, 2:00 p.m., May 16, New Balance Track & Field Arena, 216 Fort Washington Ave. at West 168th Street
David V. Picker, film producer and studio executive, speaks at the School of the Arts Celebration of Graduates, 2:00 p.m., May 16, Miller Theatre, Morningside Heights campus
Bob Herbert, distinguished senior fellow at Demos and former columnist at The New York Times, speaks at the School of Social Work Commencement Ceremony, 2:00 p.m., May 16, Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway
Katherine Boo, author and staff writer at The New Yorker, speaks at the Columbia Journalism School Graduation Ceremony, 3:00 p.m., May 16, Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall, Morningside Heights campus
Tara Sonenshine, under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, speaks at the School of International and Public Affairs Graduation Ceremony, 11:00 a.m., May 17, South Lawn, Morningside Heights campus
Donald B. Verrilli Jr., LAW ‘83, Solicitor General of the United States, speaks at the Columbia Law School Graduation, 3:30 p.m., May 17, South Lawn, Morningside Heights campus
Robert Renner, DEN ’68, ‘71, founder of KIDS International Dental Services and professor emeritus at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, speaks at the College of Dental Medicine Graduation Ceremony, 10:30 a.m., May 17, New Balance Track & Field Arena, 216 Fort Washington Ave. at 168th Street
Nailah S. Adams, P&S ‘08, speaks at the Institute of Human Nutrition MS Year End Celebration, 11:00 a.m., May 17, Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall, Morningside Heights campus
Amy Lamb, vice president of the American Occupational Therapy Association, speaks at the Occupational Therapy Graduation Ceremony, 10:00 a.m., May 17, Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street

Honorary Degrees, University Medal for Excellence

Columbia grants six honorary degrees at this year’s commencement:

Muhal Richard Abrams, Doctor of Music
Michelle Bachelet, Doctor of Laws
Shu Chien, Doctor of Science
Jean Franco, Doctor of Letters
Amy Gutmann, Doctor of Laws
Gloria Steinem, Doctor of Laws

The University Medal for Excellence, awarded annually to outstanding alumni under the age of 45, is presented to Thomas Kitt, CC’96. Click here for short bios of each recipient.

Alumni Medalists

The University presents Alumni Medals for 2012 to:

Rosa V. Alonso, 1982 B.A., Barnard College, 1994 M.B.A., Columbia Business School

Raymond P. Daddazio, 1975 B.S., 1976 M.S., 1982 Eng. Sc.D., The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

Robert H. Douglas, 1970 B.A., Columbia College

Alexis Gelber, 1974 B.A., Barnard College, 1980 M.S., Columbia Journalism School

Kay Crawford Murray, 1958 M.A., Teachers College, 1976 J.D., Columbia Law School

Hau Yee Ng-Lo, 1989 M.B.A., Columbia Business School

David B. Ottaway, 1963 International Fellow, School of International and Public Affairs, 1968 M.A., 1972 Ph.D., Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

David P. Roye, Jr., 1975 M.D., College of Physicians & Surgeons

Nicholas Rudd, 1964 B.A., Columbia College; 1967 M.B.A., Columbia Business School

Barbara Silverstone, 1973 Ph.D., School of Social Work

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching

Teaching award recipients this year are:

Jonathan Barasch, associate professor of medicine and pathology and cell biology, College of Physicians & Surgeons
John C. M. Brust, professor of clinical neurology, College of Physicians & Surgeons
Samuel G. Freedman, professor, Columbia Journalism School
Carol B. Liebman, clinical professor of law, Columbia Law School
Eric R. Mendelsohn, associate professor of professional practice in film, School of the Arts

About Columbia University

A leading academic and research university, Columbia University continually seeks to advance the frontiers of knowledge and to foster a campus community deeply engaged in understanding and addressing the complex global issues of our time. Columbia’s extensive public service initiatives, cultural collaborations, and community partnerships enrich campus life. They help define the University’s underlying values and mission to educate students to be both leading scholars and informed, engaged citizens. Founded in 1754 as King’s College, Columbia University in the City of New York is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S.

Top