Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Join Larry Jackson, associate dean of academic affairs, director of the Witten Center for the Core Curriculum and lecturer in philosophy for a virtual conversation with Sara Just CC’88, senior executive producer of PBS NewsHour Productions and SVP of WETA.

The Core Curriculum is the heart of the student academic experience at Columbia College. How do these required courses prepare students to grapple with the challenges of an ever-changing world? This talk discusses the ways the Core fosters a community of inquiry in which students learn to have difficult conversations.

October 23, 2023

Libraries are a central part of American democracy. As public institutions, they promote civic engagement, provide community space, and ensure that all people — regardless of class — have access to books and other materials offering a wide range of perspectives and ideas. But today, libraries and library workers are under attack in the United States. Throughout the country, there have been efforts this year to censor thousands of book titles  — most of them written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Library workers have reported being harassed, and libraries in Chicago and New York City have even received bomb threats. American Library Association (ALA) President Emily Drabinski CC’97 spoke with Director of the Witten Center for the Core Curriculum Larry Jackson about ongoing campaigns to censor titles, attacks on libraries and the ALA, and the efforts of library workers throughout the country to fight book bans and protect our democracy. 

January 25, 2023

In this exclusive AlumniTALK , Dr. Calvin Sun CC'08, recounts the early months of Covid-19. In conversation with Dr. Zahrah Taufique CC’09 BU’15 PS’15, he will discuss lessons learned from from growing up as a young Asian American in New York to his calling first to medical school and then to the open road. He believes that the fight for a better world creates meaning when all feels meaningless, and he hopes that telling his story will help readers reframe this tragic moment in our lifetimes into possibility, with the goal of building a more empathetic society.

Please Note: This event will be virtual. A link to the recording will be emailed to all registrants a few days after the event.

In this exclusive AlumniTALK, Professor Roosevelt Montás CC’95 reads excerpts from and discusses his book Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation. A Dominican-born academic tells the story of how the Great Books transformed his life—and why they have the power to speak to people of all backgrounds. In conversation with Katie Day Benvenuto CC’03 BUS’12, current Senior Executive Director for Development, Arts & Sciences and Athletics and the Associate Dean of Columbia College Development and Alumni Relations

Clinical psychologist Dr. Vivian Mougios CC'96 and Dr. Valerie Purdie-Greenaway CC'93 explore how the abrupt switch to distance learning and socializing is affecting children and share tangible tips that parents can use during this challenging time.

Author Claudia Rankine SOA'93 reads excerpts from and discusses her bestselling book Citizen: An American Lyric, a recent addition to Lit Hum's summer reading requirements. Citizen uses poetry, essay, cultural criticism and visual images to explore what it means to be an American citizen in a “post-racial” society.

While studies show that increased diversity leads to greater innovation and improved outcomes, organizations continue to struggle with a lack of diversity at the upper-management and C-suite levels. How can organizations address this issue? A panel of executives examine the barriers that professionals in marginalized groups face when seeking advancement and discuss transformative solutions.