March/April 2011
Around the Quads
Alumni in the News
Peter Mendelsund ’91, a book cover designer, was interviewed by The New Yorker in December. As associate art director at Knopf, Mendelsund has designed the covers for many well-known books by classic and contemporary authors. He describes his creative techniques and goals in the interview, which also showcases several designs he created for Jo Nesbø’s novels The Snowman and The Redeemer. An avid reader, Mendelsund says his goal is to “tease out the … authorial impetus” behind the manuscript after a careful reading of the whole text. CCT profiled Mendelsund in 2008.
Dr. Arthur “Archie” Roberts ’65 was featured in a New York Times article in November for his efforts to stem an alarming trend of sudden heart attacks and other cardiac problems in N.F.L. players. A star quarterback at Columbia, Roberts briefly played with the Miami Dolphins before becoming a heart surgeon. He launched a nonprofit, the Living Heart Foundation, in 2001 to fight cardiac problems in professional athletes through regular screenings. Roberts mentioned in the article that several of the athletes he has screened required immediate treatment — including at least two needing coronary bypass surgery. CCT profiled Roberts in 2007.
George Templeton Strong (Class of 1838) was profiled in a New York Times article in December, “The Diary of a New York Lawyer.” Strong practiced law in New York City, became a Columbia trustee and was involved in philanthropic projects. For 40 years, he wrote in his diaries on a regular basis. They offer a unique, personal account of the Civil War unfolding through the eyes of a northern lawyer who strongly supported the Union. When South Carolina seceded, Strong recognized it as “a grave event, [that] may well bring tremendous calamity upon the country.”
Benjamin Lawsky ’92, ’95L (right) and then-Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo during testimony in the U.S. House of Representatives. Photo: Courtesy office of Governor CuomoBenjamin Lawsky ’92, ’95L was appointed chief of staff for New York Governor Andrew M.
Cuomo in December. Lawsky served as general counsel on Cuomo’s campaign while
also fulfilling his duties as deputy counselor and special assistant in the
attorney general’s office. Prior to joining Cuomo’s office, Lawsky was a
federal prosecutor and was chief counsel to Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.)
on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Atti Viragh ’12 GS