From climate change in the presidential race to difficult international negotiations, presenting sitar traditions to building inclusive communities, Columbia invites the world in. 

Remember, this Thursday two great faculty members, psychologist Valerie Purdie-Vaughns ’93CC and biology and chemistry professor Brent Stockwell, give the University Lecture on “Teaching and Learning in a University, Version 2.0.” 

And be sure to share your event stories!

October 13
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion
Being the Change, Leading the Charge: Diversity in Higher Education
Panelists include Anne L. Taylor, vice dean of academic affairs at the College of Physicians and Surgeons; Katherine W. Phillips, Paul Calello Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School; Marcel Agüeros, assistant professor of astronomy; Gilda A. Barabino, dean of City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering; and Aaron Dworkin, dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Provost John Coatsworth will moderate. This event is complemented by a series of diversity-related activities the week of October 12. Low Library Rotunda. (Just Societies) (Reminder)

October 19
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity
The Negotiator: A Conversation with Senator George Mitchell
Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell will discuss his memoir, The Negotiator, reflect on his experiences with conflict resolution in Northern Ireland, the Middle East, and elsewhere, and comment on the nuclear agreement with Iran. Mitchell will be joined by Aldo Civico, associate research scholar director of the International Institute for Peace at Rutgers University. Register here. Teachers College, Horace Mann Hall, Room 147, Cowin Auditorium. (Global)

October 20
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
The Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life
George Rupp: “The Power – and Limitations – of Individualism”
Distinguished visiting scholar and Columbia University President Emeritus George Rupp advocates for new solutions to global challenges, income inequality, climate change, and mass migration in his newest book, Beyond Individualism: The Challenge of Inclusive Communities. Rupp will speak about the challenge of inclusive communities and discuss issues raised by a panel of special guests. Reception to follow. Rupp will be on hand to sign copies of his book (which will be available for purchase). Register here. Earl Hall, 2nd floor, Auditorium. (Global, Just Societies, Climate Change)

October 26
5 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. 
Center on Global Energy Policy
Lighting the World: A Conversation with Jim Rogers, Former Chairman and CEO, Duke Energy
Rogers will discuss his new book Lighting the World: Transforming our Energy Future by Bringing Electricity to Everyone and the kind of innovative thinking, international cooperation, and political will required to provide sustainable energy access to all. Moderated by David Sandalow, CGEP Inaugural Fellow. Registration is required here. Faculty House, 3rd floor, Presidential Room. (Global, Just Societies)

October 29
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
The Earth Institute
Sustainability and Climate Change in the 2016 Presidential Race
How have environmental issues come to be as politically salient as they are today? Steve Cohen, executive director of the Earth Institute; William Eimicke, director of the Picker Center for Executive Education; and Emily Lloyd, commissioner of New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection, will look at which environmental issues will play a role in the upcoming presidential election. Moderated by Chuck Todd, from NBC’s Meet the Press. Register here. International Affairs Building, Kellogg Center, Room 1501. (Climate, 21st Century Public Square)

October 30
8 p.m. – 10 p.m.   
South Asia Institute | Miller Theatre
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan and Amit Kavthekar in Concert
Master sitarist Khan descends from six generations of sitarists. The concert will also feature Amit Kavthekar on tabla. Purchase tickets here. Miller Theatre.

November 4
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Columbia Law School | The Earth Institute
Who Is Responsible for Climate Change?
The question of responsibility for climate change lies at the heart of debate over actions to address it. This conference explores the scientific, legal, ethical, and policy bases for assigning climate responsibility to countries and to other entities—individuals, emitting industries, and fossil fuel companies. Speakers include Peter Frumhoff, director of Science and Policy Union of Concerned Scientists; Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law; Karenna Gore, director of the Center for Earth Ethics; Sivan Kartha, senior scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute; Naomi Oreskes, professor of the History of Science at Harvard; and Michael Vandenbergh, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair of Law at Vanderbilt. Register here. Jerome Greene Hall, Room 104. (Climate Change)

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Columbia University Libraries
Twain and Stanley Enter Paradise
Posthumous release of a work by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos, with a reading by Lori Carlson-Hijuelos, lecturer in English at Duke; Frances Negron-Muntaner, associate professor of English and comparative literature; and authors Siri Hustvedt and Paul Auster ’69CC. Pulitzer Hall, World Room.

Events are now tagged where appropriate with University-wide Big Ideas: Precision Medicine, Global, Climate Change, Data and Society, Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square, and the Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience. Through Big Ideas, faculty and students from multiple schools and campuses collaborate for transformative impact, addressing major issues of our time.
 
For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

Campus diversity, universal health care, human rights in the U.S., Joseph Mitchell in New York, medical education, or Columbia’s art treasures: pick your Pick! 

And be sure to share your event stories.

October 7
6:30 p.m.
University Seminars | Lehman Center for American History | Columbia Journalism School
Joseph Mitchell and the City
Thomas Kunkel, president of St. Norbert College and author of Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker, will be in discussion with Gay Talese, author and former reporter at The New York Times. Moderated by Dean Steve Coll. Reception to follow. Faculty House, 2nd floor.

October 13
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion
Being the Change, Leading the Charge: Diversity in Higher Education
Provost John Coatsworth will moderate a discussion with diversity thought leaders and change agents. Panelists include Anne L. Taylor,  vice dean of academic affairs at the College of Physicians and Surgeons; Katherine W. Phillips, Paul Calello Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School; Marcel Agüeros, assistant professor of astronomy; Gilda A. Barabino, dean of City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering; and Aaron Dworkin, dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Followed by a Q&A with the audience and a reception. This event is complemented by a series of diversity-related activities the week of October 12. Low Library, Rotunda. (Just Societies)

October 15
4 p.m. 
College of Physicians and Surgeons
Universal Health Care: An Idea Whose Time has Come?
Donna E. Shalala, president of the Clinton Foundation and former U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services, will speak as part of the Andrew David Hyman Memorial Lectures. Reception to follow. Please contact Christina Hansen at [email protected] for more information. Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st floor. (Reminder)

6 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
University Lecture
Teaching and Learning in a University, Version 2.0
Hosted by President Lee C. Bollinger and Provost John H. Coatsworth. Professors Valerie Purdie-Vaughns (psychology) and Brent R. Stockwell (biology) discuss challenges and innovations in teaching, and how a new paradigm can transform the educational experience for students. Followed by a Q&A with the audience and a reception. Online registration is required and will open on Tuesday, October 6 at 10:00 am here. Low Library, Rotunda.

October 20
2 p.m.
University Arts Initiative | Art Properties
Museum Meetup: Art on Campus
Hamilton and Jefferson, Pegasus and Pan, Alma Mater and the Thinker are all outdoor sculptures we see on the Morningside campus. Roberto C. Ferrari, curator of Art Properties at Columbia University, will lead a highlights tour of this collection of public art and discuss the artists and history of these works, their materiality and fabrication, and ongoing efforts to conserve them for future generations. RSVP required here. The tour will meet on the Low Library plaza steps by Alma Mater. For more on “Columbia’s bounty of hidden art,” check out Columbia Magazine’s related article here.

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.  
Columbia Medical Center | Office of University Life
Special Guest Lecture: President Bollinger
President Bollinger  will speak about diversity in higher education. Open to current Columbia faculty, students, and staff. RSVP required here. Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th St., 1st floor.

October 21
8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
College of Physicians and Surgeons
CUMC Seventh Annual Steve Miller Medical Education Day
An annual event promoting medical education and humanism in medicine, in paying tribute to the legacy contributions of the late Steve Miller ’80CC, ’84P&S, former director of pediatric emergency medicine and director of pediatric medical student education. Featuring a grand rounds talk by Abraham Verghese, author of the New York Times best-seller Cutting for Stone and vice chair for the theory and practice of medicine at Stanford University. For more information, please contact Ashley Elich at [email protected]. CUMC Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st floor.

October 22
12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Columbia Law School
Advancing U.S. Social Justice Through Human Rights
To mark the 15th anniversary of the Bringing Human Rights Home Lawyers’ Network, the Human Rights Institute is hosting a series of events exploring the history, impact, and future of the effort to bring human rights home. This event includes a keynote address by Caroline Bettinger-Lopez ’03LAW, White House advisor on violence against women. Followed by a panel of human rights practitioners moderated by Cindy Soohoo, director for CUNY’s International Women’s Human Rights Clinic. Closing remarks by Cathy Albisa serving on New York City’s Commission on Human Rights. Lunch will be provided. Reception to follow. Jerome Greene Hall, Room 102A. (Just Societies)

Events are now tagged where appropriate with University-wide Big Ideas: Precision Medicine, Global, Climate Change, Data and Society, Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square, and the Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience. Through Big Ideas, faculty and students from multiple schools and campuses collaborate for transformative impact, addressing major issues of our time.
 
For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

This week, heads of state from around the world—Bangladesh to Croatia to Mozambique—will speak at the World Leaders Forum. List of speakers and RSVP information here. If you have difficulties registering for a World Leaders Forum event and you want to invite a special guest, please contact Anna Barranca-Burke at [email protected].  And be sure to share your event stories!
 
October 7
4:30 p.m.
Columbia University Medical Center
Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series
Searching for the Deep Laws of Nature with Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics and director of the Columbia Center for Theoretical Physics. Greene is widely recognized for a number of groundbreaking discoveries in string theory, for his books on physics written for a general audience, and for his role as co-founder of the World Science Festival. CUMC Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st floor.

October 10
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wallach Family Day
Guided tours at the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, currently exhibiting Rembrandt’s Changing Impressions, and hands-on printmaking session in the Neiman Center for Print Studies. Registration required here. Schermerhorn Hall, 8th floor.

October 15
6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Mailman School of Public Health | Barnard Forum on Migration
The Surge: Politics, Violence, and Children in Central America and Mexico
This conference aims to understand the origins of the recent migration of large numbers of unaccompanied children to the US from Central America and Mexico and explore the social and political climate of the countries from which they are emigrating. Opening remarks by Jose Moya, director of the Institute of Latin American Studies. Panelist include José Alberto Idiáquez Guevara, rector from the Universidad Centro Americana in Nicaragua; Dennis Stinchcomb  and Eric Hershberg from the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University; Mark Canavera, associate director of the CPC (Care and Protection of Children) Learning Network Secretariat at Mailman; and Nara Milanich, associate professor of history at Barnard. Register here. Altschul Hall, Lehman Auditorium, 3009 Broadway. (Global)
 
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
SIPA
The Importance of Cheap Labor: Can Professional Fulfillment, Child-Rearing, and Equality Ever Be Combined?
Dean Merit E. Janow and Baroness Wolf, British economist and director of the International Centre for University Policy Research at King’s College London, will explore societies struggle with the clash between work and family demands. Introduction by Yasmine Ergas, director of the gender and public policy specialization. Register here. International Affairs Building, Room 1501. (Just Societies)

4 p.m.
College of Physicians and Surgeons
Universal Health Care: An Idea Whose Time has Come?
Donna E. Shalala, president of the Clinton Foundation and former U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services, will speak as part of the Andrew David Hyman Memorial Lectures. Reception to follow. Please contact Christina Hansen at [email protected] for more information. Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st floor.
 
October 17
12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Columbia College Alumni Association | Columbia Engineering Alumni Association
Homecoming 2015
The first homecoming game led by Al Bagnoli. A day of interactive activities including face-painting, games, and fencing with the 2015 NCAA Championship fencing team. Followed by the Lions game against the Penn Quakers. Purchase game tickets here and carnival tickets here. Baker Athletics Complex, 533 West, 218th Street.

Events are now tagged where appropriate with University-wide Big Ideas: Precision Medicine, Global, Climate Change, Data and Society, Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square, and the Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience. Through Big Ideas, faculty and students from multiple schools and campuses collaborate for transformative impact, addressing major issues of our time.

For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

Nine not-so-picky picks below as fall’s abundance throws all editorial discipline to the wind! Be sure to share your event stories!

A special campus opportunity from SIPA and the Italian Academy, now through October 15: Nick Danziger’s compelling exhibit of black and white photographs of women and children around the world, answering the question: Did the UN Millennium Development Goals succeed in giving families a better life? More information here.

September 19 – 26 
School of the Arts
Morningside Lights: New York Nocturne
A week of free community arts workshops culminates in a procession of handmade lanterns inspired by New York City after dark. See the schedule of daily lantern-building workshops here. Illuminated procession on September 26 at 8 p.m. Morningside Park, 116th Street and Morningside Avenue. (Reminder)

September 25
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Columbia Business School
Imagine and Inspire: The Future of Social Enterprise
The field of social enterprise emerged as activists, business people, and organizations used their skills to solve the last century’s most pressing problems. In celebration of Columbia Business School’s Centennial, this conference will explore what the next 100 years of social enterprise will entail. List of speakers and schedule here. Purchase tickets ($150) here. The New York Historical Society Museum. (Just Societies)

September 30
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Institute for Research in African-American Studies
Reconstruction: In Pursuit of Family History from 40 Acres and a Mule to Black Lives Matter
A conversation with Keith Boykin, assistant adjunct professor at the Institute for Research in African-American Studies and a New York Times best-selling author and TV commentator.
School of Journalism, 3rd floor. (Just Societies)

September 29
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. 
Columbia Entrepreneurship
Sports, the Digital Bellwether
The first live televised sporting event in the U.S. took place on May 17, 1939 at Baker Field. Since then, innovations in TV delivery continue to change the viewer experience and social media is fostering new relationships among athletes, leagues, and fans. Big League digital innovators of the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB will be in conversation with NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern ’66LAW. Purchase tickets here. If alumni relations and development officers would like to use this event as an engagement opportunity, please contact Christopher McGarry at [email protected] to request complimentary tickets. 125 W. 18th Street, Metropolitan Pavilion. (21st Century Public Square) (Reminder)

October 2
4 – 5:30 p.m.
East Asian Languages and Cultures
The Importance of Early China and the Indispensable Role of Western Institutions
An inaugural ceremony for the Tang Center for Early China. Opening remarks by Provost John Coatsworth and keynote lecture by Li Feng, professor of early Chinese history and archaeology. Please contact Maryellen Rogusky at [email protected] to RSVP. Low Library, Faculty Room. (Global)

6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.  
School of the Arts
Preview Screening of The 33
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the School of the Arts, an exclusive screening of The 33, a film that tells the story of the 2010 Chilean mining disaster where 33 miners were trapped underground for 69 days. A Q&A will follow with the director Patricia Riggen ’03SOA. Miller Theatre.

October 2 – 3
The Brown Institute for Media Innovation
Computation and Journalism Symposium
This forum brings together a broad range of thinkers, doers, journalists, and storytellers to discuss the ways journalism is and should be adapting in the face of new technologies. Opening keynote by Lada Adamic, data scientist at Facebook and closing reception by Chris Wiggins, associate professor of applied mathematics and chief data scientist at the New York Times. Register here. Brown Institute for Media Innovation, Pulitzer Hall, 2950 Broadway. (Data and Society, 21st Century Public Square)

October 6
6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Columbia University Libraries
Alice’s Adventures at Columbia
In 1932, Alice Pleasance Hargreaves was awarded an honorary degree by Columbia University for the centenary of Lewis Carroll’s birth and for inspiring the tale Alice in Wonderland. A lecture by Dayna Huhn, founder of the Lewis Carroll Society of Canada, followed by a viewing of the accompanying exhibition at Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Butler Library, 6th floor, East.

October 7
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
College of Physicians and Surgeons | School of Continuing Education
Narrative Medicine Rounds: Akhil Sharma, Author
Narrative Medicine Rounds are lectures or readings presented by scholars, clinicians, or writers engaged in work at the intersection of narrative and health care. Akhil Sharma, assistant professor of creative writing at Rutgers University, is the author of An Obedient Father, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. CUMC Faculty Club, Physicians and Surgeons Building, 4th floor.

Events are now tagged where appropriate with University-wide Big Ideas: Precision Medicine, Global, Climate Change, Data and Society, Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square, and the Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience. Through Big Ideas, faculty and students from multiple schools and campuses collaborate for transformative impact, addressing major issues of our time.

For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

China’s impact, Cuba’s jazz, the Pope on climate, sports online – and that’s just for starters. Be sure to share your event stories!

September 17
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
University Programs and Events | Committee on Global Thought
The Rise of China and its Impact on the Global Order
This World Leaders Forum and Global Thought Lecture features the Honorable Kevin Rudd, president of Asia Society Policy Institute and former prime minister of Australia; Steve Cohen, executive director of the Earth Institute; and Vishakha N. Desai, special advisor for global affairs to President Bollinger. Followed by a Q&A with the audience. Registration required here. Low Memorial Library, Rotunda. (Related to: Global)

6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zuckerman Institute
Heading Off Damage: New Insights in Traumatic Brain Injury
How does brain damage happen? What effects can it have in the days afterward? What are the long-term consequences to the health of the brain? Barclay Morrison III, associate professor of biomedical engineering, will explore these questions as part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lectures. RSVP here. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard. (Related to: Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience)(Reminder)
 
September 23
7 p.m.
Center for Jazz Studies
Re/mapping Jazz: How Cuba Changed Everything
John F. Szwed, director of the Center for Jazz Studies, will be in discussion with Ned Sublette, composer and musicologist. Sublette is known for fusing country-western and Afro-Caribbean styles, such as salsa, cumbia, and rumba. The event will include a live performance by The Pedrito Martinez Group. Earl Hall, Auditorium. (Related to: Global)

September 24
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life
Pope Economics / Pope Ecology
In anticipation of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference and Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., Edouard Tetreau, economic consultant; Andrew Revkin (PACE); Erin Lothes (College of St. Elizabeth); and Anthony Annett (Earth Institute) will discuss the implications of the papal letter on climate change and the Pope’s call for drastic changes in lifestyle. Moderated by Laura Flanders, host and founder of GRITtv with Laura Flanders. Maison Française, East Gallery, Buell Hall. (Related to: Climate Change)

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Oral History Master of Arts Program
Roots and Fruits of Activism in Washington Heights and New York City
Since the 1950s, few topics have roiled New York City more than public education, with its powerful connections to demands for racial justice, struggles for economic mobility, and changing definitions of community. Long-time residents and activist in northern Manhattan—Laura Altschuler, coordinator of the League of Women Voters of the City of New York, and Sixto Medina, founding member of the Alianza Dominicana and the Tamboril Community Center in Washington Heights—will share their memories and reflect on the “school wars.” Moderated by Robert W. Snyder, author of Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York City. 606 W. 122nd Street, Knox Hall, Room 509. (Related to: Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square)

September 25
6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 
The Earth Institute
2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21): What to expect and what should follow?
Laurence Tubiana (SIPA) and Scott Barrett (The Earth Institute) will discuss the expectations, hopes, and possible outcomes of the upcoming climate negotiations at the UN’s Climate Change Conference in December. RSVP here. Morningside Campus, Buell Hall. (Related to: Global, Climate Change) 

September 29
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
School of Nursing Alumni Association
New York Times Columnist Theresa Brown in Conversation with Dean Berkowitz
Brown will read from her newly published book, The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ Lives, followed by a discussion with Dean Bobbie Berkowitz, with a reception to close. Register here. Faculty Club.

6 p.m. – 9 p.m. 
Columbia Entrepreneurship
Sports, the Digital Bellwether
The first live televised sporting event in the U.S. took place on May 17, 1939 at Baker Field. Since then, innovations in TV delivery continue to change the viewer experience and social media is fostering new relationships among athletes, leagues, and fans. Big League digital innovators of the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB will be in conversation with NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern ’66LAW. Purchase tickets here. If alumni relations and development officers would like to use this event as an engagement opportunity, please contact Christopher McGarry at [email protected] to request complimentary tickets. 125 W. 18th Street, Metropolitan Pavilion.

Events are now tagged where appropriate with University-wide Big Ideas: Precision Medicine, Global, Climate Change, Data and Society, Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square, and the Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience. Through Big Ideas, faculty and students from multiple schools and campuses collaborate for transformative impact, addressing major issues of our time.

For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

Can we agree on climate? Should we agree on Iran? New views of Nina Simone, Rembrandt, and the latest Miller Theatre mural—all in the weeks ahead. Be sure to share your event stories here or by writing us!

September 10
6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 
European Institute | Wallach Art Gallery
Exhibition and Reception: Rembrandt’s Changing Impressions
Rembrandt manipulated his copperplates in unprecedented ways to achieve printed images that were often in flux. This exhibition will highlight 18 of his most notable prints (on view through December 12). Wallach Art Gallery, Schermerhorn Hall, 8th floor.

September 10
12:15 p.m. – 2 p.m.
SIPA | Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies
The Iran Agreement: Good Deal, Bad Deal, or No Deal?
A panel discussion on the pros, cons, ins, and outs of the Iran deal, featuring Richard Betts, director of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies; Stuart Gottlieb, adjunct professor of international and public affairs; Robert Jervis, the Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Politics; Richard Nephew, program director at the Center on Global Energy Policy; and Gary Sick, adjunct professor. RSVP here. International Affairs Building, Room 1501. (Related to: Global)

September 15 
5 p.m.
School of the Arts | Miller Theatre
Artist Talk and Reception with Scherezade Garcia: In Transit/Liquid Highway
This year’s site-specific mural in the lobby of Miller Theatre is Scherezade Garcia’s In Transit/Liquid Highway. Garcia will joined by Deborah Cullen, director and chief curator at the Wallach Art Gallery, to discuss her process and influences, the relationship between New York and the Dominican Republic, and the strong role of women in Dominican art. Miller Theatre. (Related to: Just Societies, Global, 21st Century Public Square)

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Columbia University
Columbia Global Reports Launch
This program, entitled “The Big Problem from the Financial Crisis that Still Isn’t Fixed,” celebrates the founding of Columbia Global Reports and the release of the publishing imprint’s first book, Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants. Author Bethany McLean will join hedge fund manager William Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management and former Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines in a conversation moderated by Columbia Global Reports director and journalism dean emeritus Nicholas Lemann. Opening remarks by President Lee Bollinger. RSVP here (new link). Low Memorial Library, Rotunda. (Related to: Global, 21st Century Public Square) (Reminder)
 
September 16
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
The Earth Institute
2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21): What to expect and what should follow?
Laurence Tubiana (SIPA) and Scott Barrett (The Earth Institute) will discuss the expectations, hopes, and possible outcomes of the upcoming climate negotiations in the UN’s Climate Change Conference in December 2015. Register here. Morningside Campus, Buell Hall. (Related to: Global, Climate Change)
 
September 18
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. 
Columbia University
Film Fridays: What Happened, Miss Simone?
Kicking off Film Fridays with a documentary on the life of legendary musician and civil rights activist, Nina Simone, including never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage together with her most memorable songs. Followed by a Q&A with Oscar nominated director, Liz Garbus. Please contact  MaryAnn Talavera at 212-854-5047 for more information. Pulitzer Hall, Lecture Hall. (Related to: Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square)

September 21
12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. 
Columbia Law School | School of International and Public Affairs
Meeting China’s Climate Goals
Before the UN’s Climate Change Conference in December 2015, this event will look at the opportunities and challenges China faces in meeting its climate goals. Speakers include Valerie Karplus (MIT); Zhu Liu (Harvard); Kelly Sims Gallagher (Tufts); and David Sandalow, former acting undersecretary of energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Registration required here. Faculty House, Seminar Room, 2nd floor. (Related to: Global, Climate Change)

Events are now tagged where appropriate with University-wide Big Ideas: Precision Medicine, Global, Climate Change, Big Data, Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square, and the Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience. Through Big Ideas, faculty and students from multiple schools and campuses collaborate for transformative impact, addressing major issues of our time.

For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

And so the fall semester arrives, in all its cornucopic splendor, as Columbians take on social memory and activism, sustainable development, brain health, and lighting up the Morningside night. Enjoy the picks – campus and NYC events of high general interest – and invite alumni, donors, and prospects. Be sure to share your event stories here or by writing us!

September 10
9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Center for the Study of Social Difference | Women Creating Change
Women Mobilizing Memory: Collaboration and Co-Resistance
This international conference will analyze strategies by which artists, scholars, and activists have succeeded in mobilizing the memory of political and social violence to promote social justice and a democratic future. Roundtables will address protest actions and their efficacy, ranging from the “Saturday Mothers” to “Black Lives Matter”; strategies for mobilizing political action around memory sites in Santiago, Istanbul, and New York; and how lives touched by political violence can be reanimated through writing and art. Conference and public art exhibition details here. Buell Hall, East Gallery. (Related to: Just Societies, Global, 21st Century Public Square)

Also see the September 8 Women Mobilizing Memory art exhibition Collaborative Archives: Connective Histories with an artists’ roundtable moderated by Carol Becker, dean of the School of the Arts.

September 15        
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Columbia University
Columbia Global Reports Launch
Celebrate the founding of Columbia Global Reports and the release of the program’s first book, Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants. Author Bethany McLean will join hedge fund manager William Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management and former Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines in a conversation moderated by Columbia Global Reports director and journalism dean emeritus Nicholas Lemann, with opening remarks by President Bollinger. RSVP here (login required). Low Memorial Library, Rotunda. (Related to: Global, 21st Century Public Square)

September 16
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Mailman School of Public Health
What Does it Take to Ensure Population Health?
Join Dean Linda P. Fried for Dean’s Grand Rounds with Jay Walker, Priceline founder and chairman of TEDMED, a global community of people from every field who focus on unlocking imagination in service of health and medicine. Broadcast live online: participate using #FuturePublicHealth on Twitter. Alumni Auditorium, 650 West, 168th Street.

September 17
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zuckerman Institute
Heading Off Damage: New Insights in Traumatic Brain Injury
How does brain damage happen? What effects can it have in the days afterward? What are the long-term consequences to the health of the brain? Barclay Morrison III, associate professor of biomedical engineering, will explore these questions as part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lectures. RSVP here. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard. (Related to: Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience)

September 23 – 24
Earth Institute
International Conference on Sustainable Development
This conference will aim to identify and share practical solutions that can support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will be agreed upon at the United Nations following the conference. Speakers include Peter Bakker, president of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development; Femi Oke, journalist; Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland; Johan Rockstrom, director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre; and Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute. Register here. Alfred J. Lerner Hall. (Related to: Global, Climate Change, Just Societies)

Also see the September 23 event Music for a Sustainable Planet, a musical interpretation of Climate Change, featuring The Kronos Quartet, ÆON Music Ensemble, and Vladislav Boguinia premiering a piece inspired by data revealing the state of our oceans. Purchase tickets here.

September 19 – 26
School of the Arts
Morningside Lights: New York Nocturne
A week of free community arts workshops culminates in a procession of handmade lanterns inspired by New York City after dark. See the schedule of daily lantern-building workshops here. Illuminated procession on September 26 at 8 p.m. Morningside Park, 116th Street and Morningside Avenue.

Events are now tagged where appropriate with University-wide Big Ideas: Precision Medicine, Global, Climate Change, Big Data, Just Societies, 21st Century Public Square, and the Zuckerman Institute and the Future of Neuroscience. Through Big Ideas, faculty and students from multiple schools and campuses collaborate for transformative impact, addressing major issues of our time.

For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. We always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

June 26 – 27
The Heyman Center for the Humanities | Morningside Opera | Harlem Opera Theater | The Harlem Chamber Players
Restaging the Harlem Renaissance
A collaborative concert performance of the 1914 opera, Voodoo, by composer-librettist Harry Lawrence Freeman (purchase opera tickets here).Voodoo is at the heart of this two-day conference on African-American performing arts with panel topics on Harlem Renaissance Opera, Aesthetics, and Theater, including an exhibit of Freeman’s manuscript of Voodoo in Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library. List of speakers and schedule here. RSVP at [email protected]. Butler Library, Rooms 522 and 523.

Also see the June 28 Walking Tour: Harry Lawrence Freeman’s Harlem—High Art from Common Ground, led by Eric K. Washington, local historian and a fellow in Columbia’s Community Scholars Program. Purchase tickets here.

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events!