A HIGHER DEGREE OF INTEREST…Commencement season, Class Day speakers and the usual Columbia mind-boggle.

Commencement is May 20. See honorary degree recipients, CAA Alumni Medalists, and other honorees here.

Class Day Speaker Highlights

Here are a few notables among the many inspiring Class Day speakers. Some Class Days require tickets and seating will be limited, so check School listings.

US permanent representative to the UN Samantha Power and honorees Simi Linton, Nadia Lopez, and Diana Nyad, champion long-distance swimmer. Barnard College. May 17 at 2 p.m.

University Trustee, high-tech entrepreneur, and venture capitalist Benjamin Horowitz. Engineering School. May 18 at 5 p.m.

LA mayor Eric Garcetti. Columbia College. May 19 at 9:30 a.m.

New Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer. Graduate School of Journalism. May 19 at 10 a.m.

House of Cards creator Beau Willimon. School of the Arts. May 20 at 2 p.m.

US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy. School of International and Public Affairs. May 21 at 3:30 p.m.

May 1–7
School of the Arts
Columbia University Film Festival
A week of screenings, screenplay and teleplay readings, and special panels. Panel topics include film studies past, present, and future; DIY comedy; and a live creative pitch competition. Purchase tickets here.165 West 65th Street, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater. (Reminder)

May 6
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Kavli Institute for Brain Science | Zuckerman Institute
Getting Beyond a Blind Date with Science
Alan Alda, co-founder of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, will draw on personal experiences, including his years as host of the TV series Scientific American Frontiers, to explore why it is important for scientists, engineers, and health professionals to communicate effectively with the public. Introduction by Eric Kandel, co-director of the Zuckerman Institute. RSVP here. Miller Theatre.

May 7
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Graduate School of Journalism
Report Launch: The Traffic Factories
How do analytics shape newsroom culture, internal dynamics, and daily work? How can publications create a culture around metrics that aligns with their organizational mission and values? Caitlin Petre explores these questions via ethnographic research on Chartbeat, Gawker Media, and the New York Times. RSVP here.  Graduate School of Journalism, Brown Institute for Media Innovation.

May 7
1:15 p.m.
The Heyman Center for the Humanities
Teaching from the Archive of Women’s Incarceration
How do we teach the history of imprisonment in the United States when mass incarceration continues to shape our current social landscape? Emily Hainze will speak about a curriculum project she is developing in partnership with the Prison Public Memory Project, a non-profit dedicated to recovering, preserving, and interpreting the historical artifacts and cultural memory of prisons. The Heyman Center, Common Room, second floor.

May 8
12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
The Heyman Center for the Humanities
The Social, Legal, and Political Life of Money
Authors Joel Kaye (Barnard, history), Christine Desan (Harvard, law), Rebecca Spang (Indiana University, history), and Nigel Dodd (London School of Economics and Political Science, sociology) will share insights from their research on the legal determination of money, the political instrumentality of money, and the transformative power of a redefinition of money. The Heyman Center, Common Room, second floor.

May 14 – 15 
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
School of International and Public Affairs
Conference on Internet Governance and Cyber-security
Academics, policy makers, entrepreneurs, technologists, and corporate executives will discuss the critical Internet policy issues both within nations and globally. Research by the Global Commission on Internet Governance (GCIG) as well as Columbia faculty will be displayed. Register here. 1161 Amsterdam Avenue, The Italian Academy. (Reminder)

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

Finals are coming, but the programming never ends….

April 28
6 p.m.
Graduate School of Journalism | Brown Institute for Media Innovation
Photography, Expanded: Digital Interventions
With the widespread popularity of photo-sharing platforms like Instagram, how can image-based interventions inform, activate, and strengthen communities, not only on social media, but also in the physical world? Such questions will be explored by Lance Weiler, co-founder of the Columbia Digital Storytelling Lab and director of Experiential Learning and Applied Creativity; Lina Srivastava, co-founder of Regarding Humanity; Jonathan Harris, founder of Cowbird; Christopher Allen, founder of UnionDocs Center for Documentary Arts; and moderator Chris Boot, executive director of Aperture Foundation. RSVP here. 547 W. 27th Street, Aperture Gallery and Bookstore.

Also see the April 30 event on Curating Digital Photography with Susan Meiselas, Magnum photographer and president of the Magnum Foundation, and Yukiko Yamagata, associate director of the Open Society Foundation’s Documentary Photography Project. RSVP here.

May 1–7
School of the Arts
Columbia University Film Festival
A week of screenings, screenplay and teleplay readings, and special panels. Panel topics include film studies past, present, and future; DIY comedy; and a live creative pitch competition. Purchase tickets here. 165 West 65th Street, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater. (Reminder)

May 5
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Mailman School of Public Health
Precision Medicine or Population Health
This discussion explores the meaning of precision medicine and population health and their roles in the well-being of people around the world. Speakers include Tom Maniatis, Isidore S. Edelman Professor of Biochemistry and director of the Columbia Precision Medicine Initiative; David Goldstein, professor and director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine; Ronald Bayer, professor and co-director of the Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health; Wendy K. Chung, Herbert Irving Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Jessica Justman, associate professor of medicine in epidemiology; Ezra Susser, professor and director of the Imprints Center for Genetic and Environmental Lifecourse Studies. Moderated by Wafaa El-Sadr, director of the Global Health Initiative. CUMC, Allan Rosenfield Building, Hess Commons.

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
The Heyman Center for the Humanities |Center for Contemporary Critical Thought
Digits and Treasuries: How to Address the Fiscal Challenges of the Digital Economy
The digital revolution has given rise to a digital economy that challenges our concept of value creation. Startups and global companies are bringing radical transformation to all sectors of the economy. Pierre Collin, former chief adviser of the French minister for economy and finance; Martin Collet, former French minister of justice and former president of the French Constitutional Counsel; and François Ewald, professor emeritus at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers will discuss how countries might regain the power to tax profits earned by digital economy companies. Maison Française, Buell Hall, East Gallery.

May 6
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Earth Institute
Extreme Weather and Climate: Hazards, Impacts, Actions
Speakers from across the University will provide an interdisciplinary perspective on extreme weather and climate. Discussions will range in topics, including hurricanes, droughts, disease transmission, and energy resilience. Introduction by Adam Sobel, professor of applied physics and applied mathematics and of earth and environmental sciences. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration required. Lerner Hall, Room 555. (Reminder)

May 14 – 15
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
School of International and Public Affairs
Conference on Internet Governance and Cyber-security
Academics, policy makers, entrepreneurs, technologists, and corporate executives will discuss the critical internet policy issues both within nations and globally. Research by the Global Commission on Internet Governance (GCIG) as well as Columbia faculty will be displayed. Register here. 1161 Amsterdam Avenue, The Italian Academy.

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

James Baldwin’s essays, Columbians in film, fighting corruption, guiding energy policy, grasping climate change, and what marshmallows tell us about self-control and the brain—such is the bounty of a Columbia spring!

This week, especially for us: Picking Partner Susan Woolhandler enlightened us about the Rabi-Warner Concert Series, a noon-hour classical music series at the Faculty House sponsored by the Office of the Provost. The last spring concert takes place on April 29 with members of the Juilliard School of Music Chamber Music program. Interested in being a Picking Partner? E-mail [email protected].

April 23
6:30 p.m.
School of the Arts
Phillip Lopate and Kiese Laymon in Conversation: Notes of a Native Son
James Baldwin’s debut collection of essays, Notes of a Native Son, announced him as a major force in the genre of the American essay. The volume remains a resonant analysis of subjects at once literary and political. Phillip Lopate, essayist and School of the Arts professor, and Kiese Laymon, novelist and Vassar College professor, will discuss the significance of Notes and Baldwin’s exceptional career as a non-fiction writer. Introduction by Imani Perry, professor at the Center for African American Studies, Princeton University. RSVP here. Teachers College,125 Zankel Building, Milbank Chapel.

April 23–25
Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity
Global Cities: Joining Forces Against Corruption
High-level officials from cities around the world discuss the challenges of fighting municipal corruption and share successful strategies. Speakers include Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa, mayor of Mexico City; Georgios Kaminis, mayor of Athens; Lev Pidlisetskyy, member of the Ukrainian Parliament; and Mark Peters, commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation. Register here. Columbia Law School, Jerome Greene Hall, Room 106.

April 28
1:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Center on Global Energy Policy
2015 Columbia Global Energy Summit
Plenary conversations with senior energy sector leaders focused on key issues and questions at the intersection of energy policy, financial markets, the environment, and geopolitics. Speakers include Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper; Jason Furman, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers at the White House; Sheikh Nawaf S. Al-Sabah, CEO at Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company; Jason Bordoff, director of the Center on Global Energy Policy; Peter Kagan, managing director of energy at Warburg Pincus; and Charif Souki, CEO at Cheniere Energy. Register here. Low Memorial Library. (Reminder)

April 30
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The Earth Institute
Writing about Global Science for the International Media
Naomi Oreskes, co-author of Merchants of Doubt, will discuss how advertising, marketing, and economics have come to dominate public policy debates on science matters such as climate change, ozone depletion, acid rain, and even tobacco use. Oreskes is one of more than a dozen scientists working on climate change issuesinterviewed for the May edition of More magazine. Introduction by Lesley Jane Seymour, editor in chief of More magazine. Registration required. Hamilton Hall, Room 516.

May 1–7
School of the Arts
Columbia University Film Festival
A week-long program of screenings, screenplay and teleplay readings, and special panels. Panel topics include film studies in the past, present, and future; DIY comedy; and a live creative pitch competition. Program and schedule here. Tickets available Tuesday, April 21. Purchase here. 165 West 65th Street, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater.

May 5
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zuckerman Institute
How Mind and Brain Enable Self-Control: The Marshmallow Test and Beyond
Why is it so hard to resist temptation? What makes it easier? Psychologist Walter Mischel’s research on how preschoolers manage to wait for two marshmallows later rather than settle for just one immediately has illuminated the mechanisms that enable willpower. Mischel will examine the personal and public policy implications of the marshmallow experiments and the mind and brain mechanisms that allow us to overcome “the weakness of the will.” RSVP here. 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

May 6
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Earth Institute
Extreme Weather and Climate: Hazards, Impacts, Actions
Speakers from across the University will provide an interdisciplinary perspective on extreme weather and climate. Discussions will range in topics, including hurricanes, droughts, disease transmission, and energy resilience. Introduction by Adam Sobel, professor of applied physics and applied mathematics and of Earth and environmental sciences. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration required. Lerner Hall, Room 555.

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. 

A Lion’s dozen in our high season. And many more this week—check out Picks 15.12.

April 14
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Columbia Journalism School
Is Freedom a Mental State?
Tim Wu, the Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, discusses cognitive liberty with Nita A. Farahany, director of Duke University’s Science and Society program; Michael Shadlen, professor of neuroscience; and an introduction by Steve Coll, dean of Columbia Journalism School. Reception to follow. RSVP is required at [email protected]. Pulitzer Hall, Lecture Hall.

April 15
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
University Programs and Events | Center on Global Economic Governance
Europe: The Current Situation and the Way Forward
This World Leaders Forum program features an address by Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s federal minister of finance; SIPA Dean Merit E. Janow; and Provost John Coatsworth. Followed by a panel discussion with Alessandra Casella, professor of economics; Edmund S. Phelps, 2006 Nobel laureate in economics and director of center on capitalism and society; and Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2001 Nobel laureate in economics and University Professor. International Affairs Building, The Kellogg Center.

April 17
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Center on Global Economic Governance
Inequality and Polarization
The past 50 years have witnessed continuing increases in economic inequality and in political polarization. Howard Rosenthal, Joseph E. Stiglitz, Sharyn O’Halloran, Wojciech Kopczuk, and Jan Svejnar address related factors including ideology, immigration, changing labor markets, technology, finance, the media, gerrymandering, and the electoral process. RSVP here. International Affairs Building, Room 1501.

April 19
8 p.m.
Columbia Music Performance Program
Jazz Ensembles Performance Featuring Armen Donelian
Armen Donelian ’72CC, pianist, Fulbright Scholar, and leader of master classes at international conservatories will perform. Directed by Chris Washburne, associate professor of music and director of Columbia’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program. 1161 Amsterdam Ave, The Italian Academy.

April 22 
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Engineering
The Engineering in Medicine
This symposium will address four key areas of discovery and innovation where engineering meets medicine: data and health; imaging and health; regenerative medicine; and neuroengineering. Discussants include: School of Engineering Dean Mary C. Boyce; Jingyue Ju, Samuel Ruben-Peter G. Viele Professor of Engineering; Andrew Laine, Percy K. and Vida L. W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering and professor of radiology; and Matthew Bacchetta, director of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program. Register here. Low Memorial Library, Rotunda. (Reminder)

April 23
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
School of Continuing Education
An Inside Look at Columbia’s Endowment
N.P. Narvekar, president and CEO of Columbia Investment Management Company (IMC), discusses Columbia University’s $9.2 billion endowment during this course lecture for the Master of Science in Fundraising Management program. RSVP here. Hamilton Hall, Room 516.

April 24
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Columbia Entrepreneurship
#StartupColumbia Festival
An entrepreneurship conference that brings together the Columbia, Barnard, and Manhattan entrepreneurial community in celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and the creation of new ventures. This year’s theme is “New York Innovation,” highlighting the industries that New York City is famous for in finance, advertising, media, real estate, and fashion.Keynote by Gotham Gal Ventures Founder Joanne Wilson. Visit here for a list of speakers. Register here. Barnard Hall, Diana Center, Oval Auditorium. (Reminder)

6:30 p.m.
The Italian Academy
Music of Sergei Prokofiev
This recital of rare works by Sergei Prokofiev, featuring soprano Erika Baikoff, pianists Sergei Dreznin and Barbara Nissman, celebrates the opening of the Prokofiev Archive at Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The musicians will be joined by members of the Prokofiev family. Pre-concert talk on the history of Prokofiev’s musical archives by Simon Morrison, Serge Prokofiev Foundation president and professor of music, Princeton University. Co-sponsored by the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Serge Prokofiev Foundation, the Italian Academy, and the Columbia Department of Music. 1161 Amsterdam Avenue, The Italian Academy.

April 24
5 p.m.
Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture
Experiencing the World of Japanese Noh Theater Dance
A pioneering woman in Noh theater, Hisa Uzawa has been named a “cultural treasure” by the Japanese government. In their New York debut, she and her daughter Hikaru will introduce the dynamics and techniques of the six-hundred-fifty year tradition of dance that lies at the heart of the Noh Theater. They will perform climactic dance sequences from four plays and present behind-the-scenes details of costume and choreography. Miller Theatre.

April 28
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Mailman School of Public Health
Transforming Health in America: Policies, Communications, and Social Change
Making major improvements in health in this country requires changing the culture. Thomas A. Farley, former commissioner of health for New York City, will discuss how a transformation of this magnitude can take place through mass communications, policy changes, and the interaction among them. 722 West 168th Street, Allan Rosenfield Building, Room 532 A/B.

1:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Center on Global Energy Policy
2015 Columbia Global Energy Summit
The Summit will include keynote remarks and plenary conversations with senior energy sector leaders focused on key issues and questions at the intersection of energy policy, financial markets, the environment, and geopolitics. Speakers include Jason Furman, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers at the White House; Sheikh Nawaf S. Al-Sabah, CEO, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company; Jason Bordoff, director of the Center on Global Energy Policy; Peter Kagan, managing director of energy at Warburg Pincus; and Charif Souki, CEO at Cheniere Energy. Register here. Low Memorial Library.

April 29
5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Oral History Master of Arts Program
Then, Now, Next: Oral History and Social Change
A multimedia interactive pop-up exhibition of stories in step with the city. Audience members will be invited to don headphones and dip into immersive community spaces. Among the exhibits: Church as Community: St. Augustine’s on the Lower East Side, a look at the vibrant African American community around St. Augustine’s Church on the Lower East Side; Word Up Community Bookshop Oral History Project, a pop-up recreation of Washington Heights’ volunteer-run bookstore allows you to browse books, enjoy music, writing, and photography from local artists, and consider the cultural significance of community bookstores in 2015; The Neighborhood Hair Salon, a simulation of the hair salon experience, with cloak, mirror, and comb. Refreshments will be served.Union Theological Seminary.

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

April is the fullest month….Check all calendars, and alert your volunteers, prospects, donors, and friends! Here are 10 brutally selective picks for the next few weeks.

April 10
12 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Conference: Housing the Majority
This symposium will explore the meaning of slums, the political agency of the constituents in informal housing arrangements, the future of urban life, and new processes of design in housing solutions for the majority. Participants include Amale Andraos, dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; Tatiana Bilbao, architect; Ramin Bahrani, filmmaker and SoA professor; Mamadou Diouf, Leitner Professor of African Studies; Safwan Masri, EVP for Global Centers and Global Development; University Professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak; and keynote speaker David Sims, political economist and author of Understanding Cairo: The Logic of a City Out of Control. Avery Hall, Wood Auditorium.

April 13
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. 
Columbia University Medical Center
Transforming the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Illness
Thomas R. Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, will share his knowledge of mental disorders and treatment. Insel is one of the leaders of the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) effort, a presidential initiative focused on developing new tools for understanding the brain. Reception to follow. CUMC Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st Floor.

April 14
6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Columbia University Libraries
From Single Vision to Four-Fold Vision: The Ever-Unfolding Merton
A lecture by Michael Higgins, vice president for mission and Catholic identity, Sacred Heart University. Followed by a viewing of the exhibition, Seasons of Celebration, on the life and legacy of the highly influential essayist, poet, and Trappist monk Thomas Merton ’38CC, ’39GSAS  drawn from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s Thomas Merton holdings. Butler Library, Room 523.

6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Barnard College
Beauty and Aging
In magazines, newspapers, and throughout social media, there is seemingly endless discussion about women’s response to aging. Often this response is categorized as a battle over cosmetics, diets, and surgery, but how do ideas of beauty and aging intersect and coexist? This discussion features Joanna Coles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan; Dayle Haddon, former supermodel and founder and CEO of WomenOne; Dr. Rhoda Narins, cosmetic dermatologist and clinical professor at NYU Langone Medical Center; and Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth. Moderated by Debora Spar, president of Barnard College. Barnard Hall, Diana Center, Oval Auditorium.

April 15
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Columbia University Medical Center
Bringing a Public Health Lens to Health Care Delivery
Mary Bassett, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and associate professor of clinical epidemiology, will speak as part of the Department of Medicine Special Grand Rounds Lecture series. RSVP here. CUMC Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st Floor.

April 20
6:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The Heyman Center
The Writing Lives Series Artist at the Center: Maxine Hong Kingston
Author Maxine Hong Kingston, best known for The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood, will read from her work and discuss her writing. Kingston has received the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature and the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Bill Clinton. Dorothy Ko, professor of history at Barnard College, and Marie Myung-Ok Lee, founder of the Asian American Writers Workshop, will serve as discussants. Pulitzer Hall, Room 301.

April 21
2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Center on Global Economic Governance
Book Talk: Whither the World: The Political Economy of the Future
Grzegorz W. Kolodko, professor of economics at Kozminski University in Warsaw and former
Polish deputy prime minister, will discuss his new book, Whither the World: The Political Economy of the Future, on mankind’s long-term future and the global economy. Kolodko will be in discussion with Edmund S. Phelps, director of Center on Capitalism and Society and a 2006 Nobel Prize winner in economics; Joseph E. Stiglitz, professor and author; and Jan Svejnar, director of the Center on Global Economic Governance. Register here. International Affairs Building, Room 1512.

April 22 
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Engineering
The Engineering in Medicine
This symposium will address four key areas of discovery and innovation where engineering meets medicine: data and health; imaging and health; regenerative medicine; and neuroengineering. Discussants include: Mary C. Boyce, dean of engineering; Jingyue Ju, Samuel Ruben-Peter G. Viele Professor of Engineering; Andrew Laine, Percy K. and Vida L. W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering and professor of radiology; and Matthew Bacchetta, director of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program. Register here. Low Memorial Library, Rotunda.

April 24
8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Columbia Entrepreneurship
#StartupColumbia Festival
A two-day entrepreneurship conference that brings together the Columbia, Barnard, and Manhattan entrepreneurial community in celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and the creation of new ventures. This year’s theme is “New York Innovation,” highlighting the industries that New York City is famous for in finance, advertising, media, real estate, and fashion. Keynote by Gotham Gal Ventures Founder Joanne Wilson. Visit here for a list of speakers. Purchase tickets here. Barnard Hall, Diana Center, Oval Auditorium.

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events!

Cancer breakthroughs on the little screen, climate change and nuclear power on the big, conversations with acclaimed choreographers, the independence of comics, and the responsibilities of capitalism—check all calendars, it’s full-blown spring!

March 30 – 31, April 1
9 – 11 p.m.
TV Broadcast Pick
Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies
Airing tonight – the beginning of a three-part documentary on PBS by executive producer Ken Burns and director Barak Goodman (’86JRN). The series is based on the 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, assistant professor of medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center. The series tells the story of cancer knowledge and treatment and the dawn of an era in which cancer may become a chronic or curable illness. (Reminder)

April 7
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Maison Française
Beyond Piketty (and Before the Deluge): Natural Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century is a major contribution to economics, economic history, and our understanding of fundamental social and political issues we face today. A panel including Claude Henry, professor of sustainable development and president of the Scientific Council of IDDRI; Geoffrey Heal, the Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise at the Business School; and Peter Kelemen, chair of the department of earth and environmental sciences will discuss natural capital that will shape the future of mankind. Buell Hall, East Gallery.

April 8
7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Columbia Coalition for Sustainable Development | Ferris Reel Film Society
Next Generation Nuclear Power, the Solution to Climate Change?
A screening of the film Pandora’s Promise by academy award nominated director Robert Stone. Followed by a discussion on nuclear energy between Stone; Andy Revkin, New York Times writer; Gernot Wagner, lead senior economist at the Environmental Defense Fund; and a keynote speech by Bill Nye. Purchase tickets here. Lerner Hall, Roone Arledge Auditorium.

April 9
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
School of the Arts
Story/Time: Conversation with Bill T. Jones and Carol Becker
Acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and director Bill T. Jones reflects on his art and life as he discusses with Dean Carol Becker the genesis of Story/Time, a recent dance work and now book, inspired by the modernist composer and performer John Cage. Moderated by Rich Blint. RSVP here. International Affairs Building, Altschul Auditorium.

April 13 – The day everything happens…
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.  
Columbia University Medical Center
Transforming the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Illness
As part of the Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Professorship program, Thomas R. Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, will share his knowledge of mental disorders and treatment. Reception to follow. CUMC Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st Floor.

6:30 p.m.
Barnard College
Twyla Tharp on Dance
A discussion with Twyla Tharp, artist and Barnard alumna, the Distinguished Guest Artist for 2014-2015 at Barnard College. Tharp has created more than 160 works ranging from concert, television, and Broadway dances to best-selling books. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Tony Award and two Emmy Awards. RSVP here. 305 Barnard Hall.

6 p.m.
Columbia University Libraries
Comics, Underground and Above: The Story of Kitchen Sink Press
A panel discussion with comics scholar Jim Danky, Denis Kitchen, Howard Cruse, Maggie Galvan, and David Hajdu, on the seminal forces in independent comics. In honor of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library’s acquisition of the Kitchen Sink Press archives. Reception to follow. Butler Library, Room 523.

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events! 

April is a taxing month on several ways, one of those times when everything happens at Columbia, so check all calendars, including those on our DIY Picks list. A highly selective gleaning follows, with speakers ranging from Jeffrey Sachs to Colm Tóibín to Joel Klein on saving our schools. 

March 30
6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
School of Continuing Education
What is a Moral University in the 21st Century?
Universities today face a myriad of ethical challenges concerning issues from high tuition and overseas investments to sexual assault and scientific fraud. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute, will lead the discussion. RSVP here. Hamilton Hall, Room 517.

March 31
6 – 9 p.m.
Columbia Business School
Green Business Summit on Sustainable Food
In the face of rising demand and environmental constraints, how will food supply chains and consumer tastes need to change? What are innovative companies doing to lead that change and capture new opportunities? A panel discussion with representatives from Chipotle, Whole Foods, Six Foods, Local Food Lab, and more. Keynote speech by Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown. Followed by a reception with food and drinks. Purchase tickets here. Hepburn Lounge, Uris Hall, 1st Floor.

April 6
6 – 7 p.m.
Columbia University Medical Center/Columbia University Bookstore
The Ethics Police?: Book Discussion and Signing
Dr. Robert Klitzman, professor of psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center will discuss and sign copies of his new book The Ethics Police?: The Struggle to Make Human Research Safe. In his book, Klitzman examines the morality of morality, at how the bodies set up to protect research subjects can end up injuring us all. Columbia University Bookstore, 2922 Broadway.

April 7
6:15 p.m.
Heyman Center for the Humanities
States of Division: Borders and Boundary-Formation in the Cold War and Beyond
This panel brings together experts on historical and current border and conflict zones in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, including Mark Mazower, director and chair of the Heyman Center; Sagi Schaefer, assistant professor of modern European history at Tel-Aviv University; Charles K. Armstrong, Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies in the Social Sciences; and George Gavrilis, author and consultant. The Heyman Center, Common Room, 2nd Floor.

7 p.m.
School of the Arts
Russell Banks and Caryl Phillips in Conversation: Giovanni’s Room
Acclaimed authors Russell Banks and Caryl Phillips explore James Baldwin’s second novel, Giovanni’s Room, on the perils and necessity of the human connection, the dangers of American innocence, and the experiential torment that too often accompanies the label of homosexuality. Introduction by Mary Gordon, Millicent C. McIntosh Professor in English and Writing. RSVP here. Barnard College, 418 Barnard Hall, the James Room.

April 9
6:15 p.m.
Heyman Center for the Humanities
Colm Tóibín and Roy Foster in Conversation
Renowned author Colm Tóibín and Roy Foster, professor of Irish history, will discuss subjects addressed in their upcoming works, both set in Ireland. Tóibín’s new novel Nora Webster dramatizes the life of a woman and her family in a small town in Ireland in the late 1960s. Fintan O’Toole, author and literary editor of The Irish Times, will serve as moderator. Barnard Hall, Sulzberger Parlor.

April 13
6 – 8 p.m.
Graduate School of Journalism
Lessons of Hope: How to Fix Our Schools
Former Chancellor of the New York City Board of Education, Joel Klein (’67CC), will be introducing his new book Lessons of Hope: How to Fix Our Schools. Klein will be in discussion with Steve Coll, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism. Reception to follow. RSVP here. Graduate School of Journalism, Pulitzer Hall, 3rd Floor.

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events! 

Precision medicine, finance and carbon, Robinson’s Lila, antibiotics in history, presidential prerogatives, and a neuroscience fair—two weeks to feed and explore your brain.

March 18
2 – 5 p.m.
Zuckerman Institute
Community Brain Expo
Celebrate Brain Awareness Week with the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. The public, family, and friends are invited to test, trick, and learn about their brain with demonstrations by scientists. Space is limited. RSVP here. New York State Psychiatric Institute, Main Lobby, 40 Haven Avenue.

March 19
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Columbia University Medical Center
Genes, Genomes, and the Future of Medicine
Richard P. Lifton, Sterling Professor of Genetics and Internal Medicine and chair of the department of genetics at the Yale School of Medicine, will speak as part of the Distinguished Lectures in Precision Medicine series. Open to Columbia students, faculty, and staff. Reception to follow. CUMC Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st Floor.

March 23
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Center on Global Energy Policy
The Transition to a Low-Carbon Future: Can it be Financed?
What can we learn from past technological revolutions when state programs and financial speculation combined to mobilize capital at an enormous scale? Are past patterns of investment relevant to the challenge of addressing climate change? William “Bill” Janeway, senior advisor at Warburg Pincus, will lead the discussion, with a panel including Dr. Kristina Johnson, co-founder, chairwoman and CEO of Enduring Hydro. RSVP required. International Affairs Building, Room 1501.

March 30
6 p.m.
Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library
The Antibiotic Era: Reform, Resistance and the Pursuit of a Rational Therapeutics
During the post–World War II “wonder drug” revolution, antibiotics were viewed as a panacea for mastering infectious disease. Physician-historian Scott H. Podolsky will discuss the history of antibiotics, focusing particularly on reform efforts that attempted to fundamentally change how antibiotics are developed and prescribed. Refreshments served at 5:30 p.m. Russ Berrie Pavilion, Room 1.

6:15 p.m.
The Heyman Center
The Writing Lives Series: A Reading and Discussion with Marilynne Robinson
An evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson, recipient of a 2012 National Humanities Medal awarded by President Obama. Robinson will read from her recent book, Lila, and be in discussion with Unitarian Minister, Robert Hardies. Moderated by Alexander Chee, author of The Queen of the Night. Pulitzer Hall, Room 301.

9 – 11 p.m.
TV Broadcast Pick
Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies
The beginning of a three-part documentary on the PBS channel. Presented by Filmmaker Ken Burns and Producer Barak Goodman (’86JRN). The series is based on the 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, assistant professor of medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center. This bibliographical series features the current status of cancer knowledge and treatment —the dawn of an era in which cancer may become a chronic or curable illness rather than its historic death sentence in some forms.

March 31
6:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
Columbia Business School | Columbia Law School
Debate: The President’s Constitutional Authority
President Obama has launched a sustained, long-term military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. But did he have constitutional power to do so? This debate will include Gene Healy, vice president of the Cato Institute and author of False Idol; Professor Philip Bobbitt (law); Deborah Pearlstein, assistant professor at Cardozo Law; Jake Sullivan, lecturer at Yale Law; and moderated by John Donovan, author and correspondent for ABC News. Purchase tickets here. Miller Theater. (Reminder)

Picks are campus or NYC events of high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. By design, regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. I always appreciate hearing from you about future events! 

So much more than the season is changing. This set of Picks tries to keep pace and keep the peace. Don’t miss the essay conference with masters of nonfiction. And a DIY Picks Tip: check out SIPA’s alumni events calendar, two weeks full of program covering global affairs around the world.  Visit here…

March 12-14
Columbia University Medical Center
“The Tempest” by William Shakespeare
This production draws on the creativity and skills of students and faculty from all corners of the Medical Center campus. Please contact [email protected] for more information. Tickets are $10 at the door. CUMC Alumni Auditorium, 650 West 168th Street, 1st Floor.

March 24
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Graduate School of Journalism
Disruptive Power: The Crisis of the State in the Digital Age
Taylor Owen will discuss his new book, Disruptive Power, which provides a look at the way that digital communication technologies has given rise to a 21st century global actor – changing the workings of the institutions that have traditionally controlled international affairs. Followed by a panel discussion. RSVP here. Graduate School of Journalism, Brown Institute for Media Innovation.

March 26
11 a.m. – 7:45 p.m.
The Earth Institute
Sustaining Peace Conference
This event, sponsored by the Earth Institute’s Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity, brings together members from conflict and peace communities and from the greater Columbia community to explore what it means to identify and foster the conditions for achieving sustainable peace – locally and globally. Keynote speakers include: Peter T. Coleman, director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution; Aldo Civico, co-director of the International Institute for Peace at Rutgers University; Armando Geller, co-founder of Scensei; Beth Fisher-Yoshida, academic director of the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program, among others. Registration required. Teachers College, Everett Lounge.

March 28 – 29
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
School of the Arts Writing
Stalking the Essay: A Two-Day Conference
The conference, which includes many of the most influential nonfiction writers of our time, will attempt to develop a methodology for understanding the essay as an enduring, transformative, endearing, and essential creative expression. Organized by the head of the School of the Arts nonfiction program leading essayist and College alumnus, Phillip Lopate, with a variety of participants, including Hilton Als, Roz Chast, Meghan Daum, Margo Jefferson, Maira Kalman, Laura Kipnis, Jonathan Lethem, and Marilynne Robinson.  Registration is now closed but walk-ins are welcome. The Italian Academy, 1161 Amsterdam Avenue.

March 31
6:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
Columbia Business School | Columbia Law School
Debate: The President’s Constitutional Authority
President Obama has launched a sustained, long-term military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. But did he have constitutional power to do so? This debate will include Gene Healy, vice president of the Cato Institute and author of False Idol; Professor Philip Bobbitt (law); Deborah Pearlstein, assistant professor at Cardozo Law; Jake Sullivan, lecturer at Yale Law; and moderated by John Donovan, author and correspondent for ABC News. Purchase tickets here. Miller Theater.

April 1 – Springin’ forward!
6:10 p.m. – 7 p.m.
The Earth Institute
The Bicycle, Activism, and Sustainable Cities
A lecture on how low-carbon modes of transportation, including public transit, bicycling, and walking, yield environmental, economic, health, and social benefits. Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, will lead the discussion on the interplay among environmental and non-environmental issues in advancing sustainability, as well as the ways in which advocacy and activism can be used to change cities. RSVP required. Havemeyer Hall, Room 209.

Highlighted above are campus or NYC events of possible high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. This listing is highly selective by design — regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. As always, I appreciate hearing from you about future events!

Galapagoan finches, writing and the body, ethics and epidemics, race and justice — picks that explore where we came from, who we are, and where we can go next…

Correction: Please note that “Improvisation in the Sciences” is taking place on March 10, not March 4 as previously listed. 

March 3
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zuckerman Institute
In Darwin’s Footsteps: Witnessing the Origin of a New Species in the Galapagos
Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Weiner tells of a team of biologists that has been observing the evolution of Darwin’s finches on a desert island in the center of the Galapagos archipelago for more than forty years. Their work throws light on many aspects of the science of life — including the science of the brain. The lecture is part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series. Register here. Graduate School of Journalism, Lecture Hall. (Reminder) 

March 4
6 p.m.
Columbia University Medical Center
Writing the Body: Discovering the History of Exercise with Bill Hayes
Science writer and memoirist Bill Hayes spent a year studying alongside medical students for his book The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray’s Anatomy and is now at work on a history of exercise. Hayes will discuss his varying approaches to writing about the human body. Refreshments at 5:30 p.m. Russ Berrie Pavilion, Room 1, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue at West 168th Street.

March 10
6:15 p.m.
Center for Justice | Heyman Center for the Humanities
The Justice Forum: Race and Justice – Past, Present, and Future
This roundtable examines the history of race-based injustices in America, how those practices have informed the criminal justice system today, and what implications they have for the future. Featuring Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; Glenn E. Martin, a national leader and criminal justice reform advocate and founder of JustLeadershipUSA; and moderated by the Dean of Social Science and Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies Alondra Nelson. Law School, Jerome Greene Hall, Room 104.

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Center for Jazz Studies
Improvisation in the Sciences
A discussion with Martin Chalfie (biological sciences), George Lewis (music), and Michael Shadlen (neuroscience), and Milind Gajanan Watve about the universality of the two themes in Romare Bearden’s Black Odyssey – art and life as improvisation, and the urge, need, and desire to return home. The discussion will explore how these creative concepts apply to scientific research. Register here. Earl Hall. (Reminder)

March 11
4 – 6 p.m.
The Earth Institute
Ethical Issues in Responding to a Global Disease Crisis – Ebola and Beyond
This seminar, which is part of the Sustainable Development Seminar Series, will explore the current Ebola crisis and generate lessons to guide future responses. With Robert Klitzman, MD, director, Ethics, Policy, and Human Rights Core; Irwin Redlener, MD, director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness and the program on child well-being and resilience; and Jeff Schlegelmilch, MPH, MBA, managing director for strategic planning and operations, National Center for Disaster Preparedness. RSVP required. Alfred J. Lerner Hall, Satow Room.

March 12 – last chance
6 – 8 p.m.
CAA Arts Access | Black Alumni Council (BAC)
Romare Bearden’s A Black Odyssey: Bridging Classical Mythology and African American Culture
A gallery tour and discussion on the exhibition Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey. Exhibition curator Dr. Robert O’Meally, (English and comparative literature) will be exploring the themes found in A Black Odyssey with Diedra Harris-Kelley, co-director of the Romare Bearden Foundation. Followed by a reception. Purchase tickets here. Wallach Art Gallery, Schermerhorn Hall, 8th Floor.

March 13
7:30 p.m.
Heyman Center for the Humanities
Art Spiegelman and Phillip Johnston: Wordless!
In his Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Maus, a moving father-son memoir about the Holocaust drawn with cats and mice, Art Spiegelman changed the definition of comics forever. In “Wordless!” — a new hybrid of slides, talk, and musical performance — he probes further into the nature and possibilities of his medium. Spiegelman, a historian and theorist of comics as well as an artist, collaborates with Phillip Johnston, the critically acclaimed jazz composer who wrote all-new scores performed live with his sextet. Purchase tickets here. Miller Theatre. (Reminder)

Highlighted above are campus or NYC events of possible high general interest to alumni, donors, and prospects. This listing is highly selective by design — regrettably, much more is omitted than featured. For RSVP, ticket availability, and other details, follow the links. As always, I appreciate hearing from you about future events!