Scholar Forums

Scholar Forums expose Scholars to policy makers, Columbia trustees and faculty members, alumni, high-level administrators, influential leaders and professionals while allowing them an appropriate setting to develop personal and constructive relationships with invited guests. To facilitate lively discussion and transformative dialogue, these dinners are limited in size. The Scholar Forums therefore serve to fulfill CUSP's goal of developing leadership within one' closest community-learning from leaders-in order to better serve the global community.

2008-2009

  • Owen Lewis, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University; Senior Vice President for Mental Health Services, Turnarou
  • Victoria Benitez, Senior Public Affairs Officer, Columbia University
  • Austin Quigley, PhD, Dean, Columbia College and Lucy G. Moses Professor; Associate Vice President, Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Education; Brander Matthews Professor of Dramatic Literature, Columbia University; Former President, National Association of Literary Scholars & Critics
  • Nadine Strossen, President, American Civil Liberties Union; Professor of Law, New York Law School
  • Julie Benello (BC '92), Co-Founder, Chicken and Egg Productions

2007-2008

  • Nilda Mesa, JD, Director of Environmental Stewardship, Columbia University; U.S. Delegate, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); Former appointee, Clinton-Gore Administration
  • Kenneth Forde, MD, Trustee, Columbia University; José M. Ferrer Chair in Surgery (1997-2006); Vice Chairman for External Affairs of the Department of Surgery, Columbia Medical Center
  • Geraldine Downey, PhD, Vice Provost for Diversity Initiatives,
    Columbia University; Director, Social Relations Laboratory, Columbia
    University; Professor of Psychology

2006-2007

  • Olati Johnson, Associate Professor, Columbia Law School; Kellis Parker Research Fellow; Former Counsel, Senator Kennedy, Senate Judiciary Committee; Former Assistant Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
  • Zvi Galil, Dean, Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science; President-elect, Tel Aviv University, Israel; Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Mathematical Methods and Computer Science; Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences; Member, National Academy of Engineers
  • Austin Quigley, Dean, Columbia College and Lucy G. Moses Professor; Associate Vice President for Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Education; Brander Matthews Professor of Dramatic Literature, Columbia University; Former President, National Association of Literary Scholars & Critics
  • Jesse Drucker, Staff reporter, Wall Street Journal; Former writer; The New York Observer; The Star-Ledger; and Salon.com
  • Peter Scotese, Retired Chief Executive Officer, Springs Industries; Former Director, Marshall and Illsey Bank; Former Chairman, Finance & Executive Committees, American Management Association; Founding Director & VP, Politecnico Internazionale della Moda in Florence, Italy
  • Mary Marshall Clark, Director, Columbia University Oral History Research Office; Founder, “The September 11, 2001 Oral History Narrative and Memory Project”; Distinguished Lecturer, Organization of American Historians; Former President, United States Oral History Association

2005-2006

  • Charles O’Byrne, Deputy Chief of Staff to NY State Senate Democratic Leader David A. Patterson; Vice President & Director, Kennedy Smith Foundation
  • Zaid A. Zaid (CLS ’07), Former Foreign Service Officer, Baghdad; Former staff assistant to David Welch, United States Embassy, Cairo
  • Mary Kelly Persyn (CLS ’07), member, CUSP Board of Advisors; President, Columbia Law School American Constitution Society (2005-2006); Editor in Chief, Columbia Human Rights Law Review (2006-2007)
  • Ian Eslick, Founding President, Silicon Spice, Inc.; human-computer interface and human cognition researcher/developer

2004-2005

  • Rob Endelman (CC ’91), Former Wall Street trader; Chef
  • George Takoudes (CC ’91), Architect
  • Tamara Takoudes (CC ’92/P&S ’97), Obstetrician
  • Brooks Klimley (CC ’79), Rhodes Scholar & Financial Analyst
  • Fernando Ortiz, Legal Officer, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations

2003-2004

  • “Fellowship Opportunities” with the CUSP Administration
  • “NPO’s and Other Internship Opportunities” with the Center for Career Education
  • “Freelance Writing” with Nathaniel Nesmith, Freelance writer (The New York Times, The Yale Review, The Dramatist, and African American Review, among others); PhD candidate, Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
  • “Post Graduation Forum” with Chanda Bennett, PhD candidate, Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Emerita CUSP Graduate Student Mentor
  • “Forum with the Scholar Advisory Board” - Open forum for Scholars and Board Members

2002-2003

  • “Fellowship Opportunities” with the CUSP Administration
  • “Stressbusters” with the Columbia Stressbusters
  • “ROOTed”with Susan Stewart, Director, Intercultural Resource Center
  • “Laugh for the Health of It” Workshop with Hedda Matza-Haughton, Consultant
  • “Summer Opportunities Workshop” with Cynthia Duarte, PhD; Emerita CUSP Graduate Student Mentor
  • “Applying to Graduate and Professional School” with Cynthia Duarte, PhD; Emerita CUSP Graduate Student Mentor

2001-2002

  • “Research Agenda” with Cynthia Duarte, PhD; Emerita CUSP Graduate Student Mentor
  • “Career Paths” with Karen Jackson Weaver, PhD; Emerita CUSP Graduate Student Mentor
  • “ Graduate School Application Workshop” with Dean Furno; Assistant Dean of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
  • “Summer Opportunities” with Cynthia Duarte, PhD; Emerita CUSP Graduate Student Mentor

Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program

Visit

403 Alfred Lerner Hall
2920 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

Call: (212) 854-6378

Fax: (212) 854-2562

Office Hours
Monday–Friday
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.