The Low Down

We often like to talk about how our alumni reach grand heights in their successes and go far in their contributions to society. And not many have gone quite as far as Business School alum Timothy Kopra. That is...as far as outer space.

Timothy Kopra is a NASA astronaut with not one but two space trips on his resume. Kopra has lived on the International Space Station for a total of 244 days, doing three spacewalks and instagramming with captions like #citiesfromspace and good night from @ISS. Once he got back to Earth, he visited Columbia University to speak with students about engineering, team work and what he looks for in an aspiring astronaut.

This week is the third and final installment of StorySpace @ Columbia from the Office of University Life. If you haven’t heard Part I or II, go listen to them!

Today, we wrap up the theme of identity with stories about perseverance, confronting challenges to keep moving forward, and finding inspiration in unusual places.

This week is the second installment of StorySpace@Columbia from the Office of University Life. If you haven’t heard Part I, go back to last week’s episode and listen to it.

But here’s a quick refresher:

StorySpace@Columbia is a new storytelling project that presents personal and inspiring stories from students across Columbia.

So, today, we continue with our theme of “identity” with three stories about learning. Not the academic kind of learning that we find in the classrooms across campus - this is learning that comes from overcoming our fears and discovering our strengths.

Today, we’re tuning in close by -- on campus, in fact.

For this episode, we’re partnering with the Columbia Office of University Life. The Office was created in 2015 and it convenes students, faculty and administrators to work together on pressing issues within the University and our broader society -- from inclusion and belonging to mental health and wellness to sexual respect and gender-based misconduct prevention, and much more.

It also produces University-wide events and opportunities for the Columbia community. And for this episode, we’re shining a light on one of those events. It’s called StorySpace@Columbia and it’s a new storytelling project that presents personal and inspiring stories from students across Columbia.

In the first event, students were invited to tell their stories around a common theme: identity.

MORE COLUMBIA NEWS:

https://alumni.columbia.edu

http://thelowdown.alumni.columbia.edu

This episode is a little different. In honor of a marquee event that the CAA has coming up in October, we decided to gather some thoughts from prominent Columbia alumni about leadership. What it means to them, what makes a good leader, and how Columbia has contributed to ability to lead. These are some of the many questions that alumni will consider when they attend the annual Columbia Leaders Weekend on October 7-9.

The weekend is a time for Columbia’s top alumni volunteers and leaders to convene and brainstorm exciting forms of alumni engagement and new ways of developing the next generation of volunteer leaders. Jam-packed with panel discussions and breakout sessions, it is the ultimate opportunity to meet and interact with Columbians from across the University and around the globe.

One of the highlights of the weekend is the CAA Alumni Medalists Gala, where select alumni are recognized for distinguished service of 10 years or more to the University. Though the Medals are formally awarded at Columbia’s commencement, their contribution is also recognized at the gala. The Medal was first awarded in 1933 and is the highest honor bestowed to alumni by the University.

Learn more about Columbia Leaders Weekend and the Alumni Medalists:

http://calw.alumni.columbia.edu

http://alumni.columbia.edu/alumnimedal

MORE COLUMBIA NEWS:

https://alumni.columbia.edu

http://thelowdown.alumni.columbia.edu

Every once in a while, we like to shake things up a bit at The Low Down and give you a peek at some other Columbia-related podcasts out there.

Today, we’re featuring an episode from the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast. The Columbia Energy Exchange is a weekly podcast series by the Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs. Each episode explores the most pressing energy issues with top leaders in government, business, academia and civil society to enhance the global energy policy dialogue.

The episode you’re about to hear, host Bill Loveless sits down with a Columbia expert to discuss the effects of the Iran nuclear deal, since its implementation in January 2016. The landmark deal between Iran, the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany was developed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and lift the nuclear-related economic sanctions on Iran.

Learn more about the Columbia Energy Exchange at energypolicy.columbia.edu.

Trent Dimas graduated from the Columbia school of general studies in 2002. He later graduated from law school, worked for an ad agency in NY, coaching gymnastics at Yale, and now works as a fundraiser for the University of Colorado School of Medicine. But before doing all that, Trent won a gold medal in gymnastics at the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona, Spain.

For today’s episode, as it’s now Olympic season, we wanted to give you a glimpse into the world of an olympic athlete. How one gets to that level of competition, what it’s like to qualify, what it’s like to actually win, and what comes after. Trent seemed like the perfect tour guide through all of this. So, we were lucky enough to speak with him via phone in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico about his road to the Olympics. Turns out, it wasn’t a very easy one.

Discover more Olympic/Columbia coverage: http://thelowdown.alumni.columbia.edu/olympics

MORE COLUMBIA NEWS:

https://alumni.columbia.edu

http://thelowdown.alumni.columbia.edu

One of the most pressing and universal issues of our day is how to address climate change. Although most do agree that the environment has evolved tremendously over time, many are not aware of how rapidly the recent changes are occurring and what the consequences can mean for us in the years to come.

That’s where researchers like Hugh Ducklow come in. Ducklow is a Columbia professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department and a researcher at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. In many ways, Ducklow, is the definition of an explorer. He has participated in over 30 major oceanographic expeditions in nearly all the world’s oceans. As a researcher at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, he leads expeditions in Antarctica nearly every year to study and collect research on climate change in the fastest warming place in the world.

Recently, he gave a lecture to lucky group of aspiring explorers at NYC’s Explorer’s Club as part of a series of Spring science programs and events hosted by the CAA. Since it’s founding in 1904, The Explorer’s Club has served as a meeting place for explorers and scientists worldwide. Its wood-paneled halls have host many members who are responsible for some famous firsts. First to the north pole, first to the south pole, first to summit mount Everest, and first to the surface of the moon. So, what better place to hear from a man who regularly walks with penguins and was once trapped on a boat in the arctic ice for a month?

In the lecture you’re about to hear, Ducklow tells us about his research and recounts one of his recent trips to Antarctica. Through it all, he conveys the important role that keeping knowledgeable and taking meaningful action will play in preserving the health of the ecosystem that we depend on.

To find out about more events and programs like this, visit alumni.columbia.edu/events. And to learn more about research at Lamont, visit ldeo.columbia.edu

For most Columbia students and alumni, when you hear the words “jazz at Columbia” it's almost impossible not to think of Christopher Washburne '92GSAS, '94GSAS, '99GSAS. Washburne is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance program at Columbia. In addition to being a jazz scholar, he’s a jazz musician in his own right. He has performed with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Tito Puente, Justin Timberlake, Marc Anthony, Celine Dion, and the list goes on. His most common instrument of choice is the trombone, though he also plays the tube, the didjeridu, and percussion.

In this episode, we play you a mashup of two talks that Washburne gave at Columbia. One he gave as part of the School of Professional Studies (SPS) T@lks Columbia series. The other was delivered to Columbia staff members. In both talks, Washburne explores the creative process of jazz, paying particular attention to the role that collaboration and improvisation plays. And in this exploration, he delves into how this process can inform your everyday decisions in the workplace, from leadership and adaptability to innovation and risk management.

Who knew jazz was so useful? Well...Washburne did.

---

To watch Washburn’s full presentation on Why Jazz Matters and to hear more great talks from Columbia’s diverse faculty, visit https://talks.sps.columbia.edu.

MORE COLUMBIA NEWS:

https://alumni.columbia.edu

http://thelowdown.alumni.columbia.edu

When it comes to Broadway musicals, Columbia alumni have contributed a startling amount to the canon of musical theater. Rodgers and Hammerstein '16CC set the musical standard during the golden age of broadway in the 40s and 50s; the music of John Kander '54GSAS probed the darker recesses of humanity, giving legendary choreographer, Bob Fosse, innovation-inspiring scores. Most recently, Tom Kitt '96CC and Brian Yorkey '93CC were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for their musical, Next to Normal, in 2008, and Jeanine Tesori '83BC made history in 2015 with Fun Home, when she was part of the first all-female writing team to win the Tony Award.

But in today's podcast episode, we’re turning our attention to Columbia alumni who work in a different capacity on Broadway. Today, we’re talking about directors.

Thanks to recent events, hosted by Columbia College Women and CAA Arts Access, we were able to record discussions with two alumni who are currently working on Broadway: Diane Paulus '97SOA and Tyne Rafaeli '14SOA.

MORE COLUMBIA NEWS:

https://alumni.columbia.edu

http://thelowdown.alumni.columbia.edu