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Winter 2020-21

Winter 2020-21 cover of Columbia Magazine, art by Bob Staake
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In Pursuit of Dark Matter

Columbia physicists confront one of the most confounding mysteries in science.

Features

The Lost Art of Dying Well
Health & Medicine

The Lost Art of Dying Well

A physician and medical ethicist argues that society has lost sight of the spiritual resources we need to confront our mortality 

Held Hostage for 444 Days: A Story of Survival
Alumni

Held Hostage for 444 Days: A Story of Survival

Forty years ago, Barry Rosen ’74GSAS was one of fifty-two Americans released from Iranian captivity

7 Photos that Capture the Heartbreak of Climate Change
Arts & Humanities

7 Photos that Capture the Heartbreak of Climate Change

Photojournalist Katie Orlinsky ’12JRN has spent over six years documenting one of the most environmentally vulnerable areas of the world

Meetings of the Minds
Arts & Humanities

Meetings of the Minds

The Columbia University Seminars, one of academia’s shining (and somewhat secret) traditions, celebrates seventy-five years of free and civil dialogue

College Walk

The Education of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Alumni

The Education of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Before she was a Supreme Court justice, RBG gained wisdom in Morningside Heights

Overheard at the J-School
On Campus

Overheard at the J-School

At the New Journalism symposium, media experts discussed where the field is today and where it needs to go

The Curator in a Time of Chaos
Arts & Humanities

The Curator in a Time of Chaos

Through the pandemic, Wallach Art Gallery curator Betti-Sue Hertz has kept her eyes on the big picture with two new exhibitions

Zooming in Mongolia
On Campus

Zooming in Mongolia

Catching up with one of our Obama Scholars.

From Prison to Programming
On Campus

From Prison to Programming

A Columbia boot camp teaches formerly incarcerated people the skills they need to build a career in tech

Explorations

Scientists Decipher the Hidden Past of the "Blue-Ring Nebula"
Science & Technology

Scientists Decipher the Hidden Past of the "Blue-Ring Nebula"

For years, astronomers have been puzzled by a massive gas cloud that encircles a star some six thousand light-years away 

Genetic Study Reveals Causes of Many Stillbirths
Health & Medicine

Genetic Study Reveals Causes of Many Stillbirths

Every year some twenty-four thousand expectant mothers in the US lose their babies in the final stages of pregnancy

Wheat-Belly Blues are the Real Deal, Say Columbia Experts
Health & Medicine

Wheat-Belly Blues are the Real Deal, Say Columbia Experts

A diagnostic test for gluten sensitivity could be on the horizon

A Laboratory Fit for Lockdown
Science & Technology

A Laboratory Fit for Lockdown

Take-home kits allow Columbia Engineering students to conduct experiments in their pajamas

7 New Research Findings from Columbia
Science & Technology

7 New Research Findings from Columbia

An ice sheet reveals a surprise, and other discoveries

Columbia, Amazon to Launch New AI Research Center
Science & Technology

Columbia, Amazon to Launch New AI Research Center

The new Columbia Center of Artificial Intelligence Technology in Collaboration with Amazon will support fellowships, research projects, and more

What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Now
Health & Medicine

What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Now

A daily spritz of nasal spray might protect us, and other updates from Columbia experts

Researchers Call for Clean-Energy Push
Science & Technology

Researchers Call for Clean-Energy Push

A new report provides a roadmap for how the US can help stave off the most catastrophic consequences of global warming

Network

The Subtle and Enduring Power of Radio
Alumni

The Subtle and Enduring Power of Radio

As the host of NPR’s Morning Edition, Rachel Martin ’04SIPA makes a point to cultivate intimacy and trust

The Worst Moment of His Life Became a Work of Art
Arts & Humanities

The Worst Moment of His Life Became a Work of Art

A new book by Spencer Bailey ’10JRN lends a unique perspective on the purpose and power of memorials

How to Beat Work-from-Home Burnout
Alumni

How to Beat Work-from-Home Burnout

Liz Wilkes ’13BUS is the founder and CEO of Exubrancy, a corporate-wellness startup 

Life in a Basketball Bubble
Alumni

Life in a Basketball Bubble

Sports-medicine specialist Benedict Nwachukwu ’08CC is an onsite physician for the NBA’s most unusual season

Glow Recipe and the Joys of Korean Skin Care
Alumni

Glow Recipe and the Joys of Korean Skin Care

Christine Chang ’10GSAS is on a mission to make K-beauty rituals easy and fun

How About a Mocktail?
Alumni

How About a Mocktail?

Master mixologist John deBary ’05CC shares an original non-alcoholic drink recipe for Dry January and beyond

Ayad Akhtar, Andrew Yang, and Other Alumni in the News
Alumni

Ayad Akhtar, Andrew Yang, and Other Alumni in the News

Columbians making headlines

Books

Well-Versed
Books

Well-Versed

3 new poetry collections from Columbia alumni

6 Fabulous Books to Read this Winter
Books

6 Fabulous Books to Read this Winter

From Sarah Smarsh '05SOA, Phillip Lopate '64CC, and other Columbia authors

Review: "The Office of Historical Corrections"
Books

Review: "The Office of Historical Corrections"

By Danielle Evans ’04CC

Review: "The Last Million"
Books

Review: "The Last Million"

By David Nasaw ’72GSAS

Review: A Promised Land
Books

Review: A Promised Land

By Barack Obama ’83CC

A Professor Makes a Radical Argument for Recreational Drugs
Books

A Professor Makes a Radical Argument for Recreational Drugs

Columbia psychologist Carl L. Hart discusses his book Drug Use for Grown-Ups

Review: "What Are You Going Through"
Books

Review: "What Are You Going Through"

By Sigrid Nunez ’72BC, ’75SOA

Bulletin

Hugh Hayden Funds Art Fellowships
Arts & Humanities

Hugh Hayden Funds Art Fellowships

The new program will aid art students who have demonstrated leadership in the African-American and African diaspora communities

Giving Day 2020 Breaks Records
On Campus

Giving Day 2020 Breaks Records

The annual fundraising drive raised a record-breaking $24 million

Recent Columbia Grad Named Rhodes Scholar
Alumni

Recent Columbia Grad Named Rhodes Scholar

Santiago Tobar Potes ’20CC plans to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Oxford

Mary C. Boyce Appointed University Provost
On Campus

Mary C. Boyce Appointed University Provost

The current Columbia Engineering dean will be the woman ever to serve as provost at Columbia

Saidiya Hartman Named University Professor
On Campus

Saidiya Hartman Named University Professor

The prominent author and scholar of African-American literature and history has earned Columbia's highest faculty rank

Kim Lew Leads Columbia Investment Management Company
On Campus

Kim Lew Leads Columbia Investment Management Company

An investment professional with decades of experience in asset management, Lew oversees the University’s endowment

Shirley Wang Elected to Columbia’s Board of Trustees
On Campus

Shirley Wang Elected to Columbia’s Board of Trustees

Wang is the founder and CEO of Plastpro and an active philanthropist

President Bollinger’s Term Extended to 2023
On Campus

President Bollinger’s Term Extended to 2023

Since becoming president in 2002, Bollinger has led the University through a remarkable period of growth

Changing Minds About Masks
Health & Medicine

Changing Minds About Masks

A Columbia-led online PR campaign has reached more than one million people

Backstory

How Mozart’s Librettist Became the Father of Italian Studies at Columbia
Arts & Humanities

How Mozart’s Librettist Became the Father of Italian Studies at Columbia

The curious cross-continental tale of Lorenzo Da Ponte

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