Society of Columbia Graduates

Such a fun event. Final time I got to host it. That part is sad!

On Saturday June 2nd the Society of Columbia Graduates (now in its 109th year) hosted its 70th annual Great Teacher Awards ceremony held in the Faculty Room of Low Library. This gala event featured speeches by Dean Valentini form the College and Dean Boyce from the School of Engineering, our out-going President Andrew Weisman, head of the Selection Committee Dr. Glenn Silbert, as well this year’s honorees Professor Dustin Rubenstein from the College and Professor Andrew Smyth from the School of Engineering. It was wonderful heart-warming event that was well attended, elegantly catered and a real testament to the value that the University and its students and alumni place on great undergraduate teaching!

On Saturday June 2nd the Society of Columbia Graduates (now in its 109th year) hosted its 70th annual Great Teacher Awards ceremony held in the Faculty Room of Low Library. This gala event featured speeches by Dean Valentini form the College and Dean Boyce from the School of Engineering, our out-going President Andrew Weisman, head of the Selection Committee Dr. Glenn Silbert, as well this year’s honorees Professor Dustin Rubenstein from the College and Professor Andrew Smyth from the School of Engineering. It was wonderful heart-warming event that was well attended, elegantly catered and a real testament to the value that the University and its students and alumni place on great undergraduate teaching!

President's Letter - April 2018:

http://files.constantcontact.com/329268fe201/fba3eadc-e75e-4850-86bc-5d6854a73c7d.pdf?ver=1525310816000

Invitation: 70th ANNUAL GREAT TEACHER AWARDS PRESENTATION

files.constantcontact.com

The Society of Columbia Graduates is very pleased to announce the 2018 winners of the Great Teachers Award.

This year’s winners will be presented with their awards at 4pm on Saturday June 2nd, 2018 at a gala ceremony to be held in the Faculty Room of Low Library. Registration details to follow.

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science:
Andrew Smyth
Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Chair of the Smart Cities Center of the Data Science Institute
Director of Research, Robert A. W. Carleton Laboratory
Columbia University

Research Description:
Andrew Smyth is a Civil Engineer specializing in Structural Mechanics with special emphasis on system identification problems and their potential application in the assessment and control of structures.

http://civil.columbia.edu/andrew-w-smyth

Columbia College:
Dustin R. Rubenstein
Associate Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology
Columbia University

Research Description:
Dustin Rubenstein is an integrative behavioral and evolutionary ecologist who studies (1) the evolution of complex animal societies and (2) how organisms adapt to and cope with environmental change. He seeks to develop a synthetic understanding of animal sociality by combining mathematical theory with empirical studies of behavior, ecology, evolution, and the underlying genetic, epigenetic, and neuroendocrine mechanisms to study not only the causes of sociality (with an emphasis on the environmental drivers), but also the behavioral, morphological, physiological, and genetic consequences of living in complex societies. Additionally, he examines the behavioral, morphological, and physiological adaptations that allow individuals to cope with environmental uncertainty not just in social species, but in all animals that experience unpredictable environments. Currently, lab members work on free-living social vertebrate (African starlings and weavers) and invertebrate (Synalpheus shrimp).

http://beta.global.columbia.edu/people/dustin-reid-rubenstein

Andrew W. Smyth | Civil Engineering Research Areas Structural Dynamics, Structural Health Monitoring and Control, Nonlinear System Identification, Random Vibrations. Biography B.A., B.Sc., 1992, Brown University; M.S., 1994, Rice University; M.S. (Electrical Engineering), 1997, Univ. of

It is with great sadness that the Society of Columbia Graduates announces the passing of one their beloved members Sue Finklestein ‘62E. Sue was a devoted member of the Society participating in many of its functions and a regular attendee of the annual dinner. In addition to her support of SOCG, was also a CESAA board member. She will certainly be missed.

Such a great event!

Check out the great photos from this year's Great Teacher Awards!

Great Teacher Awards - 2017

Glenn Silbert and Professor Jay Sethuraman

It is with great sadness that we must report the passing of the William "Ted" de Bary. Ted, winner of the Great Teacher Award (1969), was an extraordinarily accomplished gentleman and will always be remembered fondly by the Society.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/world/asia/wm-de-bary-dead-columbia-university-sinologist.html

Wm. Theodore de Bary, Renowned Columbia Sinologist, Dies at 97 Professor de Bary, an authority in particular on Confucius, was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.