From the President's Desk
This Thursday, March 1, EPIC is hosting
doctoral candidate Nicole Thompson
to talk about her research on the evolution of social behavior in Kenyan blue monkeys. This should be an interesting and welcome break from the non-stop news of the dismal behavior of much of our own species, no matter the geopolitical subgroup affiliation. Join us for intergenerational conversation and lunch. RSVP so we can plan appropriately.
Last week was replete with excellent EPIC events. On Tuesday, Professor Emeritus Ferdinand Ofodile, M.D., formerly Chief of Plastic Surgery at Harlem Hospital, truly inspired us with a description of his pathbreaking medical missionary work in Nnobi, the Nigerian village where he was born. He is not only providing much needed basic screening there, but is also developing a model for other Nigerian diaspora-Town Union efforts.
Wednesday, our Morningside Gardens Speaker Series took off with a packed room listening to a fascinating discussion of the historical roots and evolution of yoga by ProfessorEmerita Fran Pritchett. Thanks to Professor Emerita Jo Shepherd for organizing. This series is carried out in collaboration with the
School of Professional Studies
as part of Columbia’s Manhattanville Community Benefits agreement.
EPIC yoga, led by Professor Emerita Ginny Papaioannou, continues on Thursday mornings with two session options, mat at 10:00 a.m. or “gentle”/beginner chair format at 11:15. We will definitely not be doing the bed of nails and fire poses that Fran described.
Have a good day.
Jeanne Mager Stellman, President, EPIC
Professor Emerita & Special Lecturer
Mailman School of Public Health
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Thursday, March 1:
"The Fitness Benefits of Social Connection over the Lifespan of Blue Monkeys"
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Join us to hear about Nicole Thompson's research for her dissertation for the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology. Thompson
draws from long-term behavioral records of adult females and shorter-term behavioral records of juveniles from a population of blue monkeys in western Kenya. She combines data on social behavior, demography, and biomarkers related to energetic and metabolic status to assess both short- and long-term corollaries of social strategies in this gregarious Old World primate.
The results of her research emphasize the importance of long-term studies of natural populations in understanding the evolution of social behavior, particularly when examining the causes and consequences of social ties over the life cycle in a long-lived animal.
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12:15 - 2:00 p.m.
Ward H. Dennis Room
602 Lewisohn Hall
Guests welcome!
A sandwich lunch is provided. RSVP to insure an appropriate catering order.
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Tuesday, March 6: EPIC Conversation with Victor Navasky
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Please join us for the first in a series of conversations with distinguished colleagues from the Emeritus Professors in Columbia community. This EPIC Conversation is co-sponsored by the
Columbia Journalism School
.
Victor Navasky chairs the
Columbia Journalism Review
. He was the George Delacorte Professor of Magazine Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, where he directed the Delacorte Center for Magazine Study. He has served as editor, publisher and now publisher emeritus of
The Nation
, which he joined in 1978.
In the 1970’s Navasky served as an editor on
The New York Times Magazine
. In the 1960’s he was founding editor and publisher of
Monocle
, a “leisurely quarterly of political satire” (that meant it came out twice a year). His books include
Kennedy Justice
and
Naming Names
, which won a National Book Award, and (with Christopher Cerf)
The Experts Speak: The Definitive Guide to Authoritative Misinformation,
and also
Mission Accomplished! Or How We Won the War In Iraq, A Matter of Opinion,
which won the 2005 George Polk Book Award and the 2006 Ann M. Sperber Prize, and of which
The New York Times
wrote, “Anybody who has ever dreamed of starting a magazine, or worried that the country is losing the ability to speak seriously to itself, should read
A Matter of Opinion.
”
Navasky is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Most recently he has published
The Art of Making Magazines: On Being an Editor and Other Views from the Industry,
edited by Victor S. Navasky and Evan Cornog, and
The Art of Controversy: Political Cartoons and Their Enduring Power
(Knopf, 2013).
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Navasky will be in conversation with Michael Rosenthal, Roberta and William Campbell Professor Emeritus of the Humanities, another distinguished Columbia author and scholar, and an EPIC steering committee member.
12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Joseph Pulitzer World Room
Pulitzer Hall
Columbia University
Lunch provided.
Seating is limited. RSVP Required.
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Housing Mobility Deadline is March 9
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The Housing Mobility Program (HMP) offers tenants in Columbia housing financial support for moving out of Columbia housing or to a smaller apartment that may better fit their needs.
The University offers an application round each academic year, typically in the fall. For 2017-2018, there is also a spring application round with a deadline of
Friday, March 9, 2018.
The program description, available here
,
outlines the program’s parameters, describes eligibility requirements, and includes copies of the application. It also includes characteristics of typical “downsized” apartments – including examples of rent – and information about professional organizers who help people move to a new residence.
If you have questions or wish to learn more, please reach out to Carrie Marlin, Assistant Provost for Administration and Planning, at
212-854-0218
or
cm3509@columbia.edu
.
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EPIC Yoga Spring Schedule
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Professor Emerita Virginia Papaioannou, a registered teacher with the Yoga Alliance, continues to lead EPIC Yoga Thursdays in Faculty House in the Spring 2018 semester.
No prior experience is required to join. Yoga can benefit people at all levels of physical training and health, but it is always wise to consult with a physician before undertaking any new exercise regime. Modifications will be offered to any participants with specific limitations arising from recovery from injury, arthritis, limited movement, or other causes.
Two one-hour classes are offered each week.
The 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. class practices breathing techniques and moves through some basic yoga poses, concentrating on alignment, balance, and flexibility. Those with experience move more deeply into the poses.
From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., we practice gentle/chair yoga, which is ideal for those of more limited mobility or flexibility. Classes include breathing, stretching, and yoga poses, done either seated in a chair or standing. No yoga mats are required for this class.
Please see the EPIC events calendar for schedule details.
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Morningside Gardens Speaker Series
Continues March 14
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Spring 2018 Program
February 21, 7:00 p.m.
“Yoking Up Yoga” Where does Yoga come from and where is it going? Is Yoga an important part of Hinduism? Some answers to these questions may surprise you. You don't need to be a yogi to find this talk interesting!
Speaker: Frances Pritchett, Professor Emerita of Modern Indic Languages, Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University
March 14, 7:00 p.m.
“The Diaspora and The Medically Underserved: A Case for a New Approach” This is an illustrated talk about Professor Ofodile’s experience working with Diaspora groups to provide medical aid in Africa and the Caribbean.
Speaker: Ferdinand Ofodile, M.D., Clinical Professor Emeritus of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center
April 18, 7:00 p.m.
“Eve and Adam in the Gardens” For millennia, readers have interpreted the story of Adam and Eve by pandering to him and blaming her for their expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3). But there are more excellent ways to understand the story. This talk will undercut the traditional reading by exploring anew the story of Eve and Adam as they enter the Gardens of Morningside.
Speaker: Phyllis Trible, Baldwin Professor Emerita of Sacred Literature, Union Theological Seminary
May 16, 7:00 p.m.
“Columbia University on Morningside Heights: The Early Years in Postcard Views” As the title implies, Mr. Susi takes us on a tour of Morningside Heights using vintage postcards he began collecting more than 20 years ago.
Speaker: Michael V. Susi, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Columbia University; local historian and postcard collector
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Tuesday Talks
March 20
Professor Dickson Despommier
"The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century"
April 10
Professor Justin Golub
"How Age-Related Hearing Loss Affects the Brain"
April 24
Professor Sunil K. Agrawal
Lecture and Tour: Robotics and Rehabilitation (RoAR) Lab, Columbia University
First Thursday Graduate Scholar Talks
April 5
Michelle Van Tieghem, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Psychology:
"Neurobehavioral Predictors of Risk and Resilience following Early Adversity"
Social Media Workshop
March 27
Annual Reception
May 8
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