Congratulations, Class of 2010! - Columbia College - Columbia ...

class day and commencement 2010
columbia college today
cord 92.7 percent of seniors had donated $18,628 this year, and
that surpassing the participation goal of 91 percent triggered a
gift of $50,000 from Board of Visitors member Charles Santoro
’82. Bulkley, accompanied by the nine Senior Fund vice-chairs,
presented Moody-Adams with a scroll bearing the names of the
945 seniors who contributed.
While the weather was perfect for Class Day, it rained the following
day at University Commencement and the sea of light
blue in the center of campus was somewhat obscured by umbrellas.
President Lee C. Bollinger, who had cut short his Class
Day remarks because he was to speak at Commencement, said
he was invoking his executive authority to shorten sections of the
outdoor event, which was met with approving cheers from the
grateful, wet crowd. In his sharply abridged remarks, he shared
an old piece of academic “folk wisdom” that “if it rains on your
Commencement, you are guaranteed to have a fabulous life.”
During the Commencement ceremony, the University conferred
eight honorary degrees and two Medals for Excellence. Among the
honorary degree recipients were NYC schools chancellor Joel I.
Klein ’67, playwright Tony Kushner ’78 and the late professor C.
Lowell Harriss ’40 GSAS. The Medals for Excellence, awarded annually
to outstanding alumni under the age of 45, were presented
to Ron Gonen ’04 Business and Dana Schutz ’02 Arts.
Ten Alumni Medals were presented, with the recipients including
Kyra Tirana Barry ’87 and Gedale B. Horowitz ’53, ’55L.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching were presented
to Sharon Akabas, associate clinical professor, Department of
Pediatrics; Michelle S. Ballan, assistant professor, School of Social
Work; Linda F. Cushman, associate clinical professor, Department
of Population and Family Health; Frederik B.S. Paerels, associate
professor, Department of Astronomy; and Michael S. Sparer, professor,
Department of Health Policy and Management.
Later, from dusk until after midnight, the lights of the Empire
State Building were aglow in blue and white in honor of Columbia’s
graduates.
Moody-Adams
received a scroll
bearing the names
of the record 945
senior donors from
Senior Fund chair
Adam Bulkley ’10
(sixth from right)
and the nine vicechairs.
Students stood
and cheered as
members of the
Class of 1980
passed by with
their class banner
during the Alumni
Parade of Classes.
july/august 2010
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