Home > News & Events > SIPA Announcements and Awards
SIPA Announcements and Awards 2007
New $1 Million Fellowship Fund at SIPA
SIPA’s Office of Development is very pleased to acknowledge the generous support of David Ottaway (SIPA International Fellow ’63 and Columbia Political Science Ph.D. ’68) and his family with their gift of $1 million to support student fellowships. The Ottaway Fellowship Fund will provide full scholarships for two students at SIPA, with special consideration given to members of underrepresented socioeconomic groups. The Fund will be awarded for the first time in the fall of 2008 and will help SIPA make significant progress towards reaching its fellowship goals. Please join us in thanking the Ottaway Family for their sincere commitment to SIPA and our student’s education. [2007]
SIPA’s Center for International Conflict Resolution Partners with Colombian Singer Juanes
Juanes’ Mi Sangre Foundation has partnered with the Center for International Conflict Resolution (CICR) to create a campaign for nonviolence in the singer’s home country of Colombia. The goal of this campaign is to formulate innovative solutions that will bring peace to the people of Colombia, who desire an end to the violence from guerillas and paramilitaries. CICR director, Aldo Civico, says the program could involve a partnership between other universities and non-governmental organizations. Civico will introduce Juanes to experienced peace moderators who have worked on CICR projects in the past. Juanes met with Sen. George Mitchell on Friday, March 7, for a "private lecture" in conflict resolution organized by CICR. Sen. Mitchell shared with Juanes his experience as mediator in Northern Ireland and advised the artist about the role he can play for peace in Colombia. Both Civico and Juanes hope that new creative solutions will start a path to peace. [2007]
Professor Pete Johnston to Retire; Anya Schiffrin Appointed Acting Director of IMC
After nearly 20 years of exemplary service as the Founding Director of SIPA's International Media and Communications concentration, Professor Pete Johnston has announced that he is retiring at the end of this academic year. To ensure a smooth transition, Anya Schiffrin will be appointed as the Acting Director of IMC for the 2008-2009 academic year. A reception in honor of Professor Johnston will be held in the spring semester.
The full text of the Dean's announcement is available online. [2007]
SIPA Alumnus Named Executive Director of Habitat-NYC
Habitat for Humanity - New York City has announced the appointment of a SIPA alumnus, Josh Lockwood (MIA 97) as Executive Director. Habitat-NYC, a leading affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, builds affordable homes for ownership in New York City's five boroughs.
Lockwood earned his Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in 1997. "I am honored and inspired to be leading Habitat-NYC at this historic time, when we are providing more affordable homes to hardworking New York City families than ever before," said Lockwood. He joined the organization in 2006 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed Acting Executive Director in the spring of 2007. [2007]
SIPA Alumnus Bill de Blasio Running for Brooklyn Borough President
On October 9, 2007, Bill de Blasio (MIA 1987) announced his candidacy for Brooklyn Borough President. Mr. de Blasio says that he is running for Borough President because he believes, “I have the experience and vision to strengthen and protect Brooklyn neighborhoods in a time of unprecedented growth and change.” His priorities as Borough President would include keeping Brooklyn affordable by building and preserving affordable housing and stopping out-of-control and out-of-character development, and improving quality of life in every Brooklyn neighborhood. Bill de Blasio has dedicated his career to public service. He is the current Councilmember representing Brooklyn's 39th District and current Chair of the City Council's General Welfare Committee. His past accomplishments include serving as campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's successful 2000 U.S. Senate bid and as a former member of Brooklyn's Community School Board.
For more information on his campaign please visit: www.billdeblasio.com. [2007]
SIPA Alumni Pioneer First Ever American Human Development Report
Images from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina exposed some of the realities of poverty in this country–the living conditions of poor Americans, the racial divides, government funding biases, and dangerously weak social safety nets. For Kristen Lewis (MIA ’93) national reactions to Katrina made her realize that many Americans did not understand poverty in their own country. At around the same time, Sarah Burd-Sharps (MIA ’87), who was Deputy Director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, thought it might be valuable to explore well-being and poverty issues through this lens in a domestic context, as well. She had seen the power of this approach to question the status quo and bring change on every continent. As a result, the two former UNIFEM colleagues began the exciting yet laborious process of pioneering the first ever American Human Development Report (AHDR).
The global Human Development Reports (HDR), published annually since 1990, have also been the model for hundreds of national reports produced by independent research teams that analyze development progress in fields ranging from life expectancy, literacy, education, governance, human capital, gender, environment, agriculture and domestic business growth. [2007]
Columbia Alumnus Gambari Leads UN Mission to Myanmar
Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, UN Ambassador from Nigeria and Columbia alum (MA ‘70), recently returned from a four day visit to Rangoon as the UN’s Special Mission to Myanmar, where he held meetings with the government officials and detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. As a representative of the Good Offices Mandate of the Secretary General, his mission was designed to assess the situation on the ground in the wake of recent demonstrations, and try to promote dialogue between the government and the opposition as to the best path to ending the present crisis and achieving a humane reconciliation.
He was born in Nigeria in 1944, and holds degrees from Kings College and London School of Economics. In addition, he attended the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in 1969, received his MA in 1970 and his Ph.D. in 1974 in Political Science/International Relations from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. [2007]
Columbia Welcomes Distinguished Iranian Scholar and Philosopher: Dr. Abdulkarim Soroush
Dr. Abdulkarim Soroush is considered one of the world’s leading Iranian scholars, and SIPA’s Center for the Study of Democracy, Toleration and Religion (CDTR), the Committee on Global Thought, the Department of Religion and the entire Columbia community at large warmly welcome him as a Distinguished Guest for the Fall Semester. Dr. Soroush will be based at the CDTR for the Fall Semester, and will mostly be working with Professor Bilgrami graduate philosophy students on the role of modern Islam in a world that is increasingly governed by the ideals of democracy and secularism. Much of his recent research investigates the cultural and religious east-west divide. Dr. Soroush believes that religion has a role in governing a nation, and in fact can add a powerful and important focus on duty and responsibility for each citizen. However, he also speaks of the expansion and contraction of religious knowledge that redefines itself as societies change and grows.
After receiving his first degree in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of London, Dr. Soroush went on to receive a master’s in Analytical Chemistry and a doctorate in Pharmaceuticology. This was followed by admittance into the Islamic Seminary in Tehran to study Islamic law and philosophy. He was appointed as a member of the Cultural Revolution Institute by Imam Khomeini in 1980, and was a Professor of Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Religion (Modern Theology), Mysticism of Maulawi, Comparative Philosophy, and Philosophy of Empirical Sciences at Tehran University until 1996. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Amsterdam, Harvard, Yale and Princeton, and will be based at Georgetown in the spring. He has written on diverse topics such as ethics, governance, Rumi poetry, religious conviction and the evolution of religion, and freedom and democracy in Islam. [2007]
Elisabeth Lindenmayer, Appointed Director of the UN Studies Program
Elisabeth Lindenmayer has been appointed the Acting Director of the UN Studies Program at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and will serve as Acting Director while Professor Edward Luck is on public service leave with the International Peace Academy and the United Nations. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to the Center for International Conflict Resolution at Columbia and teaches in the Honor's Program at New York University. Professor Lindenmayer joined the UN Secretariat in 1977 and in 1992 joined the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations just prior to the dramatic expansion of peacekeeping operations in numerous volatile areas convulsed by conflict. She was on the scene at the conflicts in Somalia and Rwanda - operations which continue to capture the attention of policymakers and scholars of UN peace operation. In 1997 Professor Lindenmayer was selected to serve in the Office of Secretary General Kofi Annan as his Executive Assistant, where she served as one of his closest advisors and led the many teams which accompanied him to his political missions around the world. From 2004-2005, Professor Lindenmayer was promoted to the Assistant Secretary General level and named Deputy Chef de Cabinet, which placed her at the center of the preparations for the largest ever summit on UN reform in 2005. Upon leaving the UN, Professor Lindenmayer was awarded the Legion d'Honneur by French President Jacques Chirac. In 2007 she was honored by the U.S. Red Cross for her work in humanitarian affairs. Professor Lindenmayer is also a member of the Advisory Panel of the Security Council Repor and a board member of the new Kofi Annan Foundation. Mrs. Lindenmayer was born in Gaoua, Burkina Faso (previously Upper Volta.) As the daughter of a French Army Officer, she grew up also in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, then French Indochina, Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal, as well as in France and England. She holds university degrees from the Sorbonne University, the University of Geneva and New York University.
Professor Lindenmayer teaches courses at SIPA on the UN Security Council and peacekeeping/peacebuilding in Africa. [2007]
Marshall D. Shulman, Founding Director of the Harriman Institute, Dies at 91
Marshall D. Shulman, founding director of the Harriman Institute and an early supporter of regional studies at Columbia University, passed away on June 21, 2007 at the age of 91. Dr. Shulman, Adlai Stevenson Professor Emeritus of International Relations, was director of the Russian Institute at Columbia, which was renamed the W. Averell Harriman Institute for the Advanced Study of the Soviet Union in 1982 when Dr. Shulman convinced Mr. Harriman and his wife, Pamela to endow the institute with $11.5 million.
During the Carter administration Dr. Schulman held the title of ambassador as the primary adviser on Soviet matters to Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance and was also a speechwriter for Secretary of State Dean G. Acheson in the Truman administration. He authored numerous works on the Soviet Union which had been used for countless years in Soviet studies, including his well known novel, Stalin’s Foreign Policy Reappraised (1963). [2007]
José Antonio Ocampo Joins The Faculty
Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs is pleased to announce that José Antonio Ocampo has joined the faculty as a Professor of Professional Practice. He will teach courses in the Ph.D. program in Sustainable Development and will also play an active role in the Columbia’s Committee on Global Thought.
Prior to his appointment, Professor Ocampo served in a number of positions in the Government of Colombia—most notably as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Chairman of the Board of Banco del República (Central Bank of Colombia); Director, National Planning Department (Minister of Planning); Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of the Board of Banco Cafetero (Coffee Bank) and Caja de Crédito Agraria, Industrial y Minera (Agrarian Bank) and Executive Director, FEDESARROLLO.
Dr. Ocampo received his B.A. in Economics and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame and his Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University. He was a Professor in the Advanced Programme on Rethinking Development Economics at Cambridge University, a Professor of Economics at Universidad de los Andes, a Professor of Economic History at the National University of Colombia, as well as a Visiting Fellow at Yale and Oxford.
He is the author of numerous books and articles on macroeconomics policy and theory, economic development, international trade and economic history. His recent publications include Stability with Growth: Macroeconomics, Liberalization and Development, with Joseph E. Stiglitz, Shari Spiegel, Ricardo French-Davis and Deepak Nayyar, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006).
“José Antonio Ocampo brings to SIPA the knowledge and insight of a first rate policy economist and economic historian together with broad experience as a leading international public servant and former cabinet minister. His appointment also strengthens Columbia's growing community of Latin American specialists and especially the Institute for Latin American Studies. This is an outstanding appointment for Columbia,” said John Coatsworth, SIPA’s interim dean. [2007]
SIPA and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY SPP) Announce a New Dual Degree Program
Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY SPP) announce a new master of public administration dual degree program. Students will have the opportunity to study in Singapore and New York and obtain MPA degrees from both SIPA and the LKY SPP in the same amount of time it takes to earn one degree.
The new program combines the research and educational strengths of the two schools to create a course of study that gives students a breadth of knowledge with a truly global reach. It will expand the Global Public Policy Network to include its first graduate program in Asia, building on current partnerships with LSE in London and Sciences Po in Paris.
Students will be admitted to the dual degree beginning in the fall of 2007.
The LKY SPP is at the cutting edge of public policy education in Asia and is an excellent addition to the GPPN’s first dual degree in that part of the world. The LKY SPP draws its faculty from around the world and has alumni in 26 different countries. The new program will combine an academically rigorous curriculum with practical experience aimed at solving real world problems. [2007]
SIPA Hosts Quality of Life Forum
The Quality of Life Program (QL), A Working In Support of Education (W!SE) initiative, held its 12th Annual Quality of Life Forum at Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs on Wednesday, June 6, 2007.
QL invites high school students to become social entrepreneurs by participating in a competition to solve real-world problems. Students identify an important social issue, undertake scholarly research, and develop feasible solutions to their identified problem. This year students in all five boroughs responded with nearly 500 proposals.
The QL Forum featured the announcement of scholarships and implementation grants and a panel discussion which brought together students, distinguished scholars and community leaders to talk about strategies for youth engagement in improving New York City’s quality of life. Students gave prize-winning presentations on “Improving the Academic Performance of Homeless High School Students,” “Curbing Illegal Truck Traffic,” and “Saving Face, Solving Hunger.”
Since 1996, nearly 15,000 students have been awarded over $400,000 in scholarships and grants through this program.
SIPA congratulates these deserving students and hopes to continue its association with this valuable program. [2007]
John Coatsworth Named Interim Dean of SIPA
Professor John Coatsworth has agreed to serve as interim dean of the School of International and Public Affairs, effective July 1.
Professor Coatsworth joins Columbia from Harvard University, where he distinguished himself as an active faculty member since 1992.
From 1994 to 2006,he served as the founding Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies—now the largest center of its kind in the world. He also chaired the Harvard faculty Committee on Human Rights, as well as the Committee on Education Abroad, which overhauled Harvard's undergraduate international study program. From 1969 to 1992, John taught at the University of Chicago, where he chaired the History Department and directed the university's Center for Latin American Studies. A past president of the American Historical Association, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of Directors of the Tinker Foundation, and numerous professional associations. In 2005, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. [2007]
William Eimicke to serve as Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Planning and Policy in the New York City Fire Department
William B. Eimicke, the Director of the Picker Center for Executive Education at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, will take public service leave in the coming academic year to serve as Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Planning and Policy in the New York City Fire Department. During the year, he will report directly to Nicholas Scoppetta and will focus on the implementation of the department’s strategic plan, the performance management system, and developing university education partnerships to promote executive and management skill building. "Though we will certainly miss Dr. Eimicke's extraordinary contributions to our work here at the School of International and Public Affairs, we are very proud to be able to lend him, and his many talents, to our hometown Fire Department. We know he will be an enormous asset to the FDNY, and we look forward to his return to the classroom when he completes his public service leave."
Dr. Eimicke is the founding director of the Picker Center for Executive Education of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Prior to coming to Columbia, Dr. Eimicke served as the director of fiscal studies for the New York State Senate, assistant budget director of the City of New York, and deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
As New York Governor Cuomo's deputy secretary for policy and programs, he represented the governor on all matters concerning economic development and sports. He played a central role in the passage of several landmark programs including the first homeless housing program
Dr. Eimicke later served as housing "czar" of New York State, managing the state's six housing management, finance, and regulatory agencies. He also provided housing policy and management consulting services to Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review.
He is the author of Public Administration in a Democratic Context (Sage Publications 1974). He also has written Tools for Innovators with Steven Cohen (Jossey-Bass 1998); The New Effective Public Manager with Steven Cohen (Jossey-Bass 1995); The Effective Public Manager, 3rd edition with Steven Cohen (Jossey-Bass 2002); and numerous articles on public management innovation, ethics, competition, and welfare-to-work programs. Dr. Eimicke has also provided management training and assistance to a wide range of government and not for profit organizations.
He is a graduate of Syracuse University and holds an MPA and PhD from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. [2007]
Calvo Presents His Research at IMF
Professor Guillermo Calvo, the Director of SIPA's Program in Economic Policy and Management, gave a presentation at the IMF along with fellow panelists Jeffrey Frankel and Kenneth Rogoff. A transcript of the presentation, which assesses the importance of external shocks in emerging markets, is available online. [2007]
Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize-Winning Iranian Activist and Lawyer to Speak at Sipa’s Graduation Ceremony on Monday, May 14th, 2007
Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient and human rights activist, will be the speaker at SIPA’s graduation this year. Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her significant and pioneering efforts in democracy and human rights, especially for the rights of women and children. The first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize, she is well-known in Iran and around the world for the legal defense of victims of attacks on freedom of speech and other political freedoms. [2007]
Claudia Dreifus Awarded Career Achievement Award from ASJA
Claudia Dreifus, adjunct professor at SIPA has been honored with the Career Achievement Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. This prize, which is their highest honor, is given to recognize an ASJA member whose ability to tell a story and whose style, range and diversity of career exemplify the profession of an independent nonfiction writer. The award will be presented in April. [2007]
Fuchs, Buck-Luce, and Wolfe appointed to NYC Commission on Women’s Issues
Ester Fuchs (Professor at SIPA and in Political Science), Carolyn Buck-Luce and Melinda Wolfe (SIPA Adjunct Professors) have been appointed to the New York City Commission on Women’s Issues. “Each of the newly appointed Commissioners brings a diverse set of experiences and expertise to the strong dynamic and high standards set by our current Commissioners,” said CWI Chair Anne Sutherland. The full press release is available online. [2007]
William Eimicke Awarded the 2006 Best Article Prize by the American Society for Public Administration
William Eimicke, Director of SIPA’s Picker Center for Executive Education, has been awarded the 2006 best article prize by the American Society for Public Administration for his article on “Eliot Spitzer: The People’s Lawyer.” The article appeared in the Fall 2005 issue of the journal Public Integrity is available online. [2007]
Elliott Sclar Receives Rockefeller Foundation Grant
SIPA faculty member Elliott Sclar has received a Rockefeller Foundation grant to launch an urban summit, with the Earth Institute, to address global urban challenges. As a partner with the Rockefeller Foundation for the Urban Summit, the Center for Sustainable Urban Development, which Sclar directs, will collaborate with the Foundation to identify organizations and individuals that are pioneering innovative solutions to the problems of cities in developing countries. In addition, there will be a series of separate conferences specifically focused on urban regions in the United States and a meeting of urban researchers from the developing world and the U.S. These concurrent meetings will be held at the Rockefeller Foundation’s international conference and study center in Bellagio, Italy. A full press release is available online. [2007]
Lt. Governor David Paterson to Teach Course on Equitable Urban Development
New York Lieutenant Governor David Paterson returns to SIPA this spring to teach his course, “Urban Planning and the Challenges of Equitable Development” for the fifth time. The course addresses issues of power, money, and racism in the development of affordable housing in cities, with a particular focus on New York City. Paterson, a Columbia alumnus, first taught the course while representing Harlem in the New York State Senate. The short-course begins March 23rd. [2007]
New Training Program on Genocide Prevention
Andrea Bartoli and the Center for International Conflict Resolution (CICR) have received grants from Humanity United, Bridgeway and Ford Foundations to support the creation of an executive training program on genocide prevention, with the first group of diplomats, intelligence and military officers convening at SIPA in January of 2007. The program will assemble emerging leaders from an influential and diverse group of countries to impart and foster exchange of knowledge about the warning signs of genocide and the possibility and practice of prevention. [2007]
Guillermo Calvo Named Director of PEPM
The School of International and Public Affairs is pleased to announce that Guillermo Calvo has joined the faculty of the School and will direct our mid-career Program in Economic Policy Management. Calvo brings a wealth of scholarly and practitioner experience to SIPA from his recent work as Director of the Center for International Economics and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland; Chief Economist at the Inter-American Development Bank, Senior Advisor in the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund; and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). In addition, he is a member of the Academia Nacional de Ciencias Económicas, Argentina, and a fellow of the Econometric Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the former President of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA), and the current President of the International Economic Association.
| 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2003-2006 |