Events and Opportunities, 2/21-3/7

Dear Students, 

We hope you’ll check out some of these events and opportunities with University Life and happening around campus.

University Life Events & Opportunities

• Meet and Greet: First Generation Graduate and Professional Students (In-Person). Joseph Defraine Greenwell, Vice President for Student Affairs, invites first generation graduate and professional students to meet in small groups, share their experiences, and connect with first gen peers from across Columbia. Please note: These are small group settings. If we cannot accommodate everyone who has interest, we will look to host more sessions in the future. Share your interest.
• Black and Latinx Roundtable with Columbia Faculty (In-Person). As part of the Graduate Initiative for Inclusion and Engagement, University Life, in partnership with the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement, invites you to this roundtable event with  Columbia faculty who will share their experiences navigating higher education as members of the Black and Latinx/a/o community. Food and University Life swag will be provided. TONIGHT, February 21, 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Learn more and register.
• Grad Hangout: Paint & Chill (In-Person). Meet peers in a relaxed and casual environment at this Grad Hangout, part of the Graduate Initiative for Inclusion and Engagement. Don't know how to paint? No worries, this session will include step-by-step self-guides. Snacks will be provided. Thursday, February 23, 5:00 - 6:30 PM. Register here.
• Yoga Class (In-Person). Take a break to relax with yoga in Earl Hall, hosted by Religious Life every Thursday. Please bring your own mat and arrive 5-10 minutes early to sign in and set up. Thursday, February 23, 7:00 - 8:00 PM. Learn more.
• A Sneak Peek: Integrity at the Center for Student Success & Intervention (Virtual).  Meet and engage with some of the Center for Student Success & Intervention staff and learn more about their passion for supporting students through various challenges. This event is part of Integrity Week. Thursday, March 2, 2:30 - 3:45 PM. Register here.
• Women of Color Roundtable with Columbia Faculty (In-Person). University Life, in partnership with the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and the School of International and Public Affairs, invites you to this roundtable event. Faculty members will share their experiences as scholars at this Graduate Initiative for Inclusion and Engagement event. Dinner and University Life swag will be provided. Thursday, March 2, 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Learn more and register.
• Who Reads in America? An Introduction to Nonfiction Books (Virtual). Kristen McLean, a leader at BookScan, and Kevin O’Connor, founding director of The Center for Nonfiction, will share their insights on the publishing industry and how books can meet the emotional needs of readers across demographics. This event is part of the Graduate Initiative for Inclusion and Engagement in partnership with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Thursday, March 9, 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Learn more and register.

Black History Month Events

• Teaching Black History To White People (Virtual). Join Columbia Climate School for a discussion and book give away with Leonard N. Moore, author of Teaching Black History to White People. Wednesday, February 22, 12:00 - 1:30 PM. Learn more.
• Caribbean Zumba Workout Class (Virtual). Join CUIMC’s African, Black, and Caribbean (ABC) Employee Resource Group for a fun workout class led by Lanoa Curry. Thursday, February 23, 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Register here.
• Black and Native Citizenship: The Making of American Identity (In-Person). Join the Lehman Center for American History for a conversation about race, identity, citizenship, and belonging with Caleb Gayle and Elizabeth Ellis. Thursday, February 23, 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Register here. 
• Black Bodies Labeled Suspicious in Nature: From Our Neighborhoods & Parks to Our Hair (Virtual). This roundtable discussion hosted by Columbia Climate School will address anti-Black racism and climate justice, including the negative impact of Eurocentric beauty norms and the criminalization of Black people in parks and green spaces. Tuesday, February 28, 12:00 - 1:30 PM. Learn more.

Commencement Opportunities

• Disability Affinity Graduation Celebration. This event will celebrate Columbia’s amazing graduates with disabilities. Special disability-affirming stoles will be given out along with awards for outstanding community disability activists. If you would like to receive a stole, please fill out this form by this Friday, February 24 at 11:59 PM.
• Call for Commencement Performers. The Commencement Office is seeking students to perform and/or sign the following songs at University Commencement on Wednesday, May 17, 2023: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “Stand, Columbia!” and “New York State of Mind.” Audition solo or with a group of friends.  Submit your audition video by Friday, April 1.

Fellowship Opportunities

• Social Impact Fellowship. Columbia World Projects invites rising third and fourth year undergraduate students to apply for the Social Impact Fellowship, a fully funded, five-week summer program, and an academic-year engagement with thought leaders and innovators. Apply by Monday, March 27.
• Tamer Fund for Social Ventures. Established in 2015, the fund provides seed grants of up to $25k to early-stage nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid social and environmental ventures affiliated with Columbia University. Apply by Wednesday, March 1.
• Kraft Global Fellows Program. The Office of the University Chaplain is accepting applications for the May 2023 Kraft Global Fellowship Program to Jordan. Fellows will work on a group research project, meet with community leaders, and visit religious and historical sites. Apply by Wednesday, March 15.
• George Van Amson Fellowship (Open to continuing undergraduates from all Columbia schools). This fellowship, funded by Community Impact, provides students with a $3,000 stipend and summer housing to support their unpaid nonprofit internship or service summer learning opportunity. Learn more and apply by Sunday, March 26. 

Happening Around Campus 

• Creative Writing Lecture: Elif Batuman (In-Person). Elif Batuman, author of The Idiot and Either/Or, will discuss her writing at this talk hosted by the School of the Arts. Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 - 9:00 PM. Learn more. 
• The Inspection: Film Screening (In-Person). GS Alumni Relations invites you to this screening and conversation with Elegance Bratton (GS ‘14). The Inspection, written and directed by Bratton, follows a young, gay Black man who joins the Marines after being rejected by his mother. The film draws inspiration from Bratton’s own life story. Thursday, February 23, 5:00 - 8:30 PM. Register here.
• Under Poisoned Skies (In-Person). This conversation will consider the deadly impact of the oil giants’ toxic air pollution on children and the planet with the directors of Under Poisoned Skies and experts in environmental racial justice and pediatric oncology. Hosted by the Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. Thursday, February 23, 6:30 - 8:00 PM.  Register here.
• Disaster Response and Recovery: Beirut, New York, and Beyond (Virtual). Columbia World Projects will discuss lessons learned from Beirut's port explosion in 2020 and New York City's pandemic response for future disaster recovery efforts, particularly the earthquakes that have recently struck Turkey and Syria. Monday, February 27, 9:00 - 10:00 AM. Register here.
• Teens & Tech: Partnering w/ Youth to Address Tech-Facilitated Abuse (Virtual) Join Columbia Health Sexual Violence Response and Day One to discuss strategies for identifying and preventing technology-facilitated abuse among adolescents. This session is designed for students, faculty, and staff who work or plan to work with adolescents in a professional or volunteer capacity. Tuesday, February 28, 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM. Register here.

Looking for more events and fun things to do in New York City? Check out our free and low-cost activities page! 

Take Care,

Joseph Defraine Greenwell, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs
University Life
Gender Pronouns: He/Him/His

Ixchel Rosal
Senior Associate Vice President for Student Life
University Life
Gender Pronouns: She/Her/Hers