Alumni in the News

Michael L. Cook ’65

DAVID DINI SIPA’14

The American College of Bankruptcy Foundation announced it has established its first extraordinary grant in honor of Michael L. Cook ’65, a partner in the law firm of Schulte, Roth & Zabel. Cook was chair and president of the college and chair of its Board of Regents from 2010 to 2016 and chair of the Pro Bono Committee from 2008 to 2010. The foundation’s primary mission is to provide financial support through grants to legal aid programs providing pro bono bankruptcy services for indigent consumer debtors across the country.

Sasha DiGiulian ’16 was named one of Glamour magazine’s 2016 College Women of the Year. DiGiulian, a three-time U.S. Nationals rock climbing champion, was the first woman to free climb the Magic Mushroom route of the North Face of the Eiger Mountain in the Swiss Alps, nicknamed “Murder Wall.”

Stephen Ollendorff ’60, LAW’63, along with director Jakov Sedlar, was a guest on PBS’ Caucus: New Jersey on April 16 to discuss the documentary Anne Frank: Then and Now; Ollendorff was representing The Ollendorff Center for Human & Religious Understanding. The film features Palestinian girls reading portions of The Diary of Anne Frank out loud and exploring how Frank’s diary relates to their lives and experiences.

Amelia Moore ’03, an assistant professor of sustainable and coastal tourism and recreation in the Department of Marine Affairs at Rhode Island, is the first American to receive a Fulbright to conduct research and teach in The Bahamas in more than a decade. Moore’s research includes an investigation of tourism development, destination design, sustainable tourism practices and the travel branding of small islands.

The New-York Historical Society awarded its annual American History Book Prize to Eric Foner ’63, GSAS’69, the Dewitt Clinton Professor of History, for his book Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad.

Alex Navab ’87, a former chair of the College’s Board of Visitors (he stepped down in May), received a 2016 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. The awards are presented each year on Ellis Island to American citizens who exemplify the values of the American way of life while honoring their ethnic heritage. Navab is head of the Americas Private Equity business at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Joshua Robinson ’08

DANIELLA ZALCMAN ’09

Joshua Robinson ’08, a reporter with The Wall Street Journal, is a recipient of one of the Newspaper Association of America’s inaugural “Top 30 Under 30” Awards, designed to honor young industry leaders in every aspect of the newspaper business.

Young Columbians are making a splash on Broadway this season. Daniel Lazour ’16 is a recipient of a Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater (“Staged Reading”) for We Live in Cairo, which he wrote with his brother Patrick and which tells the story of a group of young organizers and revolutionaries during 2011’s Arab Spring.

Brandon Victor Dixon ’07

Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon ’07 (for The Color Purple) joined the cast of Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, which follows the creation of a 1921 blockbuster show. And Sarah Steele ’11, who had a recurring role on CBS’ The Good Wife, is performing in The Humans, which The New York Times deemed a Critics Pick in its February 19 review, calling it the “finest new play of the Broadway season so far.”

David J. Johns ’04, TC’06 was presented the Teachers College Early Career Award on May 2 for his work in advocating for minority and low-income students. Johns is executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. He is a former senior education policy adviser to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

— Anne-Ryan Heatwole JRN’09