Columbia hosts Frontiers of Scholarship with GSAS students at the Alliance Francaise

Columbia GSAS graduates at 

Le Skyroom of the Alliance Francaise

Last Thursday evening about 50 GSAS graduates and friends gathered at Le Skyroom of The Alliance Francaise on East 60th Street to hear the research being conducted by three current students.

First to speak was Daniel Callahan of the Music Department whose talk discussed choreomusicality, the intersection of music and modern dance in the 20th century. It included early black and white footage from the Jacob's Pillow music festival.

Next Chinweike Okegbe, from Biological Sciences discussed bacterial communities and how companies such as Toyota are investigating how they generate electricity; other companies are showing how the colonies can help clean up oil spills.

Finally, Dianne Pfundstein of Political Science discussed her doctoral thesis that the US Military has a declining effectiveness in the post-Cold War period. Her main point is that adversary nations perceive a weakening in the US commitment to stay the course.

Dean Carlos Alonso introduced the speakers 

Dean Carlos J. Alonso introduced the program. Jazz music, wine, hors d'oeuvres and a delightful venue rounded out an entertaining evening.