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Columbia's 2006 graduates collectively demonstrate the strength of the University's student body, its diversity, courage and intellect. Many of them are destined to be among the world's next generation of civic, business, artistic and cultural leaders; others already have forged new paths of discovery in engineering, science, the humanities and medicine.
Of the more than 11,000 students graduating, more than 1,100 on the Morningside campus hail from abroad. This year's graduating seniors also include nine Fulbright Scholars and one National Science Foundation grant recipient. Some of Columbia's international students, as well as students from all over the United States, will be available for interviews immediately after Commencement. The experiences and achievements of these students are illustrative of the diversity and strength of the 2006 graduating class:
Lisa Y. Browne, of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, will receive a master of public health degree from the Mailman School of Public Health . At Columbia, her academic work focused on global public health, an interest that grew from research she conducted on healthcare in India, Kenya and Peru as an undergraduate at Lake Forest College.
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| Cabe Franklin |
Cabe Franklin, of St. Louis, will receive a master of business administration degree from the Graduate School of Business . Franklin served as president of the B-School student body, where he led a team of classmates in improving student services and technology infrastructure at the school. He also was part of a Columbia rugby team that placed third out of 17 American teams at the Duke MBA Rugby World Championships this April.
Mary Grace Goll, of West Milford, New Jersey, will receive a Ph.D. in genetics from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and will speak at graduation. She earned her degree with distinction, after completing research in the field of epigenetics, which has implications for cancer and fertility research.
Isaac Greenbaum, of Los Angeles, will receive a bachelor of science degree from the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science . Greenbaum cites a motorcycle design project as one his most notable academic experiences at Columbia. He graduates as the school's valedictorian and is a member of the Tau Beta Pi honor society.
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| Amatullah R'id |
Amatullah R'id, from Oakland, California, will receive a master of public administration in environmental science and policy from the School of International and Public Affairs . At Columbia, she gained hands-on experience in environmental policy, leading a consulting project for the Sustainable South Bronx, an environmental justice organization.
Saleem Josephs, from Kingston, Jamaica, will receive DDS, MPH and MBA degrees from the schools of Dental Medicine , Public Health and Business . Josephs completed the degrees in just five years. Prior to studying at Columbia, Josephs volunteered with mentally disabled persons in Lebanon and taught high-school math in Florida.
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| Jimmy Liao |
Jimmy Liao, of Auckland, New Zealand, will receive a master of laws degree from the School of Law and has been honored with election as the LL.M speaker for graduation. An accomplished lawyer before Columbia, Liao practiced law for five years after earning degrees in finance and law from Auckland University.
Eleena Melamed, from New York City, will receive a bachelor of arts in political science from the School of General Studies . Melamed traveled the world as a professional ballet dancer with The American Ballet Theater for five years before taking up studies at Columbia, where she has focused on international relations and the Middle East.
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| Rachel Vine |
Rachel Vine, from Fullerton, California, will receive a master of fine arts degree in film from the School of the Arts . Her short film Night Swimming earned her Best Producer at the 2005 Columbia Film Festival and has been screened in more than 60 festivals worldwide.
Some of these students will be available after commencement at noon in the Low Library Burden Room . Media interested in obtaining one-on-one student interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs at (212) 854-5573. |
