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NOBEL LAUREATE BARUJ BENACERRAF, DESIGNER MARY MCFADDEN, & MASTER CHEF JACQUES PEPIN AMONG ALUMNI TO BE HONORED BY COLUMBIA

Celebration Marks 50th Anniversary of College of General Studies

Columbia University's School of General Studies -- a college for adults who have had to postpone or interrupt their higher education -- will mark its 50th anniversary by honoring four alumni who have used their liberal arts degrees to make exceptional contributions to their fields, which range from journalism and medicine to fashion design and cuisine. Also being honored is an outstanding member of the School's most recently graduated class. The 50th Anniversary reception will be held on Tuesday, April 8, in Columbia University's Low Memorial Library. The five honorees are: Baruj Benacerraf ('42): Winner of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1980 and currently special advisor to the president of the Dana- Farber Cancer Institute, Benacerraf held various research and teaching positions at Columbia University, Harvard Medical School, the National Institutes of Health, and New York University before being named president and chief executive officer of Dana-Farber in 1980. His many honors include the National Medal of Science and the Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievements in Health and Education. Mary McFadden ('59): Designer Mary McFadden was associated with Vogue magazine for several years before forming Mary McFadden, Incorporated. She has received two prestigious Coty Awards, won acclaim for her women's clothing and home furnishing designs, and was named the first "Living Landmark" for Excellency in Design from the New York Landmarks Conservancy. R. W. Apple Jr.('61): New York Times Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief R.W. Apple Jr. has written from more than 100 countries, covered the Vietnam war, the Biafran war, the Iranian revolution, the overthrow of the Communist governments in Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Hungary, and numerous national conventions and Presidential elections. He headed the Times coverage of the Gulf War, reported on elections in Spain, Britain, France, and other countries, and covered Papal trips and a wide variety of other stories on five continents. Jacques Pepin ('70): One of America's best-known chefs, Jacques Pepin is the author of sixteen cookbooks and has hosted several programs on PBS television. He served as the personal chef to three French heads of state and currently serves as dean of special programs at The French Culinary Institute in New York and teaches at Boston University. Boris Kobrinskiy ('96): A biological sciences major, Boris Kobrinskiy graduated summa cum laude and was his class salutatorian. He served as a teaching assistant in Columbia University's Biology Department, taught an advanced anatomy class, and assisted with research in muscular- skeletal biomechanics. Kobrinskiy is currently deciding between five major medical schools for future study. Gillian Lindt, dean of the School of General Studies, and George Rupp, president of Columbia University, will welcome guests. In addition to paying tribute to the accomplished honorees, the Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Award for Junior Faculty will be presented to Professor Augustus C. Puleo, department of Spanish and Portuguese, and Professor Deborah Tarn Steiner, Classics Department; the Bancroft Award for Retiring Professor will be presented to University Professor Fritz Stern. The School of General Studies, with a long history of adapting to society's changing needs, serves a richly diverse and creative student body. The School's innovation and flexibility complement current demographic trends in the student population, shifting educational behavior patterns, and the accelerating need to prepare for more than one career. Balancing these demands with a tradition of excellence in liberal arts scholarship is the hallmark of a General Studies education. The School's Postbaccalaureate Premedical program, the oldest of its kind in the country, meets the needs of college graduates, many of whom pursued other careers or courses of study before deciding to attend medical school. 4.3.97 19,089