Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 from 12:10-1:30 in 200B Schermerhorn

• Melody Chao, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, "Essentialist theory of race: Its implication to social categorization and inter-cultural processes"

Monday, February 25, 2008 from 2:40- 4:00 in 200B Schermerhorn (in lieu of Social Snack)

• Valerie Purdie-Vaughns, Yale University,"Structuring Diversity: Psychological factors influencing the inclusion of stigmatized groups into mainstream institutions"

Monday, March 3, 2008 from 2:40- 4:00 in 200B Schermerhorn (in lieu of Social Snack)

• Kristin Shutts, Harvard University, "The Development of Social Categories"

Provost Brinkley and President Lee C. Bollinger are very pleased to announce the appointment of Geraldine Downey as the University’s new Vice Provost for Diversity Initiatives. Geraldine is a respected colleague, an innovative teacher, an award-winning psychologist, and a treasured member of the Columbia community since 1991. Having trained at University College-Dublin, Cornell, and Michigan, she is a leading developmental psychologist recognized for her path-breaking research on identity formation and for her vigorous commitment to mentoring students. As professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, Geraldine has had extensive experience in faculty recruitment and development. She also serves as the director of Columbia’s Social Relations Laboratory.

In her role as Vice Provost, Geraldine will be giving special attention to the question of diversity in the sciences--an issue of national concern and one in which we believe Columbia can become a national leader. She will, of course, also continue current efforts to advance diversity generally in the professional schools and the Arts and Sciences. Please join us in welcoming Geraldine to this important position of leadership and in affirming our shared commitment to strengthening diversity as a critical component of the Columbia community. Dr. Geraldine Downey's research was recently featured in Psychology Today as the cover story in the August 2007 issue. The article, entitled, "Dumped (but not down)" discusses Dr. Downey's work on rejection sensitivity. You can read more about this article here.

Vanessa Anderson and Abigail Scholer, who were named 2006-07 recipients of the Christie Fellowship, are pictured with Prof. Geraldine Downey in the March 19th edition of The Record at the GSAS fellowship dinner on March 6, 2007. The fellowship will be used in support of their research.

His dissertation, Cognitive Control during Episodic Memory Encoding, was selected as the sole recipient of the Cattell Award which is sponsored by the Psychology Section of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Jennifer Mangels has also been recognized as Dr. Chris Summerfield's mentor.

Friday, February 16, 2007 from 11:00am-3:30pm. 501 Schermerhorn Hall, Columbia University.

For undergraduates, graduates, and post-docs who are considering careers in science and engineering, this symposium will consider such questions as:

• What is the career path like for scientists and engineers who wish to work in a univeristy?
• How does it differ from carrer paths of those who work in industry?
• What special challenges do women and other underrepresented groups face as they advance through their insitutions?
• Do scientists and engineers have lives outside of work?

The Record describes this Arts and Sciences Honor as one "...that recognizes faculty members who demonstrate extraordinary merit across a range of professional activities - particularilty in instructing and mentoring their students."

Cited in the article was Prof. Downey's research on the psychological aspects of rejection and her course "Children at risk".