In the past year, we presented more than 30 dynamic programs, featuring writers, artists, scholars, and public figures who explored ideas, shared knowledge, and provided insight on important issues. Enjoy photos of highlights below, and be sure to visit our video archive of recent events: VIEW VIDEOS
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS 2017–2018
President Emmanuel Macron of the Republic of France spoke about the importance of dual-language education. (September 20)Carol Jenkins, host of Black America on CUNY-TV, led a discussion exploring the #MeToo movement, in our “Urgent Conversations” series. Panelists included Susan Chira of The New York Times; author Wendy Kaminer; Bianca Williams, associate professor of anthropology at the GC; and Carol Robles-Román of Legal Momentum. (February 27)Authors Andy Martin and Lee Child (creator of the best-selling Jack Reacher series)
discussed the writing process at the event “The Craft of Fiction.” (December 4)At “U.S. Tax Reform: Where Are We Now?” Paul Krugman—Nobel laureate, New York Times columnist, and GC distinguished professor of economics—engaged in a timely discussion amidst sweeping changes to the tax code. (February 28)Upon publication of his memoir Air Traffic, Gregory Pardlo (a Pulitzer Prize–winner and a Ph.D. candidate in English at the GC) joined fellow poet Vievee Francis for a reading and conversation on race and labor in their work. (April 26)Betsayda Machado (“The Voice of Venezuela”) performed with the group La Parranda as part of Live@365: A Global Music Series A Global Music Series. (March 16)As activism heated up in the first year of Trump’s presidency, the panel “Insurgency from Below: Activism in the Trump Era” featured Frances Fox Piven, distinguished professor of political science and sociology, emerita, at the GC; author Barbara Ehrenreich; Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw of Columbia and UCLA; and Ai-jen Poo of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. (October 11)Miguel Briones (Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience) was one of 16 students who presented their dissertations—in just three minutes each—at “Inside the Graduate Center.” The event showcased the diversity and potential of student research, across a range of disciplines. (May 7)Anya Kamenetz of NPR interviewed GC Distinguished Professor Cathy Davidson about her book The New Education—and how to revamp our current system for students today—at the event “Revolutionizing the University.” (November 6)Bob Herbert, noted journalist and former New York Times columnist, joined in a
discussion, “Race and Class in America” in the “Urgent Conversations” series. (November 16)Eduardo Porter of The New York Times spoke with Edward N. Wolff, professor at NYU and author of A Century of Wealth in America, an encyclopedic study of major trends in our economy. Wolff gave the second annual Stone Lecture on Wealth Inequality. (April 11)For the first event in our series “Black Women in the Public Sphere,” we welcomed
Valerie Smith, president of Swarthmore College, for a discussion on black women
in higher education. (April 16)As the issue was debated in Washington and across the country, “The Future of Healthcare in America” featured Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times (moderator), Jonathan Gruber (MIT), Dana Singiser (Planned Parenthood), Avik Roy (Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity), and Paul Krugman (GC distinguished professor). (October 2)Jamie Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein, gave insight into her father’s work as part of the eight-hour “Leonard Bernstein Marathon.” The monumental concert helped kick off the worldwide “Bernstein at 100” celebration. (December 2)Justin T. Brown, executive director of CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies, spoke
with Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, before she received the
José Muñoz Award. (June 16)
Thank you to all who attended public programs at the Graduate Center in 2017–2018—we hope to see you in the coming season!
