educated jan2012

36
WINTER 2012 A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK OBSERVER NEW YORK TECH CITY SUMMER SCHOOL ... BY CHOICE BEST PLACES TO STUDY Q & A WITH PERSONALITIES ON CAMPUS RENDERING COURTESY CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Upload: sydney-f-sarachan

Post on 03-Dec-2014

804 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

WINTER 2012 A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK OBSERVER

NEW YORK TECH CITY

SUMMER SCHOOL ... BY CHOICE

BEST PLACES TO STUDY

Q & A WITHPERSONALITIES ON CAMPUS

RENDERING COURTESY CORNELL UNIVERSITY

EDUCATION JAN 2012_COVER.indd 1 1/13/12 3:32:09 PM

Frank G. ZarbSchool of BusinessOnline M.B.A. Program Earn an Online M.B.A. in Strategic

Business Management Flexible, convenient and accredited Taught by full-time Hofstra faculty Connect to our alumni and businesses

in New York City

The Frank G. Zarb School of BusinessRecently ranked as the 5th part-time M.B.A. program in the Northeast and 49th in the country by Bloomberg Businessweek, listed among the nation’s top M.B.A. programs by Forbes, and recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report, a Zarb School of Business graduate degree is the edge you need. Top-ranked programs. Renowned faculty. State-of-the-art facilities. Close to the heart of the business world.

Find out more @ hofstra.edu/mbaonlineOr call: 516-463-5683

Ad_ZarbOnline_NYObserver.indd 1 1/4/12 3:32 PM

Education Jan 2012_Final 2 1/13/12 2:23:46 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 3

We are proud to present the Winter 2012 issue of The Educated Observer!

As only this city would have it, the legendary Frank Sinatra once crooned, “If I can make it there, I!ll make it anywhere. It!s up to you New York, New York!” However, today, in order to “make it” in New York (and anywhere else in the world) one needs a proper education.

In this issue of The Educated Observer we provide an insider’s perspective on the city’s best offer-ings for educators, students and their families. We bring you an insightful feature on the trend sweep-ing universities-technopolises, dish on the best neighborhood nooks to take your textbooks and offer a list of upcoming cultural events (to round out your resume, of course!). We profile the sur-prisingly vibrant campus scene in the city where we meet a remarkable Tom Handley, the vibrant and energetic professor at Parsons The New School for Design, who’s been busy inspiring his students to put their best foot forward everyday. We also visited Jason Philips, the head librarian on gender

and sexuality studies at NYU’s Bobst Library. Mr. Philips talked to us about his unique approach to teaching, based largely on the idea that learning begins with the written word. There is certain-ly no shortage of learning opportunities available in New York City, home of numerous prestigious pre-college programs for high school seniors. The Educated Observer highlights five pre-college pro-grams that are worth some serious consideration.

Education often leads to great inspiration. We sat down with the extremely inspiring Adam Braun, who launched his entrepreneurial venture “Pencils of Promise” armed with an education from Brown University and a mere $25.00. Mr. Braun believes that education is the foundation for creating sus-tainable and self-reliant communities across the world, which is why he is passionately dedicated to building schools and making education accessible to students all over the world.

Happy Reading!The Educated Observer

GET

TY IM

AG

ES

Education Jan 2012_Final 3 1/13/12 2:52:41 PM

4 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

By Krista Carter

SUMMER USED TO BE A TIME dedicated to endless hours at the beach, when one could revel in the company of friends, read a book for leisure (and guilty pleasure) and catch up on missed episodes of TV shows; essentially, summer equated to having a schedule free of defin-itive plans, commitments and obligations. But those days are long gone.

Given today’s distressed economy, there seems to be no time to enjoy life’s frivolous pursuits. One must seize each and every moment, or carpe diem as Professor John Keating encouraged his students in Dead Poets Society. As compe-tition among college applicants grows fiercer, prospective stu-dents need to find ways to set themselves apart from their peers; one approach could be to show some initiative during those two blissful and fleeting months of summer vacation.” It is never too early to start think-ing ahead, and high school students should anticipate the next step in their academic fu-ture. Although it might not be breaking news, it is assured that college administrators are looking for applicants who not only possess exception-al test scores, but who also are involved in extracurricu-lar activities; in other words, the well-rounded student is often the most sought-after candidate. While the college application process can be tax-ing on a seventeen-year-old, there are certain measures one can take in preparing for such an occasion.

Select colleges and uni-versities offer pre-college programs to high school students. Depending on the in-stitution, high school students may be afforded the opportunity to enroll in college-level cours-es, study abroad programs, or seminars. Aside from a focus on academics that aims to sati-ate the intellectual curiosities of incoming students, pre-col-

lege programs bring the social aspect of the college experience to students, allowing them to realize the full scope that rela-tionships and networking have on one’s personal and profes-sional development.

Now is the time to start plan-ning ahead. Here are five top pre-college programs that are worth giving some serious consideration:

BROWN UNIVERSITYProvidence, RIFEATURED PROGRAMS: Summer Session Credit courses: Rising or graduated high school seniors earn college credit in seven-week courses beginning June 17 and ending on August 3, 2012, studying side-by-side with Brown undergraduates. Pre-College Courses: Students completing 9th-12th grade by June 2012 are eligible to apply to multiple 1 to 4-week sessions from June 17 – August 10, 2012.Eligible for College Credit: Summer Session Credit courses: Yes; Pre-College Courses: NoDeadlines: Applications for the Summer Session Credit Courses and Pre-College Courses begin in January, and while there are no definitive deadlines, applicants are encouraged to apply early, as courses tend to fill quickly.Online Courses offered: YesStudy Abroad: Yes, in four locations: Segovia, Naxos, Ireland, and Rome.Website: http://www.brown.edu/ce/pre-college/

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITYNew York, NYFEATURED PROGRAMS: Programs are divided between a Junior-Senior Division and a Freshmen-Sophomore Division and courses can be in either Session I (June 25-July 13, 2012), Session II (July

Columbia

Summer School ... By Choice?

Columbia University

Education Jan 2012_Final 4 1/13/12 2:54:18 PM

Pre­College Programs at Brown University

www.brown.edu/summer

!" Prepare to succeed in a college environment

!" Experience the freedom and responsibility of college life

!" Discover and develop new passions

!" Meet exceptional students from around the world

!" Connect with world­class ideas, people, and facilities

SPARK – Middle School Science ProgramStudents entering 8th and 9th grade immerse themselves in exciting science subjects, and gain the foundations necessary for further !"#$%&#'"(#%)*#+,-

Environmental Leadership in Hawaii

Pre­College Courses

Summer Session Credit Courses

Brown Leadership Institute

Intensive English Language Program

Scholar Athlete

TheatreBridge

SPARK – Science for Middle School

Summer Study Abroad for High School Students

Online Courses – Spring, Summer and Fall Sessions

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 5

Education Jan 2012_Final 5 1/13/12 2:24:13 PM

6 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

17-August 3, 2012) or both.Eligible for College Credit: NoDeadlines: Priority Applications are due by February 10, 2012 (Note: application fee is waived for online applicants), while Regular Applications are accepted through April 6, 2012. Online Courses offered: NoStudy Abroad: NoWebsite: http://ce.columbia.edu/Summer-Program-High-School-Students-NYC

BARNARD COLLEGENew York, NYFEATURED PROGRAMS: Summer in the City: A variety of liberal arts courses are offered over a four-week session, from June 24, 2012 through July 21, 2012. The courses are co-ed and are open to high school juniors and seniors. Young Women’s Leadership Institute: A one week program (July 8, 2012 - July 15, 2012) that explores the relationship between gender and leadership. It is only offered to female juniors and seniors.

Eligible for College Credit: NoDeadline: May 7, 2012Online Courses Offered: NoStudy Abroad: NoWebsite: http://barnard.columbia.edu/precollege

CORNELL UNIVERSITYIthaca, NYFEATURED PROGRAM:Cornell Summer College begins June 23, 2012, and runs through August 7, 2012. Programs are either three weeks or six weeks in duration. Applicants must have completed their sophomore, junior or senior year of high school by June 2012 in order to be considered.Eligible for College Credit: YesDeadlines: Applications for Research Apprenticeship in Biological Sciences (RABS) are due by March 16, 2012, while all other programs must be received by May 4, 2012.Online Courses offered: NoStudy Abroad: NoWebsite: http://www.sce.cornell.edu/sc/about/overview.php

HARVARDCambridge, MAFEATURED PROGRAM:Secondary School Program (SSP), running from June 23, 2012, through August 10, 2012, is open to high school sopho-mores, juniors, and seniors.

Eligible for College Credit: YesDeadlines: The application period begins on December 8, 2011, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.Online Courses offered: NoStudy Abroad: NoWebsite: http://www.summer.harvard.edu/programs/ssp/

6

Barnard

Harvard

Education Jan 2012_Final 6 1/13/12 2:55:06 PM

Education Jan 2012_Final 7 1/13/12 6:29:21 PM

8 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

By Nitasha TikuThis article was originally

published to Betabeat.com on December 20, 2011.

ON MONDAY, THE LOBBY OF the Weill Cornell Medical College, which resides on a particular-ly gray stretch of the Upper East Side, was crawling with men and women in wooly blazers dotted with “carnelian” buttons—the technical name for the maroon hue that invariably moves Cornell students to chant some version of “Go Big Red!”

Inside the auditorium, as an assembly of press, pols, and local technorati waited for Mayor Bloomberg to appear, a giant projector flashed a mosaic of the Cornell University logo.

The news had been leaked to every major news outlet by mid-night on Sunday; there was no point in being coy.

“Today will be remembered as a defining moment,” Mayor Bloomberg told the crowd, offi-cially announcing that a 50-50 joint proposal between Cornell and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology had won the $100 million grant to build a new en-gineering mecca and applied sciences campus. The project is designed to help New York sur-pass Silicon Valley as a global innovation capital, creating 30,000 jobs and as much as $1.4 billion in tax revenue.

For the next hour, a stream of political operatives, from New York City Economic Development Council president Seth Pinsky to councilmember Jessica Lappin, who represents Roosevelt Island, where the 2 million sq. ft. build-out will stand, took to the podium to express their breathless excite-ment at the scope of the $2 billion initiative.

Cornell president David Skorton debuted a video of an aerial rendering of the gleaming net-zero energy building. Set to a dramatic score, it looked like a CGI version of a utopian future—you know, the part in the sci-fi flick before the apocalypse sets

in. “There are visions of sugar-plums dancing in my head right now,” said New York City Public Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott in response to the bit about Cornell and Technion in-structing 200 of his teachers in science education every year.

“Of all the applications we re-ceived, Cornell and the Technion’s was far and away the boldest and most ambitious,” Mr. Bloomberg said of the sweeping offer, which

included a $150 million venture capital fund, startup accelerator, and ambitious plans to construct 300,000 sq. ft. by just 2017—as close to the end of his third term as the mayor was likely to get.

But what should have been an effortless victory lap for the city’s yearlong plan to remake its econ-omy for the coming century was clouded by a note of confusion. Stanford, after all, was pegged the front-runner at least as far

back as March, when Mayor Bloomberg gave a speech in Palo Alto, noting, “We’re particularly pleased that Stanford—which has a top-flight engineering school—is considering the idea.” Stanford batted its eyelashes back by launching a Tumblr—New York native!—featuring a video of Larry Page and Sergey Brin talk-ing up the Mayor’s initiative.

Indeed, as late as Friday morn-ing, the school’s negotiating team was still locked in meetings with EDC officials; a few hours later, news hit the wire that Stanford had withdrawn its bid. And not long after that, Cornell issued a hastily-written press release revealing that it had received a $350 million anonymous do-nation. The largest gift in the school’s history was announced late on a Friday afternoon.

At the time, it was hard to say what was chicken and what was egg. Was Stanford trying to save face with a preemptive break-up, or did Cornell win by default? Surprisingly bitter recrimina-tions followed from the various players as everyone tried to spin the narrative in their favor.

Part of the difficulty of un-derstanding where negotiations broke down is a silence clause stipulated in the request for proposal (RFP). But numerous sources, who spoke under con-dition of anonymity, painted a picture of tense discussions and

onerous demands that left several schools wary, including Stanford.

Cornell, eager to increase its presence in New York City, was more compliant at the negoti-ating table and better versed in what it took to get city ap-proval, including fundraising before commitments were made. Sources said the $350 million gift, for example, had been secured for months. “We need to expand be-yond Ithaca,” President Skorton said plainly from the podium.

“Cornell needed it more. But NYC Tech needs Stanford more,” tweeted New York City–based venture capitalist David Pakman, alluding to the latter’s prestige within tech circles and facili-ty with spinning out successful startups. (There’s a reason China and Russia are trying to build their own Silicon Valley.)

In the end, it seems the city got a better deal for taxpayers by going with the one that wanted it more, rather than the one it was supposed to want.

A university source famil-iar with the negotiations said Stanford’s decision to drop out wasn’t based on any one issue, but rather due to “a whole host of things that held them liable for factors outside of [their] con-trol,” such as big-ticket penalties for missed construction dead-lines and the city’s desire “to indemnify themselves for any toxicity” at the Roosevelt Island site. Although a Phase II study was commissioned this year, a full scale analysis of the medical dump under the hospital can-not be done until the building is razed. Should serious hazards be uncovered, the school will be on the hook not only for the clean-up but also potentially for resultant delays.”You had a lot of institu-tions that wouldn’t even apply because of the terms, and they got even more severe in the nego-tiation process,” said the source.

City officials counter that such stipulations are par for the course. “If we didn’t include these types of commitments, there would be a chorus of people saying: How could the city write

Safety School? As Stanford Says ‘See Ya!’ Bloomberg Hops in Bed with Big RedHow New York City got a better deal by going with the less prestigious choice

Was Stanford trying to save face with a preemptive break-up, or did Cornell win by

default?

Bloomberg addresses the press, and anxious techies everywhere.

Education Jan 2012_Final 8 1/13/12 2:55:59 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 9

a blank check to a university that in five years could just decide it wasn’t into it?!” one official said. “It’s standard in any kind of long-term land lease or land sale that the city would ask the recipient to agree to certain benchmarks.” (Cornell and Technion are leas-ing the land for the next 99 years, at which point they can pony up $1 to buy.)

However, legal representa-tion for schools besides Stanford also balked at the contract. “The legal document that we got was essentially, if you signed it, it would require you to build even if you didn’t hit the [fundrais-ing] target,” another university source said. “If you state that by this date, you’re going to have this much faculty and this much building completed, and you don’t get it completed, you’re left open to a legal challenge. It was enough for our general counsel to raise a red flag to say they are not comfortable with signing this.”

Even institutions that have ne-gotiated to build in New York City before hadn’t encountered this level of vulnerability to legal ac-tion. “There wasn’t any contract we signed that if our endowment goes to Madoff and then goes to nothing, we’re required to build,” said another source familiar with land use issues in New York.

The city’s aggressive negotiat-ing stance also created friction. As has been reported, Stanford did not take a shine to Mayor Bloomberg’s assertion during a talk at MIT in late November that “Stanford is desperate to do it,” even if he said the same of Cornell. The bigger stumbling block, ac-cording to our sources, seems to have been another remark ut-tered during that same speech: According to Mr. Bloomberg, the desperation meant that, “We can go back and try to renegoti-ate with each one.” A university source said Stanford “had no idea that everything was back on the table.” The school “responded in good faith, and everything was changing,” said the source, wryly adding, “But apparently Cornell said yes to everything.”

“Seth [Pinsky] famously ne-gotiates every last penny off the table, and that spooked Stanford,” acknowledged a New York City real estate executive. “They thought they had a partner and were shocked with his hard line. They were told not to worry about the particulars and that it would be fixed in the end, but de-spite assurances, they ultimately

felt uncomfortable partnering with the city.”

A city official pointed out that it was that same aggressive stance that helped Mr. Pinsky close “complicated and thorny” deals on Hudson Yards and Willets Points, which the city had been trying to navigate for years.

In fact, a source with knowl-edge of the negotiation process said familiarity with the way the city does business helped Cornell, which already employs more than 5,000 New York City residents. “There are things the city is going to ask you to do that [Cornell] was very comfortable with, it’s not clear that the other side was that comfortable,” said the source before dropping a bit of local trivia, “They know what a ULURP is.”

ULURP, or Uniform Land Review Procedure is the city’s notoriously arduous standard-ized review process. In October, Columbia University president Lee Bollinger told the school’s newspaper, “I’ve been through a ULURP process. Nobody in their right mind should go through a ULURP process more than once in their life.” Of course, Mr. Bollinger was talking about how the ordeal might hold back his

competitors for the tech campus RFP, noting that it took Columbia three-and-a-half years from sub-mitting rezoning plans to getting mayoral approval to develop in Manhattanville. It’s something candidates no doubt had in mind considering the penalties for delays.

“It’s binding,” Mr. Bloomberg shot back to a question from the press corps about the contract. “Keep in mind, if we’re gonna in-vest, commit this land, turn down other people who wanted it, and invest $100 million, you don’t do that unless you have a binding commitment… One of the attrac-tive things about Cornell is that they know how to do business in the city. Just look around,” he added, referring to Weill Cornell Medical College.

But both city officials and Cornell say it was the school’s superior offering that clinched the deal. “The catalyst was that Cornell was beating them in every single category,” said source close to Cornell, citing the speed of construction, the size of the campus, and the amount of students and faculty it will serve.

“Cornell was hungrier, Cornell was more humble in the pro-cess—I think it helped them win

the proposal,” said Charlie Kim, CEO of Next Jump, a loyalty re-wards company, who sits on the advisory committee that helped select winners. Mr. Kim said the committee met a thirty to for-ty-five days ago and then again last week to go into more detail. “I think probably after review-ing everything, and this is kind of my opinion, I felt Cornell-Technion was the number one recommendation.”

City officials claim the rush to sign the papers was merely a re-flection of the way discussions were being structured. The city was simultaneously negotiat-ing with everyone that applied, trying to move each deal as far along as possible. When Stanford dropped out, the deal with Cornell was already near completion.

And what of the mysterious $350 million donation? Though some speculated that the money had come from Mayor Bloomberg himself, The New York Times re-vealed Monday evening it had been a gift from Cornell alum Charles Feeney, the Duty Shop Group entrepreneur and sub-ject of the book The Billionaire Who Wasn’t: How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing.

Which isn’t to say Mr. Bloomberg won’t be opening up his wallet to see that his leg-acy-defining project remains on track. Although Cornell and Technion have been granted the full $100 million, the city left open the possibility of ap-proving a second smaller-scale project, like plans from NYU and the Polytechnic Institute to transform the derelict former MTA headquarters into a Center for Urban Science and Progress, or Carnegie Mellon’s proposed partnership with Steiner Studios to build a digital media campus at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, both of which will now likely have to rely on philanthropic donations.

“You assume that when they make phone calls, I’d be on the list,” Mr. Bloomberg said at the press conference, while trying not to crack a smile. “But I also have some commitments to some other educational institutions, as you know.”

‘Cornell was hungrier, Cornell was more humble in the process—I think it

helped them win the proposal.’

Technion President Peretz Lavie, left, and Cornell President David J. Skorton in front of the composite rendering of the proposed campus on Roosevelt Island.

CO

RN

ELL

UN

IVER

SITY

PH

OTO

GR

APH

Y, J

ASO

N K

OSK

I, D

IGIT

AL

WO

RK

MA

TTH

EW F

ON

DEU

R

Education Jan 2012_Final 9 1/13/12 2:56:21 PM

10 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

Choose from professionally oriented programs in:

New York University is an affi rmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2012 New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

There’s Still Time to Register @ NYU-SCPS

Online registration is quick and easy: scps.nyu.edu/x566 or call 212-998-7150

Spring is the time to grow.Now is the time to plan.

Seiter&Miller 000748 Pub. NYO Size 8.25 x 10.75 Issue 01/23/12

Art Director: sd/mk/lg Copywriter: ms Account Executive: wt Date 01/09/12

The holidays are over and a new year has begun. Although you may be tempted to go into hibernation, now is the time to plant the seeds for growth in the spring. New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS) offers more than 1,500 intensives, certi! cates, traditional classes, and online courses to cultivate your creativity, grow your network, and sow the seeds for success. Study online or onsite with top industry professionals. Day, evening, and weekend schedules are available.

BusinessCareer and Life PlanningGlobal AffairsHospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management

Liberal Studies and Allied ArtsMedia Industry Studies and DesignPhilanthropy and FundraisingReal Estate

NYU’s Brooklyn Tech Campus Is a Top Contender, But MTA’s Jay Street Asking Price Has Grown

By Nitasha TikuThis article was originally

published to Betabeat.com on January 1, 2012.

FOR MONTHS, MAYOR Bloom-berg has dangled the possibility of picking two winners for the city’s tech campus competition. He even left the possibility open while announcing that the New York City Economic Development Corporation would give the full $100 million grant to Cornell-Technion to build an applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island. Now Crain’s is reporting that between the remaining contestants, NYU’s Downtown Brooklyn proposal may have “taken center stage” over Carnegie Mellon’s Navy Yard campus and Columbia’s Manhattanville proposal.

Hey, if the Fulton St. Mall can have its own Shake Shack, why shouldn’t the M.T.A’s derelict former headquarters on nearby 370 Jay St. be transformed into a Center for Urban Science and Progress?

Although Crain’s says NYU, the M.T.A., and E.D.C. all want to make a deal to help revital-ize Downtown Brooklyn, “but money is the sticking point.”

Back in October, NYU was ask-ing for $20 to $25 million from the city and pledged spending $450 million on the 200,000 sq. ft. space. Now that some-one actually wants the blighted building that has frustrated of-ficials for year, the M.T.A. is asking for more:

“NYU has asked the city for $20 million to help buy out the MTA, based largely on num-bers thrown around during previous attempts to revive the beleaguered building, sources familiar with the proposal said. But the MTA’s asking price has now ballooned to $50 million to $60 million.”

As Crain’s reports:“The MTA controls the site

via a master lease and has the right to stay in the building as long as it is using it. The 459,000-square-foot property contains vital communications equipment, and the negotia-tions hinge on just how much it

would cost to move or replace it.”

At the press conference an-nouncing Cornell-Technion’s big win, city officials seemed some-what optimistic about the ability to find the financing for a second project, even without any of the $100 million in play. “Obviously the city budget funds other proj-ects,” said the source, “If there’s a way to make it work with other funding, that could be a possi-bility. If there’s philanthropy we can do, then we might be able to get somewhere.”

Another City Hall source of-fered some clarification on the MTA’s position. As we original-ly mentioned back in October, the $20 to $25 million that NYU

pledged to build the center was allocated in part to cover, “in-frastructure improvements and moving out old MTA equip-ment.” The latter appears to be the real issue because the 459,000-square-foot property still contains vital communica-tions equipment for the MTA.

“It’s pretty integral signal-ling equipment, it has to do with running the train lines,” said the source who believed the infra-structure was currently in use by the agency. “The tough piece of 370 Jay has been that that equipment is there.” The source also noted that it wasn’t so much that the cost “ballooned” as that estimates to relocate that equip-ment has varied through the

years, including when the MTA was contemplating putting out an RFP to redevelop the build-ing. “Clearly neither of those estimates was the city’s esti-mates,” said the source, who also seemed optimistic about the ability to reach a deal with NYU and the MTA.

Even if NYU’s Downtown Brooklyn project was selected as a second winner, that might not necessarily leave Columbia and Carnegie Mellon out. “I think we’re still working on creative ways to do all of them,” said the source. ” Even without the $100 million, we wondered? “There are other ways to create incentives for people to pursue these projects,” the source offered obliquely.

NYU’s proposed campus at 370 Jay Street.

Education Jan 2012_Final 10 1/13/12 2:58:34 PM

Choose from professionally oriented programs in:

New York University is an affi rmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2012 New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

There’s Still Time to Register @ NYU-SCPS

Online registration is quick and easy: scps.nyu.edu/x566 or call 212-998-7150

Spring is the time to grow.Now is the time to plan.

Seiter&Miller 000748 Pub. NYO Size 8.25 x 10.75 Issue 01/23/12

Art Director: sd/mk/lg Copywriter: ms Account Executive: wt Date 01/09/12

The holidays are over and a new year has begun. Although you may be tempted to go into hibernation, now is the time to plant the seeds for growth in the spring. New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS) offers more than 1,500 intensives, certi! cates, traditional classes, and online courses to cultivate your creativity, grow your network, and sow the seeds for success. Study online or onsite with top industry professionals. Day, evening, and weekend schedules are available.

BusinessCareer and Life PlanningGlobal AffairsHospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management

Liberal Studies and Allied ArtsMedia Industry Studies and DesignPhilanthropy and FundraisingReal Estate

Education Jan 2012_Final 11 1/13/12 2:30:17 PM

12 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

Building an Education from the Ground Up

Above, Pencils of Promise in Laos. Right, Adam Braun with a young student in Guatemala.

What are traditionally yellow in color, more popular as #2 than as a #1, and when inserted into “___________ of Promise,” completes the name of a young and successful non-profit?

A. Bananas

B. Hand-me-downs

C. Pencils

D. Post-its

Answer: [C.] Pencils

NIC

K O

NK

EN/P

HO

TOG

RA

PHS

CO

UR

TESY

PE

NC

ILS

OF

PRO

MIS

E

Education Jan 2012_Final 12 1/13/12 3:58:07 PM

!"#$%&'()*+,-./-.01-"'22032((4+-.56789::7')"";;;: :<=>=::;;;6?8@;A1 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 13

NIC

K O

NK

EN/P

HO

TOG

RA

PHS

CO

UR

TESY

PE

NC

ILS

OF

PRO

MIS

E

Education Jan 2012_Final 13 1/13/12 2:30:58 PM

MEET ADAM BRAUN, THE 28-YEAR-old Founder and Executive Director of Pencils of Promise (PoP), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, or what Mr. Braun prefers to call a “for-purpose” organization, dedicated to building schools and making education accessible to students in developing na-

tions. After graduating from Brown University and landing a job as an associate consultant at Bain & Company, Mr. Braun decided to change career paths, and in October 2008 launched Pencils of Promise. To undertake an entrepre-neurial venture at 25 (with a mere $25 de-posit, no less) seems like a big risk, but in just

over three years, Pencils of Promise has proven to be one of the fastest-growing and most successful non-profits in re-cent years, building 60 schools in Laos, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. The secret? Having graduated college the same year as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Mr. Braun understands, utilizes and ap-preciates social media as a cheap, yet highly effective way to get the word out. He also reveals that using for-profit busi-ness acumen according to a non-profit agenda has provided Pencil of Promise with a sound and strategic business approach to tackling education in un-derprivileged Asian and Latin America countries. (Interestingly, Mr. Braun ad-mits that finding talent in the for-profit sector willing to make the switch over to a non-profit is one of PoP’s biggest challenges.)

Inspired by his time spent travel-ling abroad in his early 20s, Mr. Braun saw extreme poverty, most notably in Northern India. Piqued by curiosity as a young foreigner, he would ask chil-dren, “If you could have anything, what would it be?” Expecting to hear re-sponses such as a PlayStation, an iPod or even a house, he was surprised to hear much simpler answers: “To dance,” one girl had said. Perhaps the response that resonated with him the most, and from which the organization gets its name was, “a pencil.”

Mr. Braun happened to have a pencil with him and gave it to the young boy, watching as “his face just lit up.” The ex-change made him realize how an act so simple and so small can make such a sig-nificant impact. While Mr. Braun views money as an enabler that will ultimate-ly “keep kids on the streets,” he believes that an education is what will lead indi-viduals and communities in becoming sustainable and self-reliant. During his travels he was approached by parents who expressed to him a strong desire for their children to have an education. Empowered by these encounters, and with a newfound sense of purpose, Mr.

He ... reveals that using for-profit business acumen according to a non-profit

agenda has provided Pencil of Promise with a sound and strategic business approach.

NIC

K O

NK

EN/P

HO

TOG

RA

PHS

CO

UR

TESY

PEN

CIL

S O

F PR

OM

ISE

Above and below, children in Laos.

Education Jan 2012_Final 14 1/13/12 4:07:44 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 15

Education Jan 2012_Final 15 1/13/12 2:33:56 PM

16 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

Braun set out to make a change.Pencils of Promise collab-

orates with the Ministry of Education (PoP’s first part-nership), local government and NGOs in compiling a list of areas in need of the most edu-cational assistance; however, the responsibility of deciding which areas to pursue is not al-ways an easy task. While the list may be organized numeri-cally, those areas at the top of the list are not necessarily the most in need. “Because of nepo-tism,” Mr. Braun says, “it is good to have locals on the ground.” With a staff that is 95% local, PoP can easily discern which villages are actually in need of assistance from those that are seeming-ly in need (oftentimes these are villages connected to govern-ment officials). Once a village is identified, and before build-

ing begins, the village agrees to provide 10-20% of construc-tion costs, typically in the form of raw materials and labor. PoP’s dedication to sourcing local labor has provided communities with jobs, especially in the areas of construction and teaching. Mr. Braun says, “Once they break ground, it takes approximately two and a half to three months to complete a single school.” Undoubtedly, there is a lot to be done in 2012, especially because PoP will need to build 40 schools in order to reach its goal of 100 (60 were constructed in the past three years) by the year’s end. While Mr. Braun’s initial goal for PoP was to build one school, the organization’s influence in developing countries has contin-ued to extend even further, and perhaps one of the biggest chal-lenges will not be made manifest

At 12-years-old, students will have to face the difficult decision of continuing their

education or working to help their family.

NIC

K O

NK

EN/P

HO

TOG

RA

PHS

CO

UR

TESY

PEN

CIL

S O

F PR

OM

ISE

Guatemala

Laos

Education Jan 2012_Final 16 1/13/12 3:01:58 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 17

Explore graduate programs focused on learner-centered education.

Becoming a Teacher: A Forum for Career Changers Monday, January 26 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Graduate School Open House Thursday, February 2 5:15 - 7:00 pm

RSVP: [email protected] 212.875.4404

Bank Street College Graduate School of Education 610 West 112th Street, New York, NY

to 110th Street www.bankstreet.edu/explore

BankstreetGraduate School of Education

until the years ahead when many of the current pre-school and pri-mary students will be entering secondary school, or what Mr. Braun terms as “the drop-out point.” Although PoP under-takes building middle schools, such as Pamezabal Básico Institute in Guatemala, the ma-jority of its completed projects are early-education institutions. At 12-years-old, students will have to face the difficult decision of continuing their education or working to help their family. But in anticipating the future, PoP is already planning to launch a scholarship program that would allow underprivileged students to continue their education with the following condition: they must mentor five to ten kids from their own village as a way of perpetuating education and giving back to the community.

So how do Mr. Braun and his team manage their hectic sched-ules? His answer was simple:

“I listen to music,” citing Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Radiohead among his favorite artists. He adds, whether intend-ing to excite or relax the staff, there is always music playing in the office.

Jaded pragmatists might gawk at the pipe dreams of yet

another twenty-something, but after having spoken with Mr. Braun, I interpret his quixot-ic idealism as charming rather than naïve, and given Pencils of Promise’s successful track re-cord, one can sense how “Like a rolling stone … ” or better yet, like the Rolling Stones, it will

not be stopping anytime soon. This might be the first instance, but it will definitely not be the last that you will hear of Adam Braun and Pencils of Promise.

To learn more about Pencils of Promise and to donate, please visit the website: www.pencil-sofpromise.orgEL

IZA

BET

H M

ITA

RO

/CO

UR

TESY

PEN

CIL

S O

F PR

OM

ISE

Education Jan 2012_Final 17 1/13/12 3:02:20 PM

18

JANUARY 27Theatre: Lovers and Other CreaturesHunter College, Goldberg Studio

8:00pmA compendium of performances produced by the Hunter Theatre Company, Lovers and Other Creatures includes a version of Edward Albee’s Broadway hit The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? And is directed by Kevin Maloof. The Weiner Monologues promises to be interesting. The play was conceived and developed by The Red Couch Group, written by John Oros and directed by Jonathan Harper Schlieman. [email protected]

NYU Scientists’ Band, the Amygdaloids, Launch New EP327 Bowery at 2nd Street, Bowery ElectricNot an academic event per se, but just as, if not more inter-esting will be a group of NYU Scientists performing with their band: The Amygdaloids. The Amygdaloids include NYU neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux, director of NYU’s Emotional Brain Institute. Behind, what for many will be a curious per-formance is the serious issue of increasing awareness of mental health issues. Students and many interested in neu-roscience will likely be in attendance, and with the aid of rock music as an ice-break-er, the conversation will at least provide more stimulation than a 9am class.

JANUARY 31 Arts: Andy Warhol’s Greenwich VillageThe New School, Wollman Hall, 65 West 11th St.

6:30pmAndy Warhol’s legacy is syn-onymous with New York and furthermore, Greenwich

Village. On the 31st Thomas Kiedrowski and Robert Heide discuss in detail Warhol’s con-nection and involvement to the arts scene in the area. They are well positioned to discuss the “15 minutes of fame” artist, with Heide having written some of Warhol’s screenplays and Kiedrowski authoring the book Andy Warhol’s New York City. [email protected]

FEBRUARY 2 Miral: A Palestinian/Israeli Dialogue On and O! Screen NYU Tisch School of the Arts Room 006

6:00pm-900pmNYU will host a discussion on the seemingly, sadly endless, ideological debate

for hearts and minds on the Israel/Palestine issue,

as part of their Center for Dialogues pro-gram. The discussion will include Zachary Lockman, professor

of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at NYU, Helga Tawil-Souri, NYU’s Associate Professor of Media, Culture and Communication and Rula Jebreal, author of Miral. The Panel will be held after a screen-ing of Miral, an

adaptation of Ms. Jebreal’s semi-auto-biographical novel, directed by Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). [email protected]

FEBRUARY 3Mormonism And American Politics Conference

Columbia University, Morningside Campus, International Affairs Building: Room 1501With the recent exceptional level of media coverage devoted to Mormons in the public eye due to two would-be Mormon presidential candidates, Columbia University takes a broad look at the history of Mormon participation in America life, with a particu-lar focus on political life. Going right back to Joseph Smith’s 1844 run for the presidency to the Reed Smoot trials of the early 20th century, the confer-ence will give those with very limited knowledge of the sub-ject a fascinating insight loaded with information. Randall Balmer, Claudia Bushman and Richard Bushman are among the speakers.

Our Picks That Will Have the Town Buzzing

BY STEPHEN DUFFY EVENT CALENDAR

NYU will hold a discussion with Thomas Kiedrowski and Robert Heide on Warhol’s time in the East Village.

Rula Jebreal18 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

AM

Y S

USS

MA

N/G

ETTY

IMA

GES

; GR

AH

AM

WO

OD

/GET

TY IM

AG

ES; J

EMA

L C

OU

NTE

SS/G

ETTY

IMA

GES

FO

R T

HE

WEI

NST

EIN

CO

MPA

NY

EDUCATION JAN 2012_CALENDAR.indd 18 1/13/12 2:16:46 PM

FEBRUARY 17Great Thinkers of Our Time-Steven Pinker and Rebecca GoldsteinHunter College, 695 Park Avenue, West Building, 8th Floor

This is bound to be a popu-lar event so be sure to RSVP! As part of an ongoing ‘Great Thinkers of Our Time’ series, Hunter College brings Steven Pinker and Rebeccer Newberger Goldstein. The speakers will allow time for questions and answers afterwards and also conduct a book signing. Both speakers have written recent acclaimed books, Mr. Pinker’s The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature, and Ms. Newberger Goldstein’s Thirty-Six Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of [email protected]

Poetry and Visual ArtsNYU: The Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House, West 10th St.2:00-4:00pmMixing visual art and poetry together, and at the same time – whatever will these kids think of next?! Quench your curios-ity by going along to the poetry

and visual arts roundtable at NYU’s Creative Writers House on Feruary the 17th. Six practi-tioners of this newly evolving art form will take part in the discussion: Somner Browning, Mark Leidner, Mahendra Singh, Bianca Stone and Paul Tunis. It wil be moderated by Matthea Harvey.

FEBRUARY 22 Linguistic Diversity within the Latino Population in the United States: Indigenous Languages, Migration and Language EndangermentThe City College of New York, 160 Convent Ave.Since Noam Chomsky came along and worked his magic, linguistics has become a mat-ter of infinite interest. This look into linguistics focuses the Latino U.S. population and is presented by Pérez Báez. Dr. Báez is the curator of lin-guistics at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Most of her work has emphasized fac-tors of language maintenance

and endangerment. 212-650-6731

FEBRUARY 23 Writers in Conversation: Nathan EnglanderNYU: The Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House, West 10th St.7:00pmNathan Englander, whose debut short story collection For the Relief of Unbearable Urges won widespread criti-cal acclaim, will read from his highly-anticipated new short story collection, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, at NYU’s Creative Writers House. Mr. Englander is an accomplished author, ap-pearing in The Best American Short Stories on numerous oc-casions. Mr. Englander will be in conversation with Darin Strauss, a faculty member in NYU’s Creative Writing Program.www.cwp.fas.nyu.edu

FEBRUARY 24 Washington Square Launch PartyNYU: The Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House, West 10th St.Those looking out for the fresh-est literary talent in the city will be making their way to NYU’s Creative Writers House on the

24th. This is the event where you can find and meet the literati of tomorrow as they read their lat-est fictional works from recent NYU graduates in their self pro-duced publication Washington Square.

FEBRUARY 28BLOWING MINDS: The East Village Other, the Rise of Underground Comix, and the Alternative Press, 1965-1972.Running in NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute for an extended time—February 28th through March 16th—you have no excuse not to make a visit to this exhibition of the underground press. The exhi-bition will be of equal interest for those of an older persua-sion who will remember The East Village Other and those who are students of the press. The opening night will coincide with a discussion with The New York Times’ Claudia Dreifus, The New York Times columnist Steven Heller, and Alex Gross, all East Village Other writers. Additionally, on display will be seminal Village Other papers and [email protected]

MARCH 5TH An Evening with David Patrick Columbia,Hunter College, West Building, 8th Floor Bound to be an evening of fas-cinating insight into how the other half lives, Hunter College will host a night with New York’s main man, David Patrick Columbia, on all things so-cial. Mr. Columbia is editor of Quest Magazine and The New York Social Diary. Both titles are known to be the de facto record on the lives of Manhattan’s upper [email protected]

EVENT CALENDAR

Cover of East Village Other.

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 19

Nathan Englander

AM

Y S

USS

MA

N/G

ETTY

IMA

GES

; GR

AH

AM

WO

OD

/GET

TY IM

AG

ES; J

EMA

L C

OU

NTE

SS/G

ETTY

IMA

GES

FO

R T

HE

WEI

NST

EIN

CO

MPA

NY

RO

BER

T C

RU

MB

EDUCATION JAN 2012_CALENDAR.indd 19 1/13/12 2:17:26 PM

20 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

The Best Places to Study

HOUSING WORKS BOOKSTORE CAFÉ

Neighborhood nooks to cook your books

“I love coming here with just the intention of getting work done and wind up leaving with a newly purchased book.”

Keeler Sandhaus

Education Jan 2012_Final 20 1/13/12 3:11:25 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 21

Education Jan 2012_Final 21 1/13/12 2:35:51 PM

22 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS

OREN’S DAILY ROAST

“Although it may be a bit pricey compared to other coffee joints, this is one of the coolest places to come and relax. Tastiest coffee I know in New York.”

Michael DeGennaro

“Nothing starts my day off better than sitting here in the morning with a fresh cup of Oren’s roast in my hand.”

Jonathan Capecci

REGISTER TODAY FOR SPRING 2012 CLASSES!

Featuring: Master Classes

Alison Espach­ Fiction; Daphne Merkin­ MemoirBruce Jay Friedman­ Comedy; Marty Panzer­ Lyrics

Plus many more writing, literature, and specialty courses

Writing | Literature | Cultural Events

FREE! Upcoming Events at

Best Selling Author Series

Stacy Schiff January 12, 2012 | 7:00pmAlice McDermott February 28, 21012 | 7:00pmAlan Furst March 27, 2012 | 7:00pmSusan Isaacs April 24, 2012 | 7:00pmStuart Woods May 21, 2012 | 7:00pm

Great Thinkers of Our Time Series

Steven Pinker & February 17, 2012 | 7:00pm Rebecca Goldstein

John Donoghue April 3, 2012 | 7:00pmSeth Lloyd April 16, 2012 | 7:00pmLisa Randall May 3, 2012 | 7:00pm

An Evening with David Patrick Columbia David Patrick Columbia March 5, 2012 | 7:00pm

An Evening with the Kleiers Michelle, Sabrina & April 12, 2012 | 7:00pm Samantha Kleier

To RSVP for events e­mail [email protected]

See our complete list of Spring 2012 courses atwww.hunter.cuny.edu/ce/the­writing­center

Lewis Frumkes, director

SPRI

NG 2

012

Education Jan 2012_Final 22 1/13/12 4:25:18 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 23

REGISTER TODAY FOR SPRING 2012 CLASSES!

Featuring: Master Classes

Alison Espach­ Fiction; Daphne Merkin­ MemoirBruce Jay Friedman­ Comedy; Marty Panzer­ Lyrics

Plus many more writing, literature, and specialty courses

Writing | Literature | Cultural Events

FREE! Upcoming Events at

Best Selling Author Series

Stacy Schiff January 12, 2012 | 7:00pmAlice McDermott February 28, 21012 | 7:00pmAlan Furst March 27, 2012 | 7:00pmSusan Isaacs April 24, 2012 | 7:00pmStuart Woods May 21, 2012 | 7:00pm

Great Thinkers of Our Time Series

Steven Pinker & February 17, 2012 | 7:00pm Rebecca Goldstein

John Donoghue April 3, 2012 | 7:00pmSeth Lloyd April 16, 2012 | 7:00pmLisa Randall May 3, 2012 | 7:00pm

An Evening with David Patrick Columbia David Patrick Columbia March 5, 2012 | 7:00pm

An Evening with the Kleiers Michelle, Sabrina & April 12, 2012 | 7:00pm Samantha Kleier

To RSVP for events e­mail [email protected]

See our complete list of Spring 2012 courses atwww.hunter.cuny.edu/ce/the­writing­center

Lewis Frumkes, director

SPRI

NG 2

012

SPRI

NG 2

012

SPRI

NG 2

012

Education Jan 2012_Final 23 1/13/12 2:36:12 PM

24 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

BIRCH COFFEE

JOE THE ART OF COFFEE

“I love to come here in between class to grab some of the best coffee I’ve had in New York and do some work. They always have the best music playing too.”

Gabriela Small

“My favorite place to grab a quality cup of coffee and light snack between classes.”

Ellen Treiman

TABLE 12“Being that they’re open 24 hours a day, this place is a lot more enjoyable than the library to pull that all-nighter in. The option to get diner-style food helps tremendously with the studies as well.”

Nick Robbins

Education Jan 2012_Final 24 1/13/12 3:12:30 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 25

appear

Education Jan 2012_Final 25 1/13/12 2:37:14 PM

Bank StreetFounded in 1916, Bank Street College of Education has a rich history of innovation and of learner-centered education. Bank Street’s pioneering ideas about developmentally appropriate practices, the value of observation and refl ection, and the importance of discovery and experiential learning have infl uenced successful teaching and learning approaches in schools, museums, and other learning environments across the nation. The College includes both the Graduate School and a lab school called the School for Children.

Bank Street graduates become educators who facilitate learning, create community, aim for

developmentally appropriate educational objectives, and encourage learners to engage fully in the process of discovery and of creating understanding. The master’s degree programs engage students through active participation in small classes and discussion groups, combined with extensive supervised fi eldwork and advisement. Course work focuses on human development, curriculum and inquiry, ways of engaging children as active learners, and the foundations of education. Theory and practice are integrated in all components of a Bank Street education.

Bank Street’s master’s degree programs include child life, teacher preparation, special education, literacy, museum education, bilingual education, and school leadership. Many programs lead to initial and professional certifi cation to work with children in early childhood education, elementary or childhood education, preparing individuals to work in general education classrooms or in special education settings. Those graduate students with initial certifi cation from undergraduate programs will fi nd a full range of graduate programs that will lead them to professional certifi cation, including curriculum and instruction and teacher leader in mathematics education.

Brown UniversityPre-College Programs at Brown University: Summer 2012A True Residential College ExperienceSummer@Brown attracts serious college-bound students from around the world. As a student, you’ll live in a Brown University residence hall, eat at Verney-Woolley, or other Brown dining halls, and join your fellow students on The College Green—just as you would if you were a Brown undergraduate. You will be surrounded by peers from diverse backgrounds and cultures—all sharing a passion for high-level academics and a desire to succeed at a selective institution like Brown University. A student who completes a Summer@Brown course is better prepared, more confi dent, and better

positioned to succeed during one of the biggest transitions of his or her life: the move to college.

Brown University: 250 Years of Academic ExcellenceBrown is known in the Ivy League for an innovative open curriculum that challenges students to be actively engaged in their own intellectual

development. Summer@Brown is an opportunity to explore this stimulating learning environment. Academics are at the program’s core, with more than 250 courses in one- to seven-week sessions. Dive deeper into a subject you love or a new area of learning you may never have considered. You will face exciting challenges and accomplish more than you can imagine.

Come to Summer@Brown to prepare for college success and experience life in the Ivy League.Brown University O! ce of Continuing EducationProvidence, Rhode Islandwww.brown.edu/summer

Cornell UniversitySummer CollegePrograms for High School Students

“An unforgettable, life-changing summer.”

One of the longest running and most highly regarded precollege academic programs in the United States, Cornell University’s Summer College gives academically talented high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors the chance to experience the excitement

of college life at a world-class Ivy League university.

Every summer, nearly one thousand students from around the world come to Cornell’s beautiful campus in the heart of the Finger Lakes to get a head start on their college education in one of our acclaimed three- and six-week programs. Enrolled in courses taught by world-renowned faculty, students earn college credit while exploring academic majors and making new friends.

Programs are available in architecture; art and design; business; college success; engineering; environmental studies; history and politics; hotel management; humanities; law and government; medicine; psychology; research and science; and veterinary medicine and animal science.

Within a challenging but supportive environment, students explore life at Cornell and gain confi dence that they can succeed at college. And with the help of a college fair, admission workshops, and one-on-one consultations, participants get a better idea of what they want in a college, where to apply, and how to create the best application.

“Truly priceless” is how Summer College 2011 parents Sean and Helen Dunlea describe the program. “We would highly recommend it.”

For more information, call 607.255.6203, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.summercollege.cornell.edu/eo.

Karl Dominey

Education Jan 2012_Final 26 1/13/12 4:48:23 PM

ATTENTION

1.877.659.4204hernandezcollegeconsulting.com

[email protected]

Work with the Top Ivy League Consultant in the country

Former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College and author of two best-selling college guides:

u Unparalleled success rateu Unlimited time for students and parentsu Advising and facilitating every step of the way!u Work directly with Michele, not a representative.

Space is limited

College Consulting

ATTENTION

1.877.659.4204hernandezcollegeconsulting.com

[email protected]

Work with the Top Ivy League Consultant in the country

Former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College and author of two best-selling college guides:

u Unparalleled success rateu Unlimited time for students and parentsu Advising and facilitating every step of the way!u Work directly with Michele, not a representative.

Space is limited

College Consulting

ATTENTION

1.877.659.4204hernandezcollegeconsulting.com

[email protected]

Work with the Top Ivy League Consultant in the country

Former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College and author of two best-selling college guides:

u Unparalleled success rateu Unlimited time for students and parentsu Advising and facilitating every step of the way!u Work directly with Michele, not a representative.

Space is limited

College Consulting

Education Jan 2012_Final 27 1/13/12 6:41:45 PM

Hofstra University’s Frank G. Zarb School of Business O! ers Graduate Students Flexibility

Recently ranked as the 5th part-time M.B.A. program in the Northeast and 49th in the country by Bloomberg Businessweek, listed among the nation’s top M.B.A. programs by Forbes, and recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report, Hofstra’s Frank G. Zarb School of Business provides professionals with the skills necessary to excel and advance in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business world. Our students benefi t from an intensive education with real-world application, in a variety of industries, all within close proximity to the nation’s top media and business market – New York City.

What We O! erHofstra o! ers traditional classes as well as the opportunity to earn course credits online, giving students the fl exibility they need to succeed. Our online M.B.A. program allows access to Hofstra’s world-class faculty, technology and course work from the location of your choice, on your time.

In addition, the 20-month Executive M.B.A. program is for those individuals who hold middle- to senior-level management positions in private industry, government, and the not-for-profi t sector. Classes are held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday, giving professionals the opportunity to pursue a degree while maintaining their job responsibilities.

The traditional Zarb M.B.A. may be completed either part-time in the evening or full-time during the day, and

students can choose from among 11 concentrations.

No matter the program, Hofstra’s dynamic business faculty share business theory that has been tested and proven through real-world experiences.

Explore the possibilities at hofstra.edu/zarb.

Hunter CollegeWant to set yourself apart from the crowd? Continuing Education at Hunter College has your answer. We o! er a variety of Certifi cate Programs and courses that will provide you with the tools and credentials needed for your job search. Choose from our certifi cates in the following fi elds: Fitness Instructor, Medical Coding & Billing, Legal Studies, Legal Nurse Consultant, Graphic Design, Real Estate Salesperson, Marketing, Translation and/or Interpretation, Gerontology, Interior Design, Microsoft O" ce, O" ce Assistant, Web Programming and/or Web Design, and Small Business & Entrepreneurship.

Our programs take anywhere from one to two years to complete and are taught by prestigious faculty who are dedicated leaders in their fi eld and take an interest in each student. There are several payment plans available to you for the certifi cate programs. Please call us for details.

We o! er professional development classes in fi nancial investment, digital media,

foreign languages, sustainability, computers and much more! Self-enrichment classes in literature, history, music, visual arts, and dance are also available. We are also proud to present “Talking Movies” with Je! rey Lyons and Roberta Burrows. This exciting fi lm series allows participants to see movies before they are released. After the private screening, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with actors, directors and producers in a question and answer session.

Join us for one of our Open Houses to learn more about our certifi cate programs and courses. Spring semester begins February 2012. Call us at: 212 650-3850 or visit our website: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/ce

Hunter CollegeThe Writing Center, part of the Continuing Education department at Hunter College o! ers a wide-range of special literary and cultural events which are free and open to the public. Our “Best Selling Author Series” begins with Stacy Schi! on January 12, followed by Alice McDermott, Alan Furst, Susan Isaacs, and Stuart Woods. The “Great Thinkers of our Time Series” features Steven Pinker and Rebecca Goldstein, John Donoghue, Seth Lloyd, and Lisa Randall. In addition, there will be two special evenings: one with The Kleiers, hosts of the hit TV show “Selling New York,” and another with David Patrick Columbia, editor of Quest Magazine. A question and answer session plus book-signing and reception follows each lecture.

In addition to events, The Writing Center o! ers many exciting workshops. Master classes will include Memoir with Daphne Merkin, Comedy Writing with Bruce Jay Friedman, Fiction with Alison Espach, and a new Songwriting class with master lyricist Marty Panzer. New this spring is a class on fi nding a literary agent with Katharine Sands, and the Introduction to Social Media class taught by Elyssa Goodman.

The Writing Center will host its second

annual Writers’ Conference at Hunter College on June 9, 2012. The conference includes an extensive array of literary enthusiasts who will be sharing their knowledge, experiences, and advice. Keynote speakers are Carol Higgins Clark, Mary Higgins Clark, and Colson Whitehead.

For more information about all of The Writing Center o! erings, please visit our website at: www.hunter.cuny.edu/ce/the-writing-center

Education Jan 2012_Final 28 1/13/12 4:26:50 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 29 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 29

Education Jan 2012_Final 29 1/13/12 2:38:27 PM

30 THE EDUCATED OBSERVER

By Krista CarterTOM HANDLEY IS ONE OF THE most popular professors in New York City, especially in the world of public relations. He can be de-scribed as a super hero character of sorts, with the strength of an educator, a mind full of big ideas and a heart of gold, a beacon of high hopes to to many up-and-coming stars in New York City. But it is his superb memory that serves him the best, in that he has no difficulty remembering all of his past students’ names, their hometowns and their spe-cific undergraduate university.

Recently, The Educated Observer experienced all of these traits firsthand. It is easy to see that Tom’s vibrant energy is a driving force in inspiring his students to put their best foot forward when stepping into the job market.

Krista Carter: What do you enjoy most about teaching?

Tom Handley: Being able to empower others to step into the next level of their career. I am not just a professor and have taken on the role of a mentor to many

of my students. I have been in the industry for so long and can easily help students look out for that “bump in the road” and can provide more insight for them to succeed.

KC: Why did you choose to be-come a professor?

TH: In my late 20s and early 30s, I did not know what I was passionate about but it turned out my passion is teaching and empowering others—which is something that I do everyday as a professor.

KC: If you could have chosen any other profession, what would it be?

TH: It would have to be some-thing within the same field.

KC: After taking your classes, what do you wish for your stu-dents to walk away with?

TH: I want students to walk away with a marketing portfo-lio from projects in the class that they can ultimately use on job interviews.

KC: What is your biggest frustration?

TH: People in the industry who do not want to help or even understand how they can em-power others.

KC: What do you usually ex-pect out of a student taking one of your classes?

TH: I expect students to be fo-cused, creative, inquisitive, and to show a skill-set. Sometimes the answer is not always “google-able,” and students need to be resourceful.

KC: What do you do with your time away from Parsons?

TH: I LOVE coffee! On Saturday or Sunday afternoons, I can usu-ally be found at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, Joe the Art of Coffee. I nickname the one by my apartment “Fashion Joe” because there is always someone in the industry at the coffee shop doing work, conduct-ing interviews, having coffee, etc. It is also my “office” and my “home away from home.”

Also I am an avid “foodie.” Currently my favorite Italian restaurants are Zio (17 West 19th Street) and Pepolino (281 West Broadway). For Asian restau-

rants I am a regular at Laut (15 East 17th Street), a Michelin star restaurant owned by one of my former students and for sushi, Blue Ginger (106 8th Avenue) is the best.

KC: What do you think of the current economy and how is it affecting students today?

TH: Facing the current econ-omy for my students was a challenge at first - but now there is greater opportunity for stu-dents to get internships that call for strong roles, which were usually assigned to entry-level employees.

KC: If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive), with whom would you dine?

TH: Dead: Edith Head and Cristobal Balenciaga

Alive: President Obama, Warren Buffet and Mayor Bloomberg

KC: If money were not an issue, what would your trip itinerary look like?

TH: Not necessarily in this order: Honolulu, Sydney, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Dubai, Florence,

Handley

One-on-One With Tom Handley

Professor at Parsons The New School of Design

Q & A With Campus Personalities

Education Jan 2012_Final 30 1/13/12 3:17:40 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 31

Paris, London, and Reykjavik

KC: What can you NOT live without?

TH: Coffee, great food, friends and family

KC: What is your favorite NYC destination?

TH: Joe the Art of Coffee

KC: What is the one thing that most people don’t know about you?

TH: I am the youngest of six and great up in the town in the Midwest with a population of 2,200. Also, right before college I was a paid actor and did sum-mer stock theatre.

KC: Who do you most respect in the industry?

TH: Lance Isham, my mentor at Ralph Lauren and current-ly the Executive Chairman and CEO of Faconnable S.A.S. Prior to this he served as the President of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation. He is brilliant, just brilliant!

KC: What is your best NYC moment?

TH: In 1996, after returning from Hawaii (rather tan), I left a Saks Fifth Avenue and two teen-age girls came running towards me with their autograph books flailing in the air. I scribbled in the books and the girls respond-ed, “Oh my God! Thank You!” And then I jumped into a car. To this day, I have no idea who they thought I was.

KC: What advice can you give to ensure success in New York City?

TH: Go out there and get ex-perience and not just the degree. Intern at 2-4 different places

Cover letters are a thing of the past, I suggest students do a pitch letter instead. Don’t spend all your time applying to jobs on-line (if it’s online, chances are a lot of others are applying too). Instead create a database of com-panies that you want to work for. AND differentiate yourself; send something to the company in the mail such as a hand-written letter.

Most importantly make sure that you read everything you can online and in print. And of course, always be nice to every-one you meet.

KC: Any last words? TH: Do what you love with

people you enjoy. Twitter: @PRProfessor

By Hannah Ghorashi

Jason Philips, head librarian on gender and sexuality stud-ies at NYU’s Bobst Library, answers some of our questions concerning what it means to be a librarian these days.

Speaking of...Hannah Ghorashi: In your

opinion, what does it mean to be a librarian today?

Jason Philips: Our current time is one of uncertainty for certain. There’s always compe-tition from likes of Google, the Internet in general, etc. which is a good thing. We also live in a time of diminutive trust in government institutions, and public universities will be the resulting academia. It’s very expensive to go to university, whether private or state, and if institutions come under attack from a lack of funding, we have to ask ourselves, What does that mean for libraries? And how are we using the money we do get to support scholarship?

I spend a lot of time working with constituents, the students and faculty at NYU. A lot of times this means helping them with research. But I’m also al-ways collecting, and looking for materials that will help stu-dents and faculty with their own work. I also look into ma-terials that will help students and faculty at other schools besides NYU. We have a profes-sional ethos of cooperation and we’re always looking to help each other out: in teaching, consulting, collecting, and pre-serving, determining what’s the best space, and how we can most easily provide informa-tion. It’s really a job fraught with difficulty, sitting in New York in a library that is burst-ing at the seams in terms of total volume (also one of the biggest in the country), and we usually compare ourselves to other research libraries, not just college libraries.

HG: How has technology changed the job of a librari-

an? What are the positives and negatives of this?

JP: The primal thing that’s changed is user expectations, so users often think that all in-formation is digitized. Digital format takes money to store, migrate, and takes resourc-es to describe it. With all the immediacy, access, and emerging technology, expec-tations are rising higher and higher. NYU specifically has made great headway in pro-viding electronic access that is better than other institu-tions. Not everyone can keep up. But we can always do bet-ter. I don’t think there will be a time when everything is made available online, at least in my lifetime. Both print books and digital books can be equal-ly expensive. When you buy a print book you have to pay for the book, pay for the climate of the book, pay for the shelf space, and pay for the rent of

the space. With going digi-tal, you have to pay somebody to digitize it, someone has to keep the digital copy, and IT people and librarians have to provide an electronic descrip-tion of that book. It can vary from title to title, but there’s always an ongoing cost.

HG: What are some challeng-ing/rewarding parts of the job?

JP: The most reward-ing part is helping people. Librarianship is a service pro-fession, and if you don’t have that mentality, it’s probably not the right job to help peo-ple come to an insight or assist them with further research. A challenge is that we live in a world of social and econom-ic upheaval, the way people come into the building and in-teract with you, and this can result in licentiousness that makes it difficult to preserve

Jason Philips Makes Being a Librarian a Young Man’s Game

Bringing sexy back to books

Philips

ELEN

A O

LIV

O

Education Jan 2012_Final 31 1/13/12 3:18:24 PM

Columbia UniversityThe School of Continuing Education at Columbia University is a resource for those who wish to take their lives in new directions, with a mission to transform knowledge and understanding in service of the greater good.

The School o!ers thirteen applied master’s degrees in the established and emerging fields of Actuarial Science, Bioethics, Communications Practice, Construction Administration, Fundraising Management, Information and Digital Resource Management, Landscape Design, Sports Management, Strategic Communications, Sustainability Management and Technology Management. Each program provides practical, professional education for students seeking demanding, focused training. Courses are taught by faculty and industry leaders who bring current

perspectives into the classroom. Full- and part-time options vary by program.

The Postbaccalaureate Studies program at the School of Continuing Education o!ers university courses and certificate programs in over 50 subject areas for graduate school preparation, academic enrichment or career advancement. Working with advisers, each student develops a plan of study tailored to his or her background and academic goals. Business courses and certificate programs are o!ered both on campus and online.

The School also o!ers certificate programs, summer courses, high school programs in New York, Barcelona and Jordan, and a program for learning English as a second language.

Though the o!erings are diverse, they are unified by a mission to mount innovative, instructional programs that meet

Columbia’s standard of excellence, take good advantage of its resources, and produce positive educational outcomes for the members of the student body.

For information, go towww.ce.columbia.eduemail, [email protected] or call (212) 854-9666.

Léman ManhattanWorld Views from Every Classroom

An interview with Drew Alexander, Head of School, Léman Manhattan Preparatory School. Drew Alexander previously headed schools in Moscow and Cairo.

Q. What excites you most about Léman Manhattan?First, we are a new school creating our own traditions. And we are empowering students to participate in the process. Not many students applying to a university can write an essay about creating the future of their school.

Secondly, we are located in downtown New York surrounded by history -

Federal Hall, where George Washington took his oath of o"ce, Trinity Church, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty. It’s an amazing place to teach and learn.

Q. What does the phrase “world views from every classroom” mean?A. Our student body is represented by over 40 nations so we truly are an international community. And our students participate in learning, leadership, athletic and art programs at our sister campuses in Europe, Asia, Latin America and throughout the US. This develops a real-time cultural exchange that will prepare them to lead and succeed in a global world.

Q. Critical thinking is the focus of Leman’s curriculum. Why is this so important?Today, it’s not enough to know who, what, where and when. You need to be able to analyze and interpret information to understand why. This is essence of critical thinking. It’s what colleges are looking for and what the world needs to solve its

complex problems.

To learn more visit, www.lemanmanhattan.org or contact Janet Barrett, Directorof Admissions (212) 232-0266 ext. 259. jbarrett@lémanmanhattan.org.

RESERVE SPACE NOWApril 11th, Sept. 5th, Nov. 7th & Jan. 16

THE EDUCATED OBSERVERFor advertising information, contact:

Barbara Ginsburg Shapiro, Managing Director

212-407-9383 [email protected]

or Jonathan Klein, Account Executive212-407-9329

[email protected]

RESERVE SPACE NOW March 21 and October 10

OBSERVER PHILANTHROPYFor advertising information, contact:

Barbara Ginsburg Shapiro, Managing Director

212-407-9383 [email protected]

or Jonathan Klein, Account Executive212-407-9329

[email protected]

Education Jan 2012_Final 32 1/13/12 2:38:56 PM

THE EDUCATED OBSERVER 33

collections and spaces. Patrons can be greatest ally and the greatest problem. With 9,000 people coming in each day, ev-eryone has a different agenda. Sometimes being the gatekeep-er can be difficult. In a library there are very few completely illegitimate goals, and balance often falls to the librarian. For a library to be vital or important, it has to be a social, cultural, in-tellectual center for all users.

HG: How did you end up at this job?

JP: I’m personally like a lot of academic librarians. I had a scholarly intent, but I never finished a PhD. A lot of librar-ians have a library degree but they may not have finished their postgrad. Those people are right to be academic librar-ians, they have a commitment to study and research. I was in a PhD program and didn’t fin-ish because I got sick, took a job at NYU, and have been here for almost a decade. I have no idea how that represents my col-leagues though.

There are different types of librarians: archivist, conser-vationist, special collections librarians, special library librarians, IS academic librar-ians, public school librarians, children’s book librarians—like different specialties of doctors. Many have a master’s degree in library science and a master’s degree in their personal field. I have qualifications to be a social sciences librarian, a day librar-ian, and also a psychologist.

HG: Being an authority on gen-der and sexuality, what kind of qualifications did you need?

JP: I studied gender and sex-uality from a social standpoint. People come to me and I can speak their language and un-derstand their field, and with my librarian hat and scholarly hat on we can move forward on a subject of research.

I don’t work personally with any students on their research. It’s most appropriate to be working as a consultant, as in working with students closely but for a very short time frame. I offer no opinions on what they study, I just try to point them in the right direction for materi-als. Discussion on the project itself is most appropriate for

student and teaching faculty. I’m very clear about that.

HG: How has the economy af-fected your job?JP: NYU’s libraries are just part of the university institution, we are an institution dependent on private tuition, and we are sup-ported by the dollars that our students pay. They definitely pay a premium, and I library leadership has made good decisions. We’re in a good posi-tion. We’re still able to support scholarship and teaching at a high level and NYU’s global net-work only strengthens library collections. For example, NYU’s satellite campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai are 3,000+ miles away. It makes us think more intelligently about electronic re-sources, and it makes us think

about work flows and teaching and research. I don’t personal-ly spend a lot of time on global library concerns, we have pro-fessionals in place who are thinking everyday about that. The work that I do helps users on Washington Square, and I like to think this diffuses through our global network. Have I been asked to offer an opinion? Yes. Do I help change things for all students? In a sense, but it’s not something that I deal with everyday.

HG: Did you ever consider being a librarian when you were younger?

JP: It wasn’t something I con-sidered when I was younger, but at the time I started I consid-ered it a thoughtful choice and it was an opportunity that pre-sented itself. We were also just

coming out of a recession, and I’m fortunate that having I have this position in New York, and that we have the capital we have being in this particular city at this particular institution. It was a considered choice.

HG: What are the differences in being a specialized university vs. a regular librarian?

JP: We’re in a very good situ-ation at NYU, and I find myself feeling fortunate that I do my craft here. I worry about other institutions, where training and money is cut back. I worry about whether or not we’re mak-ing the right decisions, because everyone has to do more with less. The best thing I can possi-bly do is to keep in mind that I’m at an elite institution at a very good position. We won’t come to a place where librarians are a waste and superfluous. I like to think I bring value on tuition dollars, on scholarship, and on the business of information. I’m hoping that scholarship and the university will survive. We’re all hurting. There’s a growing realization of how important it is to preserve.

HG: What’s your opinion on using more unofficial methods of research, such as Wikipedia?

JP: I use Wikipedia and Google everyday, and my hope is that I learn to use them intelligently. I’ve had the op-portunity to teach as a grad student and as a librarian, and I sometimes ask students what they’re using to get the ma-jority of their information? They try to be polite, and say things like JSTOR, ProQuest, LexusNexus, etc., but there’s no shame in using free infor-mation. It’s a question of how well you’re using it and if you understand what the limita-tions are. It’s similar to picking up a book at a library and say-ing this is a good book, well sourced, well written. I look at a Wikipedia article and many of them are well written and well sourced. NYU has millions of books, and not all of them are great. What’s important is that individuals are taught to appraise and critique in-formation. That’s the value of librarians: we’ll always need people to teach students how to appraise good information.

It wasn’t something I considered when I was younger, but at the time I started I

considered it a thoughtful choice and it was an opportunity that presented itself.

Bobst Library at NYU

JIN

LEE

/BLO

OM

BER

G V

IA G

ETTY

IMA

GES

Q & A With Campus Personalities

Education Jan 2012_Final 33 1/13/12 4:31:11 PM

The Knox SchoolThe Knox School is an independent boarding and day school serving grades 6-12 and Post Graduate. We are conveniently located approximately 1 hour from New York City on Long Island’s North Shore. Our mission is to provide the opportunity for capable

students to excel within a liberal arts program infused with artistic and athletic pursuits, in preparation for higher education at selective colleges and universities. At Knox our collective goal is to inspire in each student a love of learning and the desire to continually develop the skills necessary to lead happy, confi dent, and successful lives in a complex and changing world. Our diverse student body enjoys a traditional, structured, and familial atmosphere that fosters academic, intellectual, and character development. We celebrate individual strengths and talents and give our students the tools to meet the global challenges of today and tomorrow. At Knox, we feature a fi ve-day boarding option

for our students, instruction in small class settings, Advanced Placement (AP) courses in all core subject areas, rich programs in the fi ne arts and a competitive, three-season athletic program that includes equestrian and crew. We are proud that the twenty students in the Class of 2011 were accepted to more than one-hundred colleges and universities around the world, and were o! ered more than $1.4 million in scholarships and grants. Visit us at www.knoxschool.org or call 631.686.1600 extension 414 to learn more about what makes us exceptional. Don’t forget to ask about our FLEXIBLE TUITION option for day students and fi ve day boarders.

MedillMedill, a leader in education since 1921, o! ers a master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University that combines the enduring skills and values of journalism with new techniques and knowledge that are essential to thrive in today’s digital world. Here, you will join a diverse group of students who are motivated by many ambitions. In journalism, no single size fi ts all. Perhaps your goal is to expose wrongdoing through investigative reporting or to give voice to the voiceless. You might aspire to create fi nely crafted prose or tell stories with interactive tools. Maybe you want to be a documentary fi lmmaker or a

magazine editor. Or maybe you see yourself as a broadcast producer or media entrepreneur. Perhaps your path is still unclear, but — like your Medill classmates — you have a passion for journalistic storytelling, a creative instinct and a commitment to do good in the world. Our full-time faculty are seasoned professionals with extensive industry experience and contacts. We also draw on Chicago’s journalism community for accomplished adjuncts who have

specialized in reporting, photography, videography, non-fi ction narrative, magazine editing, web design and more.You’ll be able to go further and faster in a rapidly changing profession where there is a growing range of opportunities in new and traditional media. Employers look to Medill as the pre-eminent source for media professionals who are well-educated in fundamentals, skilled in new techniques and willing and able to take on tough challenges. For information about the master’s program and to fi nd out where Medill graduates are working now, please visit the Careers page on the Medill website.www.medill.northwestern.edu

New York UniversityThis SPRING, REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER AT THE NYU School of continuing and professional studies (NYU-SCPS)

With thousands of courses, certifi cates, and intensive programs in a wide array of subject areas, NYU-SCPS is one of the world’s leading providers of continuing education. Programs include course o! erings in the arts; business; global a! airs; hospitality, tourism, and sports management; philanthropy and fundraising; real estate; media industry studies and design; and liberal studies and allied

arts. Whether you’re returning to school for personal or professional reasons, our course o! erings are designed to help you to advance on your path to career achievement and ongoing intellectual discovery.Add a Digital Dimension to Your RésuméLearn about the latest trends in mobile technologies and online tools to increase your marketability and advance your career. New courses, including Facebook Marketing, Advanced Web Tools and Platforms for Publishing Professionals, Collections Management and Digital Technology, and Social Media Management, empower you to broaden your skill set and increase your knowledge base in today’s digitally

driven professional landscape.

Explore New Certifi cate ProgramsCertifi cate programs at NYU-SCPS allow you to move your career forward by expanding your expertise in a specifi c area. Courses are conveniently scheduled and provide in-depth insights into subject matter. This spring, new certifi cates include: International Banking Risk and Regulation; Nursing Home Administration; Building Modeling Using REVIT; Editing; and Journalism.

There’s still time to enroll for the spring.Visit: www.scps.nyu.edu/springceCall: 212-998-7150

Education Jan 2012_Final 34 1/13/12 4:31:49 PM

WE!PUT!THE!WORLD!INWORLD!CLASSEDUCATION

MEMBER OF THE MERITAS FAMILY OF SCHOOLS

WORLD"VIEWS"FROM"EVERY"CLASSROOM

Education Jan 2012_Final 36 1/13/12 2:42:21 PM