Top of the News

  • With the generous support and dedication of our volunteers, alumni, parents, students, staff and friends, the 2008 Phonathon raised one of the largest amounts in its history. Over five nights, 102 Phonathon volunteers called more than 4,000 alumni and parents in order to raise $425,032 in cash and pledges. Phonathon 2008 was a resounding success by all accounts.
  • The Cooper Union will host its Sixth Annual Urban Visionaries Award Dinner and Silent Auction on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, honoring Annie Leibovitz for her accomplishments in visual art, David Childs for his achievements in architecture and Lloyd G. Trotter of GE Industrial Systems for his outstanding contributions to the field of engineering, Richard Ravitch for urban citizenship and Wangechi Mutu (A'97) as an emerging talent.

    Serving as dinner chairs are Kevin Burke (EE'72), T.J. Gottesdiener (AR'79), Hedy Klineman (A'62), Kathleen Lacey and James Hoge and Marilyn Jordan Taylor.

    This year's benefit will take place at 7 World Trade Center-a dramatic downtown space with spectacular 360-degree views of New York City. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception featuring an extensive silent art auction of small works by some of the country's most talented artists. Participating artists include: Karen Bausman (AR'82), Ernesto L. Caivano, Susanna Coffey, Stephen Doyle, Kimsooja, Vera Klement, Lisa Lawley, Janet Odgis, Yoko Ono and David Storey. A seated dinner with awards presentation will follow.

    Tickets are available for $500, $1,000 and $2,500 and tables for $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000. A limited number of tickets are available for faculty and staff at the discounted price of $250. All proceeds will support The Cooper Union's hallmark tradition of awarding full-tuition scholarships to all admitted students. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Lindsey Cole at 212.353.4106 or uv@cooper.edu.

    Keep checking www.cooper.edu/urbanvisionaries for updates and to see photographs of last year's event.
  • Rodrigo Suarez (CE'08) was just chosen as the commencement speaker at the Senior Speech Contest held in the Great Hall on February 26. Jared Harwayne-Gidansky (EE'08), Dennis Kong (IDE'08) and Robert Rose (ME'08) were the runners-up.
  • Mitchell Lipton, dean of Admissions and Records and Registrar, is pleased to announce an unprecedented year in application numbers. Total first year applications for fall 2008 were 3,036 representing almost a 20 percent increase from last year. Kudos to the hard work from our office staff and faculty who supported our endeavors this year.

Congratulations

  • Jonus Ademovic (AR'99) has won the open design competition of the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. Ekaterini Konidaris (AR'02) is a member of the design team.
  • Diana Agrest (Arch. fac.), has been elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
  • Diller Scofidio + Renfro (Elizabeth Diller [AR'79], Ricardo Scofidio [AR'55]) has won a Project Honor Award in the 2008 AIANY Design Awards for the Governors Island Redevelopment plan of West 8/Rogers Marvel Architects/Diller Scofidio + Renfro/Quennell Rothschild & Partners/SMWM.
  • Christoff:Finio (Martin Finio [AR'88]) has won the Interior Architecture Merit Award in the 2008 AIANY Design Awards for the Museum as Hub at the New Museum for Contemporary Art.
  • The National Science Foundation has awarded Leah Freed (ChE'09), Ian Jacobs (ChE'09), Anurag Panda (ME'11) and Lindsay Volk (ChE'10) with fellowships for their research work in Ghana.
  • OBRA Architects (Jennifer Lee [AR'97/Arch. fac.] and Pablo Castro) has won a Project Honor Award in the 2008 AIANY Design Awards, for BEATFUSE!.
  • Toshiko Mori (AR'76) has won a Project Honor Award in the 2008 AIANY Design Awards for The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems.
  • Scott Springer (AR'91) has been named a principal of the firm Swanke Hayden Connell Architects.
  • Ji Suk Suh (ChE'08), Min Kyoung Park (CE'08), Raja Swaidan (ChE'09) and DooWon Kim (ChE'08) were offered Discovery Scholarships from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Dhahran, Saudia Arabia to complete their masters degrees. Swaidan has accepted and will be attending after his graduation with a full scholarship.
  • Thomas Tsang (AR'00/Arch. fac.), was given an Honorable Mention (with Ken Suzuki) in the Emerging New York Architects' South Street Seaport: Re-envisioning the Urban Edge competition.

publications, presentations and major exhibitions

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giving to cooper union

  • The Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Inc. recently renewed its support of the Saturday Outreach Program.
  • The Robin Hood Foundation has made a renewal grant to support the Immigrant Engineer Re-Training Program run by The Cooper Union in collaboration with Bnai Zion and the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation, Inc. has awarded the program a grant as well.
  • The Alumni Roof Terrace is now more than one third full and has raised more than $1.46 million in support of the new academic building. Please remember that all pledges are payable through June 30, 2012—so mark your legacy in stone and secure a space for your name on the Terrace. For more information, contact Claire Michie at 212-353-4171 or michie@cooper.edu or visit Give to Cooper Union.
  • Cooper Union received generous bequests from the estates of Edward Owen (EE'42) and Margaret Brand, widow of George Brand (ENG'29).
  • Since July 2007, seven alumni and descendants of alumni have informed The Cooper Union of their inclusion of the college in their estate plans. These planned gifts alone represent more than $7.5 million in future support. Everyone who notifies Cooper Union of a bequest intention will be inducted into the Society of 1859, which now has over 285 members.
  • From February through the first week in March, we received a number of wonderfully generous pledges to the new academic building fund. Our special thanks go to Board of Trustees Chairman Ronald W. Drucker (ChE'62) and his wife Lisa Ware, whose life-time giving to Cooper Union now totals more than $1 million, making them the newest members of the Peter Cooper Heritage Society.

    Jeanette Brooks and Mark Brooks made a new pledge in honor of Louis Brooks (E'41), bringing the family's contribution to support the new academic building up to an extraordinary $1 million. In addition to the Brooks Design Center, the Fluids Laboratory will bear their name.

    Consolidated Edison Company of New York, headed by president and CEO Kevin Burke (EE'72), has pledged $1 million to the new building fund, which will be recognized in the Senior Design Laboratory.

    Lois Collier, whose father, Frederick H. Miller was a Cooper Union engineering graduate of 1929 and later the renowned chairman of The Cooper Union's mathematics department until his death in 1961, has made a contribution to the new building fund in his honor.

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Don't Miss

General Interest

  • On April 22 Trustee Philip Trahanas (EE'92) will join President Campbell for the Student Roundtable discussion scheduled at noon. The President's Roundtables are attended by students selected through each school's student representatives. Those interested in participating should contact their administrative chair.

    Trahanas is a managing director at General Atlantic LLC, a global private equity firm. He has a combination of experience in operating, investment banking and private equity roles. Trahanas is currently responsible for the firm's investment activities in the communications and electronics sector. He holds director positions at A-Max Technology and SYS Technologies and had prior Board affiliations with SRA International, Vindigo Studios, Ztango, PowerDsine and AiMetrix.
  • The Order of the Engineer will take place on April 15th from 12:00-2:00 in Driscoll Room 136E. All graduating engineering seniors are eligible to join for $10.00. Lunch will be served. For further information, please contact Cynthia Hartling chartlin@cooper.edu or visit her in room 126E.
  • The Cooper Union South Asian Society will have its annual culture show on Saturday, April 5th, 2008 at 7 p.m. in The Great Hall. Faculty, administration, students and family are invited to a night of cultural acts performed by students and an international food festival.
  • Cooper Union is participating in the inaugural World Science Festival as a supportive university partner. The World Science Festival is an unprecedented celebration of science that brings together many of the world's greatest minds in science, business, public policy and culture to radically transform public perceptions of science. Speakers include physicist Brian Greene, actor Alan Alda, neurologist Oliver Sacks and more than 20 Nobel laureates. The five-day long program will take place at various venues all over Manhattan. With more than 40 events for all ages and interests, there are guaranteed to be topics that will engage everyone. Learn more at www.worldsciencefestival.com.

Alumni Events

  • The Cooper Union Alumni Association will host its Annual Founder's Day Dinner Dance on Friday, April 11, 2008 at The Lighthouse, Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers from 7:00 p.m.-midnight. Dinner co-chairs are John Huddy (AR'85) and Elizabeth Huddy.

    The CUAA proudly announced the 2008 alumni award recipients: The Gano Dunn Award for outstanding professional achievement in engineering: Dr. Ira Whitman (CE'61/MCE'63); The Augustus Saint Gaudens Award for outstanding professional achievement in art: Whitfield Lovell (A'81); The John Hejduk Award for outstanding contribution to the theory, teaching and/or practice of architecture: Alexander Gorlin (AR'78) and Alumnus of the Year: Ronald Weinstein (CE'67).

    Honor alumni achievements, celebrate Peter Cooper's 217th birthday and recognize the 25th reunion of the class of 1983 at this event beginning with cocktails at 7 p.m., followed by dinner, award presentations and dancing until midnight to the music of The Cal James Orchestra. The evening features a special performance by students from the Cooper Union Ballroom Dance Group.

    Tickets are available for $125 and $175, tables for $2,000 and sponsorship tables for $2,500. Requests to sponsor student dinners and desserts are also available. Contributions made will support The Cooper Union's full-tuition scholarships.

    Make reservations online at www.cualumni.com. For further information, please contact Madeline Kilroe at The Cooper Union Alumni Relations Office (212-353-4267) or via e-mail at kilroe@cooper.edu.
  • The Golden Legion Celebration honoring the 50th anniversary of the class of 1958 will be held Friday, May 9, 2008. The opening ceremony will take place in The Great Hall at 10:30 a.m. where the class of 1958 will be inducted into the Golden Legion by President George Campbell Jr., followed by a luncheon in Wollman Lounge from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Guided tours will follow the luncheon, and the day's events will culminate with a reception for all Golden Legion members of the classes of 1926 through 1958 in Wollman Lounge from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Julia Weist (A'07), Jennifer Tobias (A'88) and Ellen Lupton (A'85) will discuss Weist's book (http://www.sexylibrariannovel.com/) Sexy Librarian and related projects as part of "CU @ Lunch with Alumni" on Thursday, April 17th, 12:30 P.M., Alumni Space, Third Floor, Student Residence. Sponsored by the Career Center/Alumni Relations.

Upcoming Lectures and Public Programs

  • Ernest Tollerson: The Future of NYC Transit
    Monday, April 14, 6:00 p.m., discussion, Albert Nerken School of Engineering, Room 21E
    Ernest Tollerson, M.T.A. director of policy and media relations, presents the M.T.A.'s Sustainability agenda for the coming years. Though mass transit itself supports our environment by keeping billions of car trips off the roads, how can MTA operating agencies cut their own carbon footprints and reduce their energy consumption? Join us for this talk and question/answer period.
  • The Third Annual Eleanore Pettersen Lecture
    Elizabeth Wright Ingraham, FAIA: On the Bright Side of Architecture
    Thursday, April 17, 6:30 p.m., lecture, The Great Hall
    Elizabeth Wright Ingraham Architects is a small, high service architectural firm established in 1970. Prior to forming that firm, Ingraham was a principal with Ingraham & Ingraham, Architects. Born in Oak Park, IL, she attended the University of California at Berkeley and Illinois Institute of Technology. She moved to Colorado Springs with her family to begin the practice of architecture in 1950. The founder and director (from 1972 to 1983) of the Wright-Ingraham Institute, a Colorado think-tank for environmental education located on an innovative 640 acre campus, she is also an author and has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the State Board of Examiners of Architects from 1980-90; Advisory Board of Consultants; University of Colorado School of Architecture & Planning; Institute of International Education Board of Trustees; Visiting Professor, Environmental Design College, University of Colorado, Boulder; 2002 President, AIA Colorado. In 1999 she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Colorado. In 1976 Ingraham co-founded the Colorado Women's Forum and is an active member of the International Women's Forum. Ingraham has travelled and lectured internationally. Her award winning work has been published widely.

    The annual Eleanore Pettersen Lecture was established in honor of Cooper Union alumna Eleanore Pettersen through a generous donation to The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. The lectures, dedicated to the voices of women in architecture, will be a lasting tribute to Pettersen, her significant impact in the world of architecture and her love of The Cooper Union. This event is presented by The School of Architecture.

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Did You Know?

  • Full Scholarship Opportunity for Undergraduate Students in Science and Technology Research
    The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is being built in Saudi Arabia as an international, graduate-level research university. KAUST has a merit-based application process and is beginning to recruit men and women from around the world.

    KAUST will grant the KAUST Discovery Scholarship to highly talented students from first-level, bachelors or undergraduate degree programs at public and private universities to enter KAUST as graduate-level students in fall 2009 and 2010. The scholarship benefits include:
    • Full tuition to complete degree at the student's current undergraduate institution
    • Monthly living stipend
    • Textbook and computer allowance
    • Travel costs for participation in KAUST-sponsored science, technology and leadership activities in Saudi Arabia and regionally

    Upon the completion of the undergraduate degree program, students will receive:
    • Admission into a master's degree program upon meeting the program's admission requirements at the KAUST campus in Saudi Arabia
    • Full scholarship at KAUST, including tuition, housing and travel costs

    Applications are currently being accepted. The application may be accessed directly by visiting: https://apply.embark.com/kaust/discovery/69/

    Institutional nomination deadline is April 22; deadline for the current open application cycle is May 11, 2008.

    For more information on the KAUST Discovery Scholarship and to find the online application, visit the KAUST Web site at: www.kaust.edu.sa.

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