NYU Buenos Aires “Art and the City” Professor Teresa Riccardi invited NYU Buenos Aires for a very special opening: artist Iván Contreras-Brunet’s first exhibit in Argentina. Professor Riccardi is an Argentine art historian, curator and current Management Director for the prestigious MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Buenos Aires).
Renowned abstract artist Iván Contreras-Brunet, originally from Chile and long-time resident of France, took classes at the School of Fine Arts in Santiago de Chile and began his first abstract works in 1951. He chose geometry as an artistic language.
His work knows no frontiers and has been presented at prestigious museums all over the world, including the Centre Georges Pompidou (France), Museum Cuauhtémoc (Mexico), TSA Gallery (Japan), Gallery Nouvelles Images (Netherlands), Museum of Geometric and MADI Art (USA), amond many others.
Contreras-Brunet is currently presenting his very first exhibit in Argentina and NYU BA, Students and Director, joined Professor Riccardi to explore his unique repertoire.
MACBA Executive Director, Aldo Rubino, who also attended the art exhibit, met and welcomed NYU Buenos Aires students and Director, Anna-Kazumi Stahl.
NYU Buenos Aires had the privilege of having Professor Riccardi as their personal tour guide, who explained the significance of Contreras-Brunet’s work with its delicate materials, light and visual impressions.
NYU Buenos Aires Students enthusiastically joined in on the one-of-a-kind opportunity to ask questions to the artist himself. Contreras-Brunet talked to the students and explained his favorite pieces, his influences and his international experiences.
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Month: October 2014
NYU London Professor Guy Wilson’s Research Points to a Room Temperature Super-metal
In a paper recently published in Euro Physics Letters, NYU London’s Guy Wilson and his co-authors in provide a theory to account for the thirty-year-old outstanding experimental results by Donovan and Wilson on the electron transport in polydiacetylene (PDA) single crystals. Their work gives a theoretical understanding of currents induced by light pulses in these crystals, resulting in electron mobility that is higher than in any conventional semiconductor.
In crafting an “umbrella” Hamiltonian, which gives the complete story of quantum energy in the crystals, the authors explain how, in the presence of a low, external electric field, currents at supersonic velocities can be achieved.
The paper’s authors write that further experiments building on this transport theory of PDA crystals could achieve a room temperature super-metal. Their transport theory “offers the possibility of a mechanical control of electrons at the nano-scale,” and can also be used for other materials “whose stiffness and crystal vibrations permit strong enough compressions.”
Read the full paper at: http://iopscience.iop.org/0295-5075/106/2/27004
NYU Shanghai Welcomes its first Senior Executive in Residence
NYU Shanghai is pleased to welcome its first Senior Executive in Residence, Elizabeth Nien Tze Chen.
Ms. Chen recently retired from Goldman Sachs, where she spent almost two decades engaged in private wealth management, based at the firm’s Hong Kong office. Ms. Chen was a Managing Director of the firm and was responsible for leading Goldman’s private wealth management practice in all of Asia outside Japan. In 2013, the magazine Asian Private Banker profiled her as an industry leader. Currently, Ms. Chen is President and Managing Partner of Singulariteam Fund L.P., a fund management company specializing in early stage technology investments, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel. She is also a Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network.
In addition to her accomplishments in the world of business, Ms. Chen is an active philanthropist. She works to address the needs of children with autism, which affects as many as 1-2% of children in some countries, by serving as co-sponsor of the International Care-for-Autism Children’s Fund.
As Senior Executive in Residence, Ms. Chen will be on campus three days each month. She will be participating in campus intellectual life and available to meet with classes, student organizations, and attend events. Ms. Chen will share her experiences in the business world with students, providing a practitioner’s perspective, and leverage her extensive network to bring other senior executives to campus to engage with students.
NYU Buenos Aires Welcomes its 1000th Student – Jaynah Ross
NYU Buenos Aires opened it doors in spring 2008 and welcomed its 1000th student, Jaynah Ross, this fall.
Get to know Jaynah:
GLS junior
Concentration: “Identities and Representations”
Interested in immigration and immigrant minority groups in different countries, Jaynah spent her freshman year in France where she focused on the experience of Algerian immigrants. Back in the US, she continued her study on that topic and also conducted an extensive research project on the representation of Arabs and Muslims in the US film industry. Now in Argentina, she is doing a“mini-ethnography” (narrow scope study) of the subway in Buenos Aires.
Some fun facts about Jaynah:
1. Student #1000 at NYUBA.
2. Favorite NYU class ever: “Global Violence: Vulnerable and Targeted People and the Politics of Destruction”
3. Grew up in: The Finger Lakes in Upstate NY
4. Fall Break plans: traveling to Chile
5. In 5 years: will be a Sociologist
6. In 50 years: will be retired and traveling around the world
7. Favorite Argentine snack: the Oreo Alfajor
8. Hidden talent: is an ace horseback rider
Community Art Meets Science in the Crochet Coral Reef Project at NYU Abu Dhabi
On display until December 4, the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute’s Crochet Coral Reef Project exhibition is a colorful and wooly re-creation of our oceans’ coral reef communities. Begun in 2005 by sisters Margaret and Christine Wertheim of the Los Angeles-based Institute of Figuring, the project aims to draw attention to the plight of coral reefs around the world, which are being devastated by pollution, global warming, and ocean acidification.
Bringing together community art practices, ecological consciousness, and science, the frilly forms and sculptures of the Crochet Coral Reef Project provide a spirited and powerful experience. Through the activism of the Institute of Figuring, more than 7,000 individuals have contributed to the project, making it perhaps the largest community art and science project in the world.
In addition to the exhibition opening on September 29, the Institute hosted two panel discussions about the art of crochet and the science behind the crocheted coral reef communities.
Radical Craft: Re-imagining Crochet was held in conjunction with the exhibition opening. Attendees were able to view the coral reef sculptures and take part in a talk by project co-creator Margret Wertheim, textile artist and researcher Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam, and “crochetdermist” Shauna Richardson. The discussion focused on the art of crochet and how it has broken traditional boundaries and established itself as a sculptural medium.
“I was really surprised at how this seemingly simple type of art can make a huge difference to life,” said Ziyi Mo (NYUAD ’18). “The part that struck me the most was the work by Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam. She devoted herself to this simple art for so long that she discovered something that no one else could see — the flow of life and joy that this art form brings to children and adults alike.”
The second panel discussion took place just two days later. Reefs, Rubbish, and Reason focused on the world’s coral reefs and the devastating impacts that pollution, global warming, and ocean acidification have on these fragile communities. The panel — whose members included NYUAD Associate Professor of Biology John Burt, Margaret Wertheim, and author and NYU New York Director Emeritus of the New York Institute for the Humanities Lawrence Weschler — discussed the possibility created by the intersection of science and art to establish a global ecological consciousness.
As well as a crochet coral forest, the Crochet Coral Reef Project exhibition features a collection of miniature coral “Pod Worlds” and the NYU Abu Dhabi Satellite Reef, the latest addition to the Institute for Figuring’s ever-growing archipelago of community-made crocheted reefs worldwide. Twelve members of the NYUAD community contributed to this satellite reef, including Assistant Vice Provost of Institute Administration and Executive Education Jason Beckerman, Senior Lecturer Jill Magi, Security Guard Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Chandrawathie, and Global Academic Fellow Blair Matarlo.
“It’s very exciting to have an art project that is a collaboration between visiting artists and local members of the community,” said Andrew Starner, an NYUAD Writing Program lecturer. “It’s a great way to interface with the biological sciences alongside art practice and the work that we do in the writing programs, which is, how do we use novel approaches to inform and entertain?”
The Crochet Coral Reef Project will be on display on the ground floor of the Arts and Humanities Building on NYUAD’s Saadiyat Campus through December 4. Visitors are welcome daily between 10am and 9pm.
NYU Filmmakers Featured at Abu Dhabi Film Festival
The annual Abu Dhabi Film Festival is about to begin. Starting on October 23, participants will attend film screenings and take part in a wide range of special events, including workshops and talks with directors. This year, a special program titled From New York to Abu Dhabi: a program by NYU Filmmakers will feature the films of three NYU community members: Of Many, a documentary short by Linda Mills; Watermark, a narrative short by Gail Segal; and Return to the Sea, a narrative short by Alexis Gambis.
NYU Florence Professor Bruce Edelstein inducted into Florentine Academia dell Arti del Disegno
On October 18, 2014, NYU Florence professor Bruce Edelstein was inducted as an Honorary Member into the Florentine Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. The Accademia awards the title of Accademico d’Onore, or honorary member, to those it considers notable in culture and the arts, including internationally renowned artists and Nobel and Pritzker prize winners. The Accademia is the oldest academy in the world, founded by Giorgio Vasari and his contemporaries in 1563, with Michelangelo as its honorary head. The Accademia’s mission is to support every form of artistic endeavor, encourage and promote the study of the arts and their history, and insure the conservation of cultural heritage.
NYU London Professor Contributed to Winning Submission for 2014 Wolfson Prize
The 2014 Wolfson Prize has been awarded to David Rudlin of URBED (Urbanism, Environment, Design), who prepared his submission in collaboration with NYU London Professor Nicholas Falk (also of URBED) and others. Professor Falk teaches Economics of Regeneration and Reuse for the MA in Historical and Sustainable Architecture program at NYU London.
The Wolfson Prize (£250,000) is the second-biggest cash economics prize in the world, after the Nobel Prize. This year the prize asked “How would you deliver a new Garden City which is visionary, economically viable, and popular?”
An independent panel of judges chose the winning submission from the 279 entries submitted. The submission argues for the near-doubling of up to 40 existing large towns to provide new homes for 150,000 people per town, built over 30-35 years. The entry imagines a fictional town called Uxcester to develop the concept. It argues that expansion of existing towns is the best way to accommodate growth, regenerate town centers, and protect much-loved countryside and the setting of surrounding villages.
In an Appendix to the entry, Professor Falk applies the Uxcester concept to Oxford (2011 population: 150,000) as a case study. The study argues that if Oxford does not grow, Oxford University’s position as one of the top three in the world could be lost. It describes the County Council’s acceptance that 100,000 new homes are needed in the county by 2031 with Oxford itself in need of 28,000 new homes by 2026. It notes that Oxford City Council has recently published an informal assessment of the potential to release Green Belt land, but proposes an alternative strategy involving no use of flood plains and the protection of some smaller villages near Oxford which would otherwise be developed.
U.S. Ambassador Max Baucus Speaks to Students at NYU Shanghai
On October 7, the United States Ambassador to China Max Baucus gave a talk at NYU Shanghai. This was his first event with students since assuming the Ambassadorship in March. Students from NYU Shanghai as well as East China Normal University (ECNU) attended the talk. Ambassador Baucus spoke about the importance of educational exchanges between the people of China and the people of the United States. He highlighted the collaboration between ECNU and NYU, and the establishment of NYU Shanghai, as consequential for U.S.-China relations.
In addition to touring the NYU Shanghai campus and meeting with the leadership of NYU Shanghai and ECNU, Ambassador Baucus also engaged with students. After his remarks, he entertained questions from students during a Q & A session. He also had informal conversations with students who came to meet him and introduce themselves at the conclusion of the event. He was eager to hear about their experiences at the first US-China degree-granting university in China.
Dispatch from Washington, D.C.
It is an exciting time in Washington, D.C. We welcomed four new faculty members to our team in fall 2014. Dr. John Volpe is teaching Corporate Finance and has held executive-level positions in the corporate, trade association, foundation, think-tank, consultancy, and academic arenas. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from New York University, where he was a teaching fellow. He has published extensively, mainly in the area of public policy, and consulted for Departments of State and Labor, U.S. Agency for International Development, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Stanford Research Institute, International Trade and Investment Center, and the Center for International Private Enterprise. Dr. Charles Herrick is teaching History of Environmental Policy and is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Stratus Consulting. He’s worked with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Sloan Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Health Canada, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has published extensively in multi-disciplinary social science and policy journals. Dr. Herrick holds a PhD in Public Policy from the American University in Washington, DC, an MA in Political Theory from the University of Colorado, and a BA in Political Science from Fort Lewis College. Dr. Bulbul Tiwari teaches Cultural Foundations III and received her PhD from the University of Chicago in South Asian cultural history, and her BA in Literature from Harvard University. As a post-doctoral Humanities fellow at Stanford University she taught courses on media studies, religion and film. In addition to her scholarship, Dr. Tiwari has written and directed plays, made films, designed websites and curated museum exhibits. Dr. Mike Duggan teaches Social Foundations III and received his PhD in American History with a minor in Western Philosophy from Georgetown University. He has worked at the Supreme Court since 1991, and was the Supreme Court Fellow for 2011-2012. He has written on a variety of topics ranging from Critical Rationalism, Foreign Affairs, and the philosophy of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
We welcomed our first cohort of Liberal Studies and Global Liberal Studies students this fall, and they joined students from NYU NY and NYU Abu Dhabi from our major pathway partners and affiliates. Students were placed in a variety of impressive internships including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Ready for Hillary, The Hill Newspaper, Council of Economic Advisers, federal agencies, and Senate and Congressional offices. Fall programming will include visits to the Kennedy Center, Phillips Collection, Ford’s Theater, Washington Nationals baseball game, the Supreme Court, Italian Embassy and Smithsonian museums. Several special events are planned including a conference on Federalism and Contemporary Political Problems in collaboration with the Department of Politics.
We hosted NYU Imam Latif and Rabbi Sarna with Linda Mills as their film Of Many was part of a Presidential multi-faith conference and service. Fellow faith leaders joined them for a roundtable discussion with a focus on strategies for addressing tensions on campuses related to the Middle East conflict.
A variety of visiting student groups will also visit the site this fall, including the Steinhardt Fall Leadership Retreat, Student Senators Council, and Liberal Studies Student Council.