Director’s Letter

Dear Seminars Community,

As I begin my service as Director of The University Seminars, I wish first to thank Susan Boynton for her energetic and productive service in this position before me. Susan worked tirelessly to help develop new seminars, to enhance the work of existing seminars, and to lead during exceedingly difficult times. Most notably, Susan devoted enormous effort during the dark days of October 7, 2023, the Gaza War, and the campus closure that followed to enable seminar associate members and guests to gain access to Columbia’s campus, where most seminar meetings are held.  I will always be grateful to her for all she has done over the past several years.

In 2025-26, two new seminars – the Seminar on Artificial Intelligence for Social Good and Society and the Seminar on Latinx Studies – began operations under the leadership of Nabil El-Bassel (Social Work) and Tian Zheng (Statistics), and Lori Flores (History and Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race) and Carlos Alonso Nugent (English and Comparative Literature and CSER), respectively. This year, the Seminar on Sleep and Circadian Rhythms, founded by Marie-Pierre St-Onge (Nutritional Medicine) has begun meeting, and one or more additional new seminars are likely to begin soon.

I have been a beneficiary of The University Seminars since the 1980s, when I first joined a seminar while teaching at another university before joining the Columbia faculty. I am absolutely devoted to The Seminars, conceived fundamentally as a movement from the “bottom” up.

In the coming months I hope to meet with a number of seminar leaders so that I can better understand the work of the individual seminars. Pamela Guardia, who has served The Seminars for many years, is helping to arrange those meetings. When you hear from her, please do respond and help her to find a date when we can meet. I want to hear from you!

Sincerely,

David Johnston
Director, The University Seminars