HEALTH SCIENCES ORGANIZES FOR COLUMBIA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY Representatives of the four Health Sciences schools met on Feb. 26 to plan for the medical center’s participation in the upcoming 250th anniversary celebration of Columbia University in 2004. Most of the events related to this milestone will take place between May graduations of 2003 and 2004. Henry L. King and Dr. Kenneth Jackson, Barzun Professor of History and Social Sciences, the cochairs of the 250th anniversary program, attended a luncheon meeting to discuss the university’s planning process and the role of the Health Sciences. The Office of External Relations hosted the meeting on behalf of the Health Sciences. Deputy Vice President William A. Polf said the objective was to raise the consciousness of people at the Health Sciences about the upcoming celebration and to solicit proposals for programs and projects. "We need to make sure that people from the Health Sciences are serving on the various planning committees, so we have input," says Dr. Polf. "At the same time, we need to be developing proposals from the Health Sciences." Mr. King and Professor Jackson invited proposals for ideas that can be referred to the relevant committees for review. Dr. Polf offered the services of his office to help develop proposals and forward them accordingly. Summary information about projects already under way is being prepared and will be distributed to those who attended the luncheon. Dr. Polf said that President Rupp has asked that the overall theme stress the interconnection of the schools and programs to the evolution of the university as a whole. "The fact that the 250th anniversary of the medical school will also occur in a few years makes this an especially auspicious time to be thinking about how Columbia became the institution it is today," he said. Fifteen people attended the luncheon. Dr. Polf noted that a number of people from the Health Sciences are already active in the 250th anniversary effort, including Dental School Dean Allan Formicola, Dr. Donald Tapley, senior deputy vice president for Health Sciences, Dr. Eric Kandel, professor of physiology and cellular biology, and Dr. Richard Axel, Higgins Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. A Health Sciences e-mail distribution list is being developed. Requests to be included can be sent to wp2@columbia.edu. Information about the overall university effort can be requested from the Office of the Secretary of the University, 211 Low Library.