Students
Columbia Engineers Celebrate Family Weekend
Students, alumni, and their families mark Homecoming Weekend with a series of fun and educational events.
Three hundred thirty parents and family members of Columbia Engineering students registered for Family Days 2024, a weekend that gave participants a glimpse into life as a current student with a full program of lectures, tours, and social events.
On Friday, October 25, guests took part in campus tours, open houses for various student services, as well as religious services.
In the morning, students from Columbia Engineering, Columbia College, and the School of General Studies showcased research projects at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in Roone Arledge Auditorium. Engineering students presented their posters on such topics as large language models, 6G for smart cities, and computational methods for analyzing color trends in the history of art. The student group Columbia University Formula Racing held their first-ever fundraiser on College Walk, giving guests a chance to view the electric car they built for the Formula SAE competition.
Throughout the day, several faculty from the Engineering School gave lectures presenting their latest research and projects. Professor Mike Massimino from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Columbia Space Initiative hosted a downlink session with NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station.
In the afternoon, Senior Lecturer in Circuits and Systems Dave Vallancourt from the electrical engineering department presented “How a Little EE Makes Guitars Sound Good,” and Elisa Konofagou, Robert and Margaret Hariri Professor of Biomedical Engineering, gave a talk on “Imaging Cardiovascular Disease, Treating Cancer and Neurodegenerative Disease.”
Dean Shih-Fu Chang greeted visitors at the Dean’s Welcome that afternoon, sharing highlights from the School and describing initiatives such as the new Lecture Series in AI and Tech CEO Lecture Series that bring some of the biggest experts and leaders in tech to campus. He and Vice Dean of Academic Programs Barlcay Morrison and Senior Associate Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Student Affairs Jenny Mak also took questions from the audience. In the evening, guests enjoyed a showcase of student performances in John Lay Lounge.
On Saturday, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering Shaina Kelly presented a lecture on “Multiphase flow controls on subsurface carbon storage and mineralization.”
The weekend culminated with sports events at the Baker Athletics Conference. Guests tailgated and played family-friendly games before the Columbia vs. Dartmouth game. Later that evening, Columbia played Cornell in volleyball.
A Snapshot of Family Days 2024
Credit: Eileen Barroso
