Research-Assistant

When Jean Bain got the call, he was sitting on a couch in his Morningside Heights apartment, unwinding after a Saturday afternoon basketball practice.

Columbia bills itself as a major research university, and one such measurement of this label is the number of paper citations its researchers can claim. As of 2020, Columbia had 45 scientists and social scientists ranked within the top 1 percent of the most cited researchers in their respective fields. By this metric, the University has the 18th largest number of top-cited researchers in the world, according to recognized data by Web of Science.

As both parents and scientific researchers at Columbia, we are panicked by New York’s surging COVID-19 infection rates. Since March, no student has completely returned to school. Some students are in blended schooling—in person a few days a week—while others are learning fully remotely at home. Most after-school programs have not reopened since closing in March. The pandemic has led to serious scheduling and financial pressures on families with children, and uncertainty around when schools will open again makes it impossible to plan ahead. While some can afford to hire a nanny, many parents, and especially scientific researchers cannot.

Although approaching a professor can be intimidating at first, knowing the right thing to say can often help you get what you are looking for. There are many unwritten rules to writing an email, but maintaining a professional tone is one of the most essential. To get you started, Spectrum has outlined a few ways to approach your professors via email below.

It’s 6 in the morning. Columbia students are fast asleep, exhausted by their Thursday night outings in the city and midterm papers due the night before. Few would even think about getting up at such an ungodly hour, especially on the day that marks the beginning of the weekend. In fact, most of the city is still asleep. You cannot yet hear the typical hustle and bustle of Manhattan.

Columbia researchers have received a $2.1 million grant to identify drugs that prevent the spread of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The Jack Ma Foundation, a philanthropy group founded by the richest man in China, awarded the grant amid the spreading infection and a 2 percent fatality rate, which has sparked fears of a pandemic.

The tissue box screeches as it is pushed across the desk. The copy machine lulls as pages filled with meaningless numbers emerge and the sound of fingers tapping against a keyboard is heard. These details take on heavy meaning in the high-pressure and misogynistic work environment in which Jane finds herself isolated.

María Irene Fornés stands on the beach in Miami, looking out over the endless ocean, to free herself from worry. Yet as the scene changes, she forgets that she is in Miami; she forgets that she hasn’t written a play in over five years. By the film’s end, she forgets the name of her friend Michelle Memran, the filmmaker who is capturing the scene. But while her memories fade, Fornés’ creative, outgoing, and jocular personality persists.

A new study published by Columbia researchers within the Society for Applied Anthropology suggests that universities should offer more resources to conduct conversations about sexual consent. It also outlines steps to take in order to clarify the language of consent on college campuses in relation to time-related factors.

I take great pride in the fact that I recently graduated from Columbia University’s graduate program in pathology and cell biology. During my studies, I had the opportunity to conduct research in stem cell biology that could one day benefit the field of medicine at large and potentially help save lives. I was even able to participate in a clinical rotation where I could observe first-hand the world-class care that patients were receiving at Columbia’s various medical centers. However, contrary to my overall positive experiences at Columbia, it was disheartening to learn that Columbia is in violation of the federal law that mandates fair and transparent reporting of results from clinical trials.