Columbia University News for South Texas

Minette Boesel (MS, '77) becomes Mayor's Asst for Cultural Affairs

City of Houston Press Release, August 21, 2008 -- Mayor Bill White has named Minnette Boesel to serve as his Assistant for Cultural Affairs.

"Minnette Boesel is a great asset for us," said Mayor White. "Her breadth of knowledge and her community involvement over the years means she is able to hit the ground running and help us move a number of important arts and preservation projects forward. We're fortunate to have her."...

Prior to joining the Mayor's office, Boesel was dedicated to her role as owner/broker of Minnette Boesel Properties, Inc. The firm was formed in 1996 to help initiate downtown residential development and brokerage services utilizing historic buildings, primarily, in the Downtown Historic District.

Boesel holds a Bachelor of Arts in art history from Briarcliff College and a Master of Science in historic preservation from Columbia University.

Boesel previously worked as executive director for the Downtown Historic District, Inc., which was founded by the Downtown Houston Association and other organizations, to help revitalize the Downtown Historic District. She has served as Chair of the Downtown Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ #3 and on the boards of the Houston Association of Realtors, the Rice Design Alliance and the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance.

Patricia Gras (Jrn, 90) selected for Houston's Most Influential Women

Houston Woman Magazine has named Patricia Gras (MS, Journalism, 1990) as on of Houston's 50 Most Influential Women. Each woman was chosen because her sphere of influence was deemed "vast and powerful." Beverly Denver, editor and publisher, of Houston Woman said that the magazine was not looking for the most successful or well-known women, but rather, "Simply put, we were looking for those women whose actions or thoughts can change the actions and thoughts of others." 

Patricia Gras is host of Living Smart, a weekly, half-hour interview and news magazine program focusing on personal well-being. Living Smart covers spiritual, financial, personal, mental, physical, emotional, and educational aspects of well-being. Living Smart provides a wealth of information to improve your quality of life. Below is a photo of Patricia interviewing James Hollis.

Facebook Group

Looking to connect with old and new friends: Try Columbia University at Facebook.

Paul Bonarrigo, '68

We should all be sure and head out to Bryan this summer and check out the Messina Hof Winery. Paul was interviewed by Houston Business Journal recently.

Houston Business Journal: Face to Face with ... Paul Bonarrigo of Messina Hof Winery and Resort, 2008-May-9, by Casey Wooten:

Paul Bonarrigo is CEO of Messina Hof Winery and Resort -- winner of 23 medals at this year's Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo international wine competition.

Based in Bryan, the winery released its first vintage in 1983 and today produces more than 250,000 gallons of wine a year that is distributed in more than 10 states and four countries, making it one of the fastest-growing wineries in the Southwest.

Bonarrigo also is the founder of St. Joseph Hospital's physical therapy department in Bryan and CEO of Bryan-based The Sports and Back Clinic. He studied physical therapy at Columbia University and wine-making at University of California-Davis.

George Worthington (Bus 93, SIPA 78) Leads Fundraising for SHAPE

George Worthington has just been selected to manage the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication or SHAPE (see www.SHAPESociety.org).  The mission of SHAPE is to eradicate heart attack by championing new strategies for prevention while advancing the scientific quest for a cure. George’s role in the organization will be to dramatically boost its fund-raising to support programs in professional and community education and research related to leading-edge preventive cardiovascular research.  He’s organizing benefits in Baltimore and Los Angeles; cultivating contacts for someone to step into the role of a national spokesperson; and gearing up for major community education events around Mother’s and Father’s Days related to the importance of early detection.

If you are interested in learning more about SHAPE and how you can help, you can call George at 713.256.8965 or email him at george.worthington@shapesociety.org or worthworldtx@sprintmail.com.

Phoebe Tudor (ARCH 89)

Phoebe Tudor, chair of the Julia Ideson Library Preservation Partners, is making good use of her major in Historical Preservation at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. She wants to complete the original plans for another wing and landscaping at our historical landmark library. So far, she has helped raise $13 million of the $33 million required to realize the original architectural plans of Ralph Adams Cram. Learn how you can help at www.ideson.org.

Houston Chronicle Couple spearheads campaign for library building, 2008-Apr-1, by Kim Morgan

Phoebe and Bobby Tudor are avid supporters of a wide range of Houston organizations, including the Houston Ballet, Teach for America and the Society for the Performing Arts. They both believe the more residents put into their community, the more they get out of it.

"Luckily, we're both interested in the same things and support each other in our various roles," Phoebe Tudor said, "because it can be quite time consuming.... Houston is such a friendly and accepting place to people who didn't grow up here....Bobby and I love to be involved in the community in whatever way we can. You get more out of your community if you're involved...."

Barnard Grad Honored for Historic Preservation

Houston Chronicle: Renovations balance historic preservation with the future. 2008-Jan-25, by Maggie Galehouse: 2008 Good Brick Winners include Phoebe and Robert Tudor for renovating the 1925 Walter H. Walne House.

Dr. Stanley Appel Compleat Physician

Methodist Hospital System (The Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas).

Dr. Stanley H. Appel, Chairman of the Department of Neurology at The Methodist Hospital and one of the nation’s foremost experts on Lou Gehrig’s disease, will receive the 2008 John P. McGovern Compleat Physician Award on Jan. 25. This national award, given by the Houston Academy of Medicine, recognizes a physician who embodies exemplary service to humanity and whose career reflects medical excellence, humane and ethical care, and commitment to the medical humanities.

Columbia Alumni Association Worldwide Leaders Conference

Over the weekend of November 2nd and 3rd, board member Brian Swain attended the 3rd annual Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) Worldwide Leaders Conference in New York City. Over the past two years CAA leadership has launched the Columbia Alumni Association across the world, engaged President Lee C. Bollinger '71LAW and Trustee Chair Bill Campbell '62CC '64TC about university and alumni matters, and, most importantly, has continued to learn and grow from the input and involvement of alumni leaders.

Friday evening featured an alumni group meeting with Global Strategy Group President Jeffrey Pollack ‘97SIPA during which the results of recent surveys and focus groups were shared and discussed. This discussion provided an opportunity for alumni leaders to contribute to the dialog on the past and present of CAA and help shape the future of the Association.

On Saturday morning Professor Bill Duggan delivered a keynote speech based on his new book Strategic Intuition: The Creative Spark in Human Achievement (a talk delivered here in Houston some weeks later). Following this address, a series of break-out sessions addressed several key CAA initiatives. Later that day attendees attended either the Columbia-Harvard football game at Wien Field or attended a Broadway matinee performance.

Finally on Saturday evening, alumni attendees took part in the annual gala dinner in Low Library to honor our 2007 Alumni Medalists (all 10 recipients are profiled on the university web site).

Our sincere thanks to the university for providing this marvelous opportunity to meet representatives of other clubs from around the country and for hosting a truly memorable weekend on campus!

David Cohen's Photos in HIWI, plus bonus

Two photographs by David Cohen (CC 62) appeared in the book Houston. Its' Worth It.

A 300+ page book—made by Houstonians for Houstonians—which inlcudes 258 photos, 121 photographers and 48 quotes. HIWI creators Dave Thompson and Randy Twaddle decided to test the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” and asked people to show why they liked the city. They partnered with the Houston Center for Photography (HCP) to create “Houston. It’s Worth It. – Show Us Why,” an open-call exhibition in which Houstonians were asked to submit to the HIWI website their personal photographs (as opposed to the stock imagery typically seen in convention bureau-type propaganda) relating to life in Houston. The website received over 600 images, the great majority of which came from amateurs. All of the photos were shown at the exhibition which took place August 4–6, 2006.

So these pictures by David were included in the 258 photos selected for inclusion in the book from the 600 submitted.

Page 84

Page 85

These bonus pictures were not in the book, but are among David's favorites. They were taken at the ship channel.