Alumni Board | Columbia Journalism School

Alumni Board

Rex Smith headshot

Dear fellow alumni,

For many of us, the time we spent at the j-school was transformative. The skills we learned, the principles we absorbed, the connections we forged – all that, and more, made Columbia Journalism School a singular experience in our lives. Your alumni board is committed to helping you sustain a connection to that experience. We’re a diverse group representing varied fields of work; we span the globe and the last five decades of j-school classes.

If you’d like to help by joining one of our committees, please let one of us know. Since we’re also here to provide you a place to share your thoughts about the school and its mission, please keep in touch. And if you can do anything to help give others the opportunity that we had to attend the world’s greatest journalism school, please do so. 

We encourage you to be an active part of our alumni network.

 

Rex Smith ’80

Alumni Board Chair

Chair

Rex Smith '80, former editor and vice president, Albany Times Union, Albany

Vice Chair

Andrew Seaman '11, Editorial, LinkedIn, New York

Other Members

Lauren Betesh '13, The Hive, Vanity Fair, New York

Elena Bowes '89, freelance writer and personal essayist, New York

Kavita Chandran Budhraja '98, Trainer and News Content Advisor, Singapore

Heather Cabot '93, author and former ABC News correspondent and anchor

Richard Chacón '93, Director, News Standards and Practices, NBC News Group, New York 

Rhonda Colvin '13 M.A., video planning editor, The Washington Post, Washington D.C.

Vladimir Duthiers ’11, CBS News correspondent, New York

Kathy Gest '70, immediate past chair, National Press Foundation; public affairs strategist, Washington D.C.

Sophie Guité ’11 Ph.D., portfolio specialist, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, New York

Nicole Neroulias Gupte '02, Editor, Global Press Journal, New Delhi

Linda Himelstein '87, writer/documentary filmmaker, San Francisco

Rishi Iyengar ’14, Tech Writer, CNN, San Francisco

Zubeida Jaffer '96, Author, Activist and Co-Owner and Founder of Number10Publishers, Cape Town

Rosiland Jordan '90, State Department, Specials, and Guantanamo Correspondent, Al Jazeera English, Washington D.C.

Anup Kaphle ’08, Executive Editor at Rest of World, New York

Lila LaHood ’98, publisher, the San Francisco Public Press, San Francisco

Daniel Matamala ’12 M.A. Politics, anchor, CNN Chile. Santiago, Chile

Darren McDermott '92, partner, Brunswick Group, former Wall Street Journal reporter and bureau chief, New York

Tesfaye Negussie ‘08, digital producer of ESPN's "The Undefeated." Washington, D.C.

Andy Reinhardt ’88, politics editor, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco

Emerald Yeh '80,  television journalist, San Francisco

Volunteer for a Committee

The Alumni Board welcomes your interest in serving on our various committees:

  • Admissions assist with student recruitment
  • Development find ways to fire up the Annual Fund
  • Pathways for alumni transitioning to other careers or no longer in journalism
  • J‐Ten reach out to the 10 most recent graduated classes
  • Communications help the School reach alumni more effectively
  • International connect with international alumni

If you would like to volunteer, e-mail us.