Tag: Alumni

Alumni Spotlight: Summer Scott Huyette ’73

Written by International House on October 8, 2025. Posted in Alumni News.

When Summer Scott Huyette ’73 arrived at I-House in the early 1970s from El Paso, Texas, she was pursuing her PhD in political science at Columbia, specializing in Soviet studies. She quickly discovered that I-House would be more than just a place to live. It would become her community. Looking back, Summer treasures the camaraderie and cultural exchange that shaped her I-House years. “My real social life was at I-House,” she recalls. “It was the perfect place for me to be.” She befriended residents from Russia, Egypt, and beyond during the height of the Cold War, and those encounters...

Yanis Ben Amor Discusses The Coming AI Wave

Written by International House on October 8, 2025. Posted in Alumni News, News.

International House welcomed back alumnus Yanis Ben Amor ’04, Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University’s Climate School, for a fireside chat on the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence on September 30. Moderated by I-House resident Archana Dhinakar Bala and Columbia University student Yatin Jain, the program drew a lively audience eager to consider how the rise of AI will shape careers, education, and society. Prof. Ben Amor began by recalling his being unexpectedly—and initially reluctantly—seated across the...

I-House Celebrates 101 Years with Welcome Sunday Supper

Written by International House on October 8, 2025. Posted in Alumni News, News.

International House celebrated its 101st birthday at a festive Welcome Sunday Supper on September 15, welcoming back alumna Tirana Hassan ’03, a globally recognized leader in human rights and humanitarian protection, as keynote speaker. President Sebastian Fries introduced Hassan, who has held senior roles at Save the Children, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, where she most recently served as Executive Director. Just two days before the event, she was announced as the incoming CEO of Doctors Without Borders U.S. Hassan noted that I-House residents today confront...

Remembering Dr. Karin Zinkann ‘57 (1933-2025)

Written by International House on July 30, 2025. Posted in Alumni News, News.

Members of the International House community note with sorrow the passing of Dr. Karin Zinkann ’57, longtime World Council of Alumni member and International Trustee, at her home in the town of Gütersloh in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on July 23. As reported locally, “With her, Gütersloh loses an outstanding personality who has dedicated herself for decades to the common good, cultural life, and social issues in our city—as an engaged supporter of numerous projects alongside her husband, the co-owner of Miele and honorary citizen of Gütersloh, Dr. Peter Zinkann.” Dr. Zinkann, who...

Statement Calling for the Immediate Release of Jesús Armas ’23

Written by International House on July 25, 2025. Posted in Alumni News, News.

Dear Friends, It has been more than seven months since our alumnus and friend Jesús Armas ’23 was abducted and detained indefinitely in Caracas. I am writing today to urge his immediate release and safe return to his family. Last Friday, the United States negotiated a prisoner swap that freed ten Americans and 48 Venezuelan political detainees. Jesús was not among them. Because of his political advocacy and human rights activism, he remains imprisoned and held incommunicado by the Venezuelan government. Jesús has been isolated, tortured, and cut off from any means of legal...

Remembering Susan “Tudy” McLaine (1933-2025)

Written by International House on July 11, 2025. Posted in Alumni News, News, Uncategorized.

International House was saddened to learn of the passing of Susan “Tudy” McLaine ’56, a fixture in the I-House alumni and programmatic community for decades, on June 21 in Ottawa. She was 91.Born Susan Reed in Boston, MA, she met her Canadian husband Alan McLaine at I-House while she was attending Columbia University’s School of Social Work. After completing his studies in Soviet economics, Alan joined the Canadian Foreign Service, and the McLaines embarked on a 33-year diplomatic career which culminated with Alan’s appointment as the last Canadian Ambassador to Czechoslovakia in 1990.The...

Alumni Spotlight: Cyrus Mehta ‘90

Written by International House on May 12, 2025. Posted in Alumni News.

Today, Cyrus Mehta ’90 is a prominent attorney for immigrant rights and constitutional protections, handling high-profile cases and shaping policy conversations across the country through his blog and other platforms. He is currently working on Mahdawi v. Trump. Though he planned—twice—to return to India, his path kept unfolding in New York. Friendships and referrals from I-House peers drew him back time and again, eventually establishing him as a leading voice in immigration law. Mehta credits I-House not so much with shaping his career, but with deeply influencing his worldview....