Tuesday, November 22, 2016

The 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers


Joann Baney has spent the last decade as an associate professor at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University. She has an additional 19 years of experience as part of the executive education faculty of the Columbia Business School. Beyond her professional activities, Joann Baney enjoys following the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowl championships since joining the National Football League (NFL) in 1933, a league record. The Steelers won three of those championships between 1974 and 1979, including the team’s dominant 1978 run.

The 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers went 14-2 during the regular season, a franchise record that would hold until 2004, when the team won 15 games before ultimately losing in the second round of the playoffs. Over the course of the 1978 campaign, the Steelers held six opponents to single-digit scoring. The team won seven games to start the season and entered the playoffs on a five-game winning streak.

In the playoffs, the Steelers continued to dominate, eliminating the Denver Broncos 33-10 and the Houston Oilers 34-5 en route to Super Bowl XIII. Their Super Bowl opponents, the 12-win Dallas Cowboys, proved tough adversaries. At one point in the second quarter, the Cowboys took a 14-7 lead. The advantage was short lived, however, and the Steelers eventually pulled away for a 35-31 victory.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Underrated Broadway Musicals


Joann Baney is a successful educator and business leader with nearly 20 years of experience. A graduate of the University of Chicago, she teaches courses at Columbia University and provides business communication consulting as the owner and vice president of the Professional Development Company. In her free time, Joann Baney enjoys attending the theater and is particularly fond of Broadway productions.

Over the years, Broadway has hosted many well-known musicals, from the Lion King to Wicked. However, there are plenty of underrated musicals that have graced the Broadway stages. Below are just a few examples:

- Miss Saigon - Written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, who are best known for the musical tragedy Les Misérables, Miss Saigon tells another tragic story. It follows a native of Vietnam and an American soldier through their story of love.

- Ragtime - Despite its 1998 Best Musical nomination, Ragtime is often overlooked in by theatergoers. The musical tells the story of a group of African Americans, American upper-class, and European immigrants. Taking place in the early 20th century, it serves as a unique glimpse into history.

- Light in the Piazza - Based on Elizabeth Spencer’s book, the Light in the Piazza musical was written by Adam Guettel. It blends Italian and opera-style music. Viewers are told the story of a mother and daughter who travel to Italy. When the daughter falls in love with a local, the family’s trip becomes more complicated.

- The Drowsy Chaperone - A parody of musicals, this comedy features a classic Broadway feel accompanied by catchy music and dances. It follows a man as he leads the audience through backstage and onstage antics at a musical show called The Drowsy Chaperone.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

St. Bart's Players - New York’s Oldest Community Theater Group


Joann Baney is a Columbia University associate professor and the cofounder of the Professional Development Company, Inc., in which role she provides clients with custom communications training. An avid theatergoer in her free time, Joann Baney has joined the St. Bart's Players in performances of classic musicals such as Damn Yankees and Kiss Me, Kate.

New York City’s oldest community theater group, the St. Bart's Players was formed in 1927 and maintains a reputation for giving some of the city’s finest off-off-Broadway performances. With professional designers, directors, and musicians helping shape productions, the group is, at its core, volunteer driven. Volunteer members handle the lighting, the sound, props, and theater operations, and they form the cast of each production.

The theatrical group maintains a home base at the historic St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan and produces two main-stage musicals and a play each year. The 2015 season began with Broadway Broads: The Madcap Madams of Musical Comedy and culminated in the well-received farce Don't Dress for Dinner.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Malala’s Campaign Inspires a New Girls’ Education Emphasis in India



Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Bogota, Colombia’s Gold Artifact-Focused Museo del Oro


Joann Baney is a respected New York entrepreneur and Columbia University associate professor who teaches a communications course at the School of International and Public Affairs. Joann Baney has traveled extensively to locations as diverse as Tblisi, Georgia, and Bogota, Colombia.

Colombia’s capital and largest city, Bogota is a culturally vibrant city that features colonial and modern architecture and includes unique sights such as the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum). Reflecting the high level of metalworking craftsmanship in pre-Hispanic cultures, the museum contains approximately 13,000 gold objects, as well as 20,000 clay and stone artifacts. These pieces come from ancient civilizations such as the Tayrona, Quimbaya, Calima, and Sinú.

Many museum displays give detailed explanations of how gold-hewn representations of mixed animals, such as jaguars and frogs, were utilized in worship settings. On the third floor, an “offering” room offers a multidimensional perspective on the ritual use of tunjos, or gold offerings that were typically in the form of warriors. Many of these offerings were recovered from the bottom of the Laguna de Guatavita. One of the most noteworthy artifacts, the Balsa Muisca, was unearthed in a nearby town and takes the form of a ceremonial gold boat.                            

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Damn Yankees - A Smash Comedic Broadway Hit about Baseball




Tuesday, November 3, 2015

ChildFund International's Childhood and Youth Programs Provide Hope

The co-owner and vice president of the Professional Development Company, Inc., Joann Baney was named the honorary battalion chief of the New York City Fire Department in 2014. In addition to her professional career, Joann Baney gives back to a number of charitable organizations, including ChildFund International.

Dedicated to helping children affected by poverty, ChildFund International was the first organization to use a sponsorship model allowing people to support a single child. Founded in 1938, ChildFund continues to work with local communities and families and provide immediate relief in the face of droughts, hurricanes, or wars. With a presence in 30 countries throughout the world, it has separate programs for infants, children, and youth, ensuring a focus on each group’s development and long-term goals.

For children from birth to 5 years of age, ChildFund’s infant programs address many different aspects of the early years of their lives, from nutrition and health to child protection and education. With programs in countries such as Senegal, India, Bolivia, and Ecuador, ChildFund educates caregivers and parents in childrearing and spearheads initiatives to provide sanitation and safe water.

Designed for children 6 to 14 years old, ChildFund’s primary school and adolescent programs operate in countries such as Timor-Leste, Mozambique, and Honduras. Taking a whole-life approach to children, these programs ensure economic security for caregivers, promote literacy and education, and provide access to necessary health services.

ChildFund’s youth programs, for those aged 15 to 24, focus on ensuring living wage employment in a non-exploitative environment and providing the tools for a healthy sexual and reproductive life. Through these programs, ChildFund hopes to give youth the chance to create positive differences in their communities and forge a prosperous adulthood.