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As the announcement concluded at Low Library, the room brimmed with a rare sense of genuine possibility. Michael J. Fox has spent his life moving at high speeds—as a teen idol, a leading actor, and a titan of medical advocacy. Now, in this “senior” stage of life, he slows just enough to teach others how to run the race. He has turned personal struggle into public benefit, proving that the most enduring legacy isn’t awards on a shelf, but wisdom passed to those who will carry the torch forward. The “Professor of Optimism” may be a new title, but for Fox, it is the role he has been preparing for his entire life.
As the fall semester approaches, the eyes of the academic world turn to New York City. This experiment in “hope as a discipline” could transform how universities approach wellness and neurological study. If optimism can be taught, there is perhaps no one better suited than the man who has spent decades proving that the future is whatever you make it. In Michael J. Fox, Columbia has found the ultimate strategist for hope, and his first lecture promises to be more than a lesson in science or history—it is a call to arms for anyone who believes that tomorrow can be better than today.
