Simons Foundation: Building a Life in Science

Simons Foundation
160 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10010

Bringing untold stories to light can help us better understand our own journeys and the world around us. The more narratives we share, the clearer the tapestry of our shared reality becomes.

Ghanaian director Arthur Musah recently premiered his documentary, “Brief Tender Light,” which follows four African STEM students learning to navigate academia in the United States while striving to become agents of positive change back home. Supported by Sandbox Films, the film invites audiences on a feature-length foray into lives rarely depicted on screen.

Imbued with themes of youthful ambition and idealism, the film’s creation allowed Musah to reflect on his own journey in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.

Since its premiere, the film has resonated with many on a personal level, including Simons Society of Fellows Junior Fellow Daniel Alabi, who holds advanced degrees in computer science from Harvard and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, as well as Yehoda Martei, an alumna of Yale University’s School of Medicine, now a medical oncologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Join them as they sit down with Marcus Wright, associate producer at Sandbox Films, for a conversation that paints a fuller picture of the STEM ecosystem through their experiences in elite academia.

Doors open: 5:30 p.m. (No entrance before 5:30 p.m.)

In Conversation: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. (Admittance closes at 6:20 p.m.)

Reception: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Registration is required!