David Kaczynski
Co-presenter, Patricia Fennell

Session Materials

Agree or disagree with his politics, David Kaczynski is a man who has “taken action.” Informed by his personal spirituality & faced with incredible difficulties, he has always chosen to stand up for what he believes.

After the anonymous Unabomber demanded in 1995 that his manifesto, "Industrial Society and Its Future," be published in a major newspaper as a condition for ceasing his mail-bomb campaign, the New York Times and the Washington Post both published the manifesto, hoping somebody would recognize the writing style of the author.

David recognized the writing style as that of his brother Ted and notified authorities. On April 3, 1996, police arrested Ted Kaczynski in his rural shack in Deerlodge, Montana. David received the $1 million reward the FBI had offered for the Unabomber's capture but kept none for himself, what wasn’t used to pay legal expenses was donated to the families of his brother's victims.

David had received assurance from the FBI that his identity as the informant would be kept secret, but his name was leaked to the media. In addition, he sought a guarantee from federal prosecutors that Ted would receive appropriate psychiatric evaluation and treatment, since he suffers from schizophrenia. The Justice Department's subsequent active pursuit of the death penalty for Ted and Attorney General Janet Reno's initial refusal to accept a plea bargain in exchange for a life sentence was seen as a betrayal by David and other Kaczynski family members, and motivated David to become an anti-death penalty activist. In 2001, David Kaczynski was named executive director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, a coalition of individuals and organizations who seek abolition of capital punishment.

Kaczynski is a graduate of Columbia College of Columbia University. He is also a practicing Buddhist and is a vegetarian.

Dr. Beodeker
Speaking at the Professional Development Lunch, Stumbling Blocks to Collaboration: Collaborating with Teaching Faculty.

What factors support or inhibit faculty and student affairs professionals in their efforts to work collaboratively to improve student learning and increase institutional effectiveness? One factor that has a significant impact on the collaborative process is the dissonance between the academic and administrative cultures. Borrowing from the field of intercultural communication, Dr. Robert Beodeker helps professionals explore the significant cultural differences between academic and administrative cultures. More importantly, he focuses on ways individuals and institutions can support increased collaboration while avoiding some of the stumbling blocks to effective communication and collaboration.

Dr. Beodeker is currently the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Chief Student Affairs Officer for Suffolk Community College in Riverhead, New York. Dr. Beodeker is also an Instructor in the Organization and Leadership Department at Teachers College, Columbia University where he teaches on Intercultural Communication.