Early this afternoon, CC announced that “Moonlight” producer Dede Gardner CC ’90 will be the CC class day speaker. Celebrity chef Judy Joo SEAS ’97 will speak at the ESC class day.

Dede Gardner

Gardner, alongside her role as co-president of major production company Plan B Entertainment, has produced films such as “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” “Selma,” and “12 Years A Slave.” She is the first female producer to win two Academy Awards for Best Picture.

During her time at Columbia, Gardner graduated cum laude in comparative literature and English, and recently received the 2012 John Jay Award, which recognizes distinguished professional achievement among CC graduates.

“I’m absolutely thrilled she’ll be coming to speak at our Class Day,” senior class president John Avendano CC ’18 said. “It’ll be truly humbling to absorb the wisdom of someone who’s helped create films that have delivered such profound messages.”

Judy Joo

Joo, one of four U.K. chefs to hold the Iron Chef title, also hosts Food Network show “Korean Food Made Simple,” owns three popular restaurants, and founded inner-city food education project Harvest Time in Harlem.

After earning her degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Joo worked at Goldman Sachs and attended the French Culinary Institute in New York, graduating as class valedictorian.

Joo said, “I definitely attribute my relatively quick success in the culinary field to my strong education. Particular with running restaurants, you have to have a strong business sense, know operations, efficiency design, understand marketing, PR and also have the creativity to cook new, innovative dishes.”

As Avendano points out, this is the second year in a row that a woman will speak at the CC class day speaker, and the first year both CC and SEAS class day speakers are female.