A Welcome Message from Laila Maher
Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs
Now more than ever it is crucial for artists to be supported as they pursue their craft. The life of an artist as well as that of a student involves much more than the classroom and the work itself, and this is where the Office of Student Affairs comes in. In addition to guiding new students through the process of transitioning to the School of the Arts, we plan the School-wide orientation, School of the Arts Convocation, and support student groups, events, and activities.
We also play a critical role in connecting School of the Arts students to the larger university and necessary services, and help students navigate many of the central offices including Health Services (which houses the Office of Disability Services, Insurance, Immunization, and Counseling and Psychological Services), Columbia Residential, Public Safety, University Life, the International Students and Scholars Office, and the Registrar's Office. Our office also helps to uphold many of the School and University-wide policies and we manage the School’s disciplinary procedures.
The Artists’ Resource Center, also part of our Office, maintains information on funding opportunities and career resources for students and alumni at the Columbia University School of the Arts, and provides consultations to students and alumni to help them look for professional development opportunities and more.
After graduation, the Office of Alumni Affairs provides more than 7000 alumni artists, creators, and leaders with opportunities to stay connected with the School of the Arts, the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA), and one another through alumni programming, benefits, a monthly newsletter, and collaborations with CAA Arts Access.
Our ultimate goal is to support our students and alums while they pursue their education as valued members of our dynamic community and as they navigate their time after graduation.
Student & Alumni News
Screenwriting alum Constanza Majluf '21 will start production on her first feature film titled Pink Desert, or, Desierto Rosa, later this year.
On February 26, The Public Theater will premiere Antigone (This Play I Read in High School), directed by Theatre alum Tyne Rafaeli '14.
Alums Kamrooz Aram '03 and Michelle Lopez (BC '92) are among the 56 artists, duos, and collectives examining relationality in the eighty-second Whitney Biennial—the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the United States.
School of the Arts student Alejandro Valencia likes the intensity of New York—as well as occasionally leaving it.
Poetry alum Isabella DeSendi '17 has published her debut full-length poetry collection, Someone Else’s Hunger, with Four Way Books.
Triage, the newest book from Writing alum Claudia Rankine '93, will be making its way to bookshelves on August 4, 2026.
GIVE ME TWO… or give me six! Anton Kern Gallery's ongoing group exhibition, GIVE ME TWO, features six Columbia alums: Olivia Drusin '24, Isaiah Davis '25, Dana Schutz '02, Esteban Jefferson '19, In June Park '25, and Elzie Willams '22—not to mention Assistant Professor of Visual Arts, Kenny Rivero.
Directing alum Mei Ann Teo '14 has been named a 2026 United States Artist Fellow for their work in theatre and performance.
Parul Kapur '89 has won the Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award for her debut novel, Inside The Mirror (University of Nebraska Press, 2024).
First year Fiction student Shanley Jane Kearney will publish her debut novel, QUANT, with Simon and Schuster's Simon Six imprint in spring 2027.
It's Here, the debut solo exhibition by Visual Arts alum Annika Tucksmith '25, is on view now until January 31, 2026.
Jesa, a play by Acting alum Jeena Yi '14, is set to have its world premiere at The Public's Shiva Theater from March 10 to April 5, 2026, presented by Ma-Yi Theatre Company.