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
Visual Arts alum Isaiah Davis '25 opened his third solo exhibition, Confessions of Fire, at King's Leap gallery in Chinatown this fall. The exhibition is available for viewing through December 20, 2025.
Visual Arts alums Jamie Isenstein '04 and Fabienne Lasserre '04 feature prominently in Body / Body / Body, the newest exhibit at Friday Art nomadic gallery. The gallery, which hosts pop-up exhibits and has a virtual collection permanently on view on their website, was founded in 2025 by Visual Arts alums Laura Kleger '04 and Justin Schwarz '02.
Trapped, a short film produced by Film alum Silvia Chen '21, has been awarded the HollyShorts Grand Prix Award at the HollyShorts Film Festival. With this win, the film is now qualified to be nominated for an Oscar in the Shorts category.
Theatre alum Karen Malpede '71 recently released her new memoir, Last Radiance: Radical Lives, Bright Deaths, with Vine Leaves Press.
In collaboration with Columbia Artist/Teachers (CA/T), The Narrative Justice Project has selected three MFA Writing students—Britt Middleton, Rachel Mikita, and Jessica Hoppe—as the inaugural New York Women’s Bar Association Foundation Justice Reads Fellows.
Sound Art alum Char Jeré '23 takes new work to two groundbreaking group exhibitions exploring cultural exchanges across the Atlantic—and the cosmos—lasting through February 2026.
The golden age of adaptation is now. In a lecture hall at Columbia School of the Arts, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Film Galt Niederhoffer is priming her students to launch headfirst into this creative intersection.
DGA, Primetime Emmy, and Peabody Award–winning director, actor and producer Ben Stiller (Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost) and his Oscar-winning producing partner John Lesher (Birdman) have boarded the Columbia thesis short film Extremist as executive producers.
2024 National Book Award for Translation winner and Writing alum Lin King '22 has sold her debut novel, WEEB, to Henry Holt books.
Writing alum Skyler Melnick '24 has been selected as a Center For Fiction / Susan Kamil 2026 Emerging Writer Fellow.
Several of Columbia’s alums and faculty are showcasing their work at this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach, one of the most prestigious art fairs in the western hemisphere, which takes place annually in December at Miami Beach Convention Center and forms the cornerstone of Miami Art Week.
Melanie Rish-Ho '24 was selected to participate in the Black List 2025 Writers Lab.