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
Alumna Gina Stevenson ’18 was announced as a finalist for the 2020 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. Stevenson was nominated alongside Ayad Andrews, Pravin Wilkins, Safaa Benson-Effiom and Zoe Ashford Cooper.
Playwriting student Ellis Stump’s one-act play series The People’s Toast has been published in print by Vaclav Havel Library Foundation as the winner of their 2019 Playwriting Competition. Copies are available at Vaclav Havel’s New York City library and in local bookstores.
Theatre alumna Mikhael Tara Garver ’10 created Rio Reveals, a series of immersive entertainment experiences that will raise funds for River L.A., a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the Los Angeles River and encouraging community engagement with it.
Alumna Patrice Renee Washington ’14 is in the group exhibition Barring Freedom at the San José Museum of Art.
Music’s biggest night will feature the works of many Columbia faculty and alumni.
Patch of Sky, debut book by alumna Nic Yulo ’18 will be published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in the Spring of 2022. It was announced on Publisher's Weekly last Tuesday.
The Poetry Concentration continued its Alumni Reading Series with readings from William Brewer '14, Adjunct Assistant Professor Monica Ferrell '02, Stefania Heim '04, and Mai Der Vang '14. 2020 marks the fifth anniversary of the annual reading series.
Alumna Klara Hobza '05 featured in international exhibitions In Aller Munde and Alles Im Wunderland in Germany and Animaloculomat in Switzerland.
Public Secret marks the first solo exhibition in New York for Baris Gokturk '20.
Alumna Abbigail N. Rosewood '17 recently collaborated with She Who Has No Master(s)—a collective of Vietnamese women who engage in a collaborative art and writing process—and her work is now viewable in an online gallery space powered by Matterport.
Alumna Afia Nathaniel '06 was invited to participate in NBC Universal's Female Forward Program, shadowing on Chicago Med, and later directing her own episode of the series.
Dick Johnson is Dead, co-produced by Associate Professor and Chair of the Creative Producing Concentration, Maureen A. Ryan was nominated for four Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards, winning Best Documentary Feature.