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
Acting alumnus Grayson Powell ’11 co-produces and appears in the short film Niles Dean Lives in a Parking Space Under the Bridge, which will screen at YoFiFest’s 2020 virtual festival.
The twelve-minute comedy follows Niles Dean, a man who resides in a parking space beneath a bridge. After an old friend makes a surprise visit, the man must reckon with himself and his past transgressions. The film’s other co-producers include Steven Gerhardt-King and Robbie Tann, who stars as the titular character. Powell and Nemuna Ceesay appear in supporting roles.
Alumna Amy Feltman '16 has signed a deal for her second novel, All the Things We Don't Talk About, with Grand Central Publishing. The book is set to release in 2022.
On Thursday, The Center for Fiction announced the winners of their 2020 NYC Emerging Writer Fellowship, among them alumnae Raluca Albu '18 and Sasha von Oldershausen '19.
The American Theatre Wing announced the 74th Annual Tony Award nominations today, which include many Columbia faculty, alumni, and students. In total, 24 Columbia artists worked on 12 Tony Award nominated productions, earning a collective total of 93 nominations at the 2020 Tony Awards.
Film students Kathy Esquenazi-Mitrani and Aliza Brugger are currently on a strong, respective festival run. Buzzkill, a short film written and directed by Esquenazi-Mitrani and co-produced by Brugger and student Manqing Cang, will have its world premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival, where it will screen digitally from October 14-25 as part of the Shorts 5 program.
Welcome to another edition of On A Global Scale. This bi-weekly series celebrates the international spirit of the Columbia University film program and the incredible global collaborations coming out of it.
The Tree - An American Rock Musical, co-written by Playwriting Student Alle Mims, will be staged by Dallas’ Imprint Theatreworks from October 29 to November 14, 2020.
The 27th edition of the Austin Film Festival is coming up with two films by Columbia filmmakers included in the virtual line up.
Last week, the Poetry Society of America announced that alumnus Nathan Xavier Osorio '16 won a 2020 30 & Under Chapbook Fellowship.
Poetry Alumna Elizabeth Metzger ’15 pays tribute to former undergraduate writing student, 2020 Nobel Prize recipient, Louise Glück through a meditation on her poetry of transformation and the power of reading it in a global pandemic.
Stars Behind The Stars is a bi-weekly series featuring theatre makers behind the scenes.
Hiatus (暫別人生), a feature film project written and to be directed by student Szu-Wei Chen, was selected to participate in the Taipei Film Academy’s Filmmaker’s Workshop that was held virtually from September 27 to October 2.