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 Sophia Skiles ’01 has been named the new Head of Acting in the Brown/Trinity Program at Brown University.
In September 2018, current student Raffi Joe Wartanian launched Letters for Peace (LFP), a project to publish letters between youth in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
When George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis earlier this year and Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the nation, Visual Arts alumnus, Lisson Gallery, and Clearing Gallery artist Hugh Hayden ’18 was working on a variety of projects, including a meditative basket weaving piece that he immediately set aside.
Alumna Alexandra Kleeman ’12, who earlier this year was awarded the Berlin Prize, has now also received the equally prestigious and highly competitive Rome Prize, which offers fellows the opportunity to stay in Rome for four to seven months.
Current student Farah Mohammad has artwork in the show Give Me Space: New Prints 2020/Summer, hosted by the International Print Center New York (IPCNY). The exhibition takes its title from Mohammad’s painting.
This week, it was announced that the novel The New Wilderness by alumna Diane Cook ’12 made the longlist for the 2020 Man Booker Prize.
Deep Delta Justice, debut book by alumnus Matthew van Meter ’16, is a nonfiction retelling of the critical court case in mid-20th century Louisiana that changed American law: Duncan v. Louisiana.
Inez, Doug and Kira, a feature film written and directed by alumna Julia Kots '08, was acquired by 1091 Pictures for worldwide distribution.
Recent alumna Mónica Félix ’20 created the online exhibit Romance Tropical after the eponymous 1934 movie directed by Juan E. Viguié.
Recent alumna Jai Hamid Bashir ’20 is the winner of the Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize, a prestigious award given to a poem that best evokes a connection to place in the US.