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
Moonbound, a graphic novel by nonfiction alumnus Jonathan Fetter-Vorm ‘16 is available now. Released on the year marking the fiftieth anniversary of the voyage, Moonbound tells the monumental story of the moon and the men who went there first. With vibrant images and attention to detail, Fetter-Vorm conjures the long history of the visionaries, stargazers, builders, and adventurers who sent Apollo 11 on its legendary voyage.
Alumna Jackie Thomas-Kennedy '06 won the 2019 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize for her story, Eugenie is Anointed.
Visual Arts alumnus Cameron Welch '16 recently received the first annual One River Emerging Art Award, which includes a $5,000 grant from One River School, along with his first New York solo exhibition. Welch’s four-day Pop Up Solo Show was from April 30 to May 2 in Manhattan and coincided with the Frieze Art Fair.
Alumna Jessica Shields ‘18 has been announced as a recipient of a 2019 HBOAccess Writing Fellowship.
The 45th Annual Seattle International Film Festival featured two films by alumni and faculty this year, Bora Kim '11 for House of Hummingbird and Sameh Zoabi '05 and Professor Dan Kleinman for Tel Aviv on Fire. The festival took place from May 16-June 9, 2019, showcasing more than 400 films from nearly 90 countries to 140,000+ attendees.
The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards presented by Broadway News were announced June 2, 2019 at The Town Hall in New York City.
Moara Passoni, a current student, co-wrote the documentary, The Edge of Democracy, which screened in New York this month and premiere on Netflix soon thereafter. It previously screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Watch it firsthand at Rooftop Films in NYC on June 11th.
Fiction alumna Casey Plett ‘12 won the $60K Amazon Canada First Novel Award for Little Fish, published by Arsenal Pulp Press. Little Fish also won the 2019 Firecracker Award for Fiction. Plett is currently a finalist for the Writers' Trust of Canada's $5,000 Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ emerging writers and Little Fish is shortlisted for the 2019 Lambda Literary Awards in the transgender fiction category.
Hadestown, directed by alumna Rachel Chavkin ’08 (Directing) won in eight of the nine categories it was nominated, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical.
The Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program presented the 32nd Annual Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF), a week-long program of screenings, screenplay, and teleplay readings in New York. The celebration will continue with events in Los Angeles from June 11-13, 2019. School of the Arts' Dean Carol Becker, “Welcome to the 32nd Columbia University Film Festival—the culminating event for our MFA Film students. In 1987 when the Festival began, it consisted of only four shorts, followed by a panel discussion. Now the Festival has become a true Columbia tradition,…
The 2019 Firecracker Award for fiction was awarded last week to alumna Casey Plett ‘12 for her novel Little Fish, published by Arsenal Pulp Press.