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
Over twenty-three Columbia filmmakers were selected to participate in this year’s Tribeca Film Festival which ran from April 24 to May 5th, and several took home awards. The festival announced their winning filmmakers on May 4th marking the culmination of its 2019 Festival, where 113 feature-length films, 63 short films, and 33 immersive storytelling projects representing 44 countries were screened.
Recently, The New York Times Style Magazine, T Magazine did a special feature where they asked 15 playwrights to create original works around their visions of America set in 2024.
Acting alumna Phumzile Sitole ’16 is cast for Tori Sampson’s If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka as Kaya.
DOG by Anna Jastrzembski ’19 (Playwrighting) and directed by Katherine Wilkinson ’19 (Directing) will be the third play presented as part of the New Plays Festival 2019 featuring seven new plays by the graduating MFA playwriting class.
The Directors' Fortnight section of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival has selected two features by Columbia alumni—Cancion Sin Nombre (Song Without a Name) by Melina Leon 08’, and Huo Zhe Chang Zhe (To Live to Sing) by Johnny Ma ’16.
Ella in the Tundra, written by Marianna Staroselsky ’19 (Playwriting) and directed by Daniella Caggiano will be the second play performed as part of the New Plays Festival 2019 featuring nine new plays by the graduating MFA playwriting class.
Babes in the Wood, written by Emily Wiest '19 (Playwriting) and directed by Kate Bergstrom will be the first play performed as part of the New Plays Festival 2019 featuring nine new plays by the graduating MFA playwriting class.
Jessica Shields '18 was recently awarded the Humanitas Prize's Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Fellowship for her pilot Rue Pigalle. “The Humanitas prize was created to honor film and TV writers whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family” as stated on Deadline. “The Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Fellowship exists to recognize and reward the talents of young writers with financial support to empower them to tell meaningful stories,” according to the Humanitas Prize's website.
Refuge, directed and co-written by Federico Spiazzi '18, co-written by Fernanda Frotte '17, produced by Federica Belletti '18 and co-produced by Maggie Briggs ’19 will have its world premiere at the Montclair Film Festival in early May.
Annie Jin Wang ’20 (Dramaturgy) will be the dramaturg for Flower Drum Song with book by Professor David Henry Hwang (Faculty). Directed by Lily Tung Crystal, with music direction by Amanda Ku, and choreography by Alex Hsu, the production will run from April 27 to May 12 at the Palo Alto Players in California. Flower Drum Song tells the story of Mei-Li who flees Mao's communist China after the murder of her father and finds herself in San Francisco's Chinatown.
NJ Agwuna '18 has been named as one of the renowned Drama League 2019 Directors Project fellowship.