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
Renee Marie Petropoulos '17 won the Best Female Director Award at the Hollyshorts Film Festival last month, for her film Tangles and Knots, which she wrote and directed.
The work of fiction alumna Selena Anderson ’10 seamlessly melds fantasy and realism, evident in her recent collection of short stories, Tenderoni, where she explores race, identity and Black womanhood in the American South.
Orchid.Summer, a new series of photographs by alumnus Matthew Morrocco ’15 is on view at the Olympia Project from August 22 to September 21.
Darling, directed and co-written by current student Saim Sadiq, co-written by current student Rodney Llaverias, co-produced by current student Jasmin Tenucci, and produced by alumna Mahak Jiwani ’18 won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 76th Annual Venice International Film Festival.
The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
Poetry alumnus Adam O. Davis '06 is a 2019 winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, presented by Sarbande Books. As winner, Davis will release his first poetry collection, Index of Haunted Houses.
At the Jerusalem Film Festival, House of Hummingbird, written and directed by alumna Bora Kim ‘11, won the prize for best first feature in the International category.
Acting alumnae Folami Williams '16 and Emily Murphy '17 are set to join the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Legendary producer Sheila Nevins and MTV picked up St. Louis Superman, a short documentary directed by two Columbia alumni, Sami Khan '09 and Smriti Mundhra '09. St. Louis Superman tells the tale of Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives, who must overcome both personal trauma and political obstacles to pass a critical bill for his community. The documentary first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival New York in 2019.
The Black List and Women In Film, Los Angeles announced the participants in their 2019 Feature Residency program as well as their Annual Feature Lab, and alumni Anya Meksin '11 and Jimmy Keyrouz '16 both had projects selected by the Annual Feature Lab.
Current students Henry Anker, Patrick Bayly, Susan M B Chen, Yifan Jiang, James J.A. Mercer, Kathryn Ann Miller, Stipan Tadic, Kiyomi Taylor, Meredith Pence Wilson, and Mark Yang all have work on display as a part of Columbia’s MFA Painting Show, Whams of Summer, curated by Ki Smith. The exhibition is on view from August 3-August 24, 2019 at the Ki Smith Gallery in Harlem.