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
The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
Fiction alumna Abbigail Nguyen Rosewood '17 is set to release her debut novel, If I Had Two Lives, on April 9, 2019.
The Life and Death of Espíritu Perdomo, a feature film project written & directed by alumnus Mauricio Leiva Cock '13 and produced by alumnus Mauro Mueller '13, won the El Taller post-production prize and the Cinema226 development, co-production, production and promotion prizes at the Guadalajara International Film Festival's Co-Production Meeting this week.
Film alumni have recently been awarded high television accolades.
Running out of Road is a narrative music short directed, shot, edited, co-written and co-produced by current student Cole Smith and co-written and co-produced by musician Lauren Jenkins.
English-language translations of The Bacchae by Euripides, by Poet and classicist Aaron Poochigian '16, produced in 2018 by SITI Company at the Getty Theater in Los Angeles and BAM in New York, and Four Plays by Aristophanes were sold in an exclusive two-book deal to Norton. Poochigian was also just named the winner of the 2020 Richard Wilbur Poetry Award for his book American Divine.
Current fiction student Francisco González was named a Glimmer Train finalist for his short story, Increments of Dust. He was also a finalist for Beloit Fiction Journal's 2019 Hamlin Garland Award for his short story Panda Express.
The upcoming directing thesis, Hadrian & Antinous tells the story about the journey of Antinous, a young man from Greece, who meets and falls in love with Roman Emperor Hadrian. Through the development of their relationship, we see Antinous transform from an unknown young man into a god, who is worshipped for 200 years. This new play unearths an ancient true story, telling it in a modern way that speaks to what it is to love, grieve and remember those that have been forgotten.
The Student Spotlight series aims to highlight the work of current MFA students, asking them to share thoughts on their practice by answering curated and peer-submitted questions.
Roni Aviv ‘20 is a first-year Visual Arts student.
Caborca is a multilingual experimental theatre and film company founded by Artistic Director alumnus Javier Antonio González ’06 (Directing), along with the help of many alumni. “Caborca steals its name from the novel The Savage Detectives, by Roberto Bolaño, in which a magazine of the same name is the official organ of visceral realism.” Caborca’s members come from all over the world. The company’s mission is to create “sprawling, adventurous works in theatre and film.” Its aim is to “bridge language, background and media,” they wish to create…