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
Rosemead, a film written and produced by a roster of Columbia faculty and grads, took home the honor of the Prix du Public UBS award on the final night of the 2025 Locarno Film Festival.
Nonfiction alum Raffi Joe Wartanian ’21 was named an Academy of American Poets 2025 Poet Laureate Fellow.
Fiction alum Emily Hunt Kivel '20 published her debut novel, Dwelling, with Farrar, Straus and Giroux on August 5, 2025.
Writing alum and acclaimed journalist Joseph Lee '17 published his debut book, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity, through One Signal Press, a division of Simon and Schuster, on July 15, 2025.
Film alum Emily Everhard '24 was selected as one of eight 2025 WGA East X FilmNation Screenwriting Fellows.
Visual Arts alum Karen Arm '89 has opened her seventh solo show with downtown gallery P·P·O·W.
Directing alum Miguel Bregante '24 was selected as one of five 2050 Artistic Fellows at New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW).
Screenwriting student Leon Ristov was one of ten Sundance Institute Ignite X Adobe Fellows selected for their 2025 cohort.
Writing alum Eyal Cohen '21 will publish his debut book, Take the L, with Sentient Publications on August 5, 2025.
Directing alum Alexander Molochnikov '25 and Creative Producing alum Jean Chapiro '25 won a National Board of Review Student Grant for their short film Extremist.
In her new book, Everyday Intuition, writer Elizabeth Greenwood ’13 delves into everything from psychology and neuroscience to psychics and psychedelics to determine what our inner voices are — and how we should use them.
Four Columbia filmmakers will screen their films at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival in Indianapolis this July 22–27.