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
Crystal Hana Kim ’14 (CC’09) has been named a finalist for the 2024 Maya Angelou Book Award for her novel The Stone Home. Kim’s novel is one of five titles selected as finalists from a pool of over 150 submissions.
Visual Arts student Ashley McLean recently enjoyed a solo exhibition, Seeking You in Other Bodies…, at the Blue Sky Gallery, as part of The Annual En Foco Photography Fellowship.
Writing alum Karen Russell '06 has announced the release of her latest novel The Antidote, forthcoming from Knopf in Spring 2025. The book marks Russell's first novel since her bestselling debut Swamplandia!
Playwriting alum Sam Grabiner ‘21 won the 2024 Stage Debut Award for his play Boys on the Verge of Tears. The Stage, Britain’s premier theatre publication, has annually recognized the most promising debuts in the region since 2017
Writing alum Jaia Hamid Bashir ’20 has published her debut chapbook Desire/Halves with Nine Syllables Press.
Film alum and Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar ’02 is tackling big questions with a big star in his new play McNeal on Broadway.
Dramaturgy alum Cha Ramos ’21 has punched her ticket for the Broadway adaptation of Death Becomes Her, where she’ll serve as Fight Director.
Visual Arts students Javier Griffey and Sharon Lee, along with Undergraduate Visual Arts student Vivien Ko Sweet, are exhibiting new works responding to Coney Island's rich history as a site of leisure, creativity, and cultural exchange.
In his debut poetry collection, Decay Studies (Six Gallery Press), alum Arthur Seefahrt ’14 extracts moments of silence out of beautiful noise.
In Our Likeness, a debut novel from writing alum Bryan VanDyke ’00, released on September 1 from Little A, a literary imprint of Amazon Publishing. The novel, a science fiction fable about the possibility and terror of new technology, reflects VanDyke’s own fascination with AI, a fascination that would directly help him sell the book.
Adjunct Associate Professor and alum Lynn Steger Strong '14 is set to release her fourth novel, The Float Test, on April 8 of 2025 through HarperCollins. The book explores themes of family, ambition, secrets, and love against the backdrop of a sweltering Florida summer.
Fiction alum Jemimah Wei '22 will publish her debut novel, The Original Daughter, with Doubleday on May 6, 2025.