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
Visual Arts student Calvin Kim ’23 showed three works at Subtitled NYC’s group show in Brooklyn, NY, Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pic.
Baby Jessica’s Well-Made Play, written by Dramaturgy alumnus Philip Santos Schaffer ’18, is currently running at Pipeline Theatre Company. Dramaturgy alumna and Theatre staff member Anna Woodruff ’18 serves as the dramaturg for the production, and both Schaffer and Theatre Management & Producing alumna Natalie Gershtein ’15 are co-directors of Pipeline Theatre Company.
New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) recently announced their 2022 award recipients and two Columbia filmmakers are amongst the winners.
Playwriting alumnus Julián Mesri ’20 has co-conceived a new musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors alongside director Rebecca Martínez for The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit.
The Sundance Institute has announced its fellows for its acclaimed Screenwriting Lab and Intensive for the upcoming year, and two Columbia alumni will be participating; Jesahel Newton-Bernal ‘22 in the Intensive and Bane Fakih ‘19 in the Lab.
Acting alumnus Dave Klasko ’12 joins the cast of Anna Ziegler’s The Wanderers alongside Katie Holmes, Sarah Cooper, Lucy Freyer, and Eddie Kaye Thomas.
Anonymity Is Life, by alumna Sola Saar ’19, is among the finalists for The Novel Prize from Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions.
Both The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land by Adjunct Assistant Professor Omer Friedlander and The Memory Monster, written by Yishai Sarid and translated from the Hebrew by alumna Yardenne Greenspan '12, are among the seven titles on the shortlist for the 2022/23 Wingate Literary Prize.
Directing alumnus Shayok Misha Chowdhury ’16 was awarded the 2022 Mark O’Donnell Prize in December.
Film student Anika Benkov was named a Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize Honorable Mention for their original feature screenplay, When it Thaws.
Joyland, the stunning award-winning feature from Saim Sadiq '19, has partnered with Oscilloscope for the film’s US distribution.
Several Columbia filmmakers took home awards when the winners at Sundance 2023 were announced this past weekend.