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
Directing alumnus Carl Cofield ’14, Associate Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH), directs CTH’s one-week-only production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Theatre Management & Producing student Talia Escobedo has been awarded a Cody Renard Richard Scholarship. The scholarship, founded by Adjunct Assistant Professor Cody Renard Richard, seeks to uplift and support the next generation of theatre leaders of color.
Visual Arts students Kevin Cobb and Nick Farhi, and alumnus Elzie Williams III '22, are participating in MZ.25 (My Condolences), a reimagined group exhibition at the renowned M+B Gallery in Los Angeles, California.
Visual Arts student Kat Lowish and alumni Asif Mian ’21, Emma Schwartz ’19, and Elzie Williams III ’22 are featured in Thierry Goldberg Gallery’s group show, True Alchemy.
The 73rd Berlin International Film Festival will take place February 16–26, 2023.
Following a successful seven performance run at New York City Center in November 2022, Parade is heading to Broadway with several Columbia affiliates aiding the production.
Welcome Me to the Kingdom, a debut story collection by alumnus Mai Nardone ’13, is out now from Random House.
Imaginary Order, a debut novel from first-year Fiction student Shifra Steinberg, is out now from Austin Macauley Publishers.
The Albuquerque Museum is hosting three exhibitions focused on contemporary interpretations of the New Mexico landscape. One of these exhibitions is Becoming Land, by Associate Professor and Chair of Visual Arts Nicola López '04 and Paula Wilson '05, which will be on view until February 12, 2023.
Directions to Myself: A Memoir of Four Years by Associate Professor Heidi Julavits ’96 will be published by Hogarth this summer.
For Visual Arts alum Sophie Kovel ’22, the new year began with a solo show at Petrine Gallery in Paris, France.
Playwriting alumnus and former Writing Program staff member Clarence Coo ’10 is the recipient of the 2023 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award for his play, Chapters of a Floating Life.