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
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, which was assistant-edited by Film alum Sushant Chaudhary '21, has been nominated for the American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Award for Best Edited Documentary Feature.
Metrograph Pictures is presenting a special survey event, Politics of Time, showcasing several films from Associate Professor of Film Anocha Suwichakornpong '06 between February 21 and March 1, 2026.
The Independent Spirit Awards have celebrated the best in indie cinema, across film and television, for over forty years. The 2026 ceremony will showcase the contributions of six Columbia alums who were nominated for seven awards, including Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay.
Award winning novelist and Writing alum Sigrid Nunez '75 is set to publish her first collection of short stories this summer with Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
After years of writing for theatre, Playwriting alum Kim Merill '95 has shifted her focus to fiction. Her newest book Red Girl Jumping (The Journal of Experimental Fiction, 2026) is described as an experimental memoir written by memory personified.
The Perelman Performing Arts Center has selected Dramaturgy alum Blossom Johnson '19 as one of nine artists for the second Democracy Cycle program.
Visual Arts alum Krista Gay '24 recently opened a solo show, The Tips of My Grandmother’s Finger Itch When I Say Her Name, at Sinkhole in Ridgewood, NY.
Any Minute Now, written by Playwriting alum Alix Sobler '17 and directed by Peter Jay Fernandez, Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Co-Concentration Head of Acting, premiered at HERE Arts Center in Soho this past January.
Teach Me, a new series written and executive produced by Film alum Lisa Rubin '13, is set to go into production for A24 and Peacock this year with Mandy Moore starring.
Writing alum Dolapo Demuren '17 was selected as a winner of the 2025 Poetry Society of America Chapbook Fellowship, a national award from America's oldest poetry organization which includes publication of his manuscript, American Love Sonnets.
Alum and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Esteban Cabeza de Baca '14 recently opened his third show with Garth Greenan Gallery, Esteban Cabeza de Baca: Pollinators.
Steppe, a novel translated from the Russian by Elina Alter '16, was published January 20, 2026 with Catapult Press.