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
Alumna Katie Silberman ’12 is the writer and producer of Don’t Worry Darling, the new film directed by Olivia Wilde that has been making waves since its premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.
Here, we talk to Fiction student Arya Roshanian about grandiose personalities, humor and tone, and appreciating opera in the 21st century.
Visual Arts alumnus Asif Mian ’18 has been awarded an Emerging Artist Grant from the Rema Hort Mann Foundation. Established in 1997 to honor the memory of Rema Hort Mann, an art enthusiast and a founding member of the New Museum of Contemporary Art’s Young Collectors Group, the Grant offers $10,000 of financial support and signals the promise of enduring artistic success.
For the first directing thesis production presented at Lenfest this fall, Elena Vannoni presents The Sea Does Not Reach Naples, a play based on Anna Maria Ortese's 1953 collection Il mare non bagna Napoli, a lively representation of everyday life in post-WWII Naples, Italy. We sat down with director, Elena Vannoni, to discuss her acting process and the upcoming production.
La Personalidad de los Pelícanos, a debut work of nonfiction–written in Spanish–from alumna Teresita Goyeneche Perezbardi ’20, is available now from Tusquets Colombia.
The world premiere of Mindplay, a new play written by Playwriting alumnus Josh Koenigsberg ’09 and Vinny DePonto, opened on November 8 at Geffen Playhouse’s Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater in Los Angeles. The show, for which DePonto is also the creator and performer, runs until December 18, 2022.
In this series, we catch up with Columbia filmmakers who have recently graduated to chat about their time in the Film Program, what they’re doing now, and their goals for the future. This week, we spoke with alumna Danielle Therese Dougé ’22.
Black Adam, the newest iteration in the DC Extended Universe co-written by two Columbia Film alumni, Rory Haines ('11) and Sohrab Noshirvani ('12)—opened in cinemas on the weekend of October 21, earning an estimated $67 million dollars at the domestic box office and $140 million worldwide.
Visual Arts alum Sophie Kovel ’22 has been accepted into the prestigious Whitney Independent Study Program for the 2022–2023 term.
Acting alumna Heather Alicia Simms ’96 will star as Mrs. Drinkwater in the New York premiere of Des Moines at Theatre for a New Audience’s Polonsky Shakespeare Center.
Coming next month from Common Consent Press is East Winds, a new memoir by alumna Rachel Rueckert ’21.
Kevin Cobb creates remarkable works on canvas, paper, panel, and the screen. An artist of many trades, to which he brings a tremendous amount of generosity of care and spirit, Kevin is also one of the Visual Arts Program’s student representatives.