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
Although their Commencements were virtual, these graduates are delighted to join the celebration this year with the Class of 2022, and they have a lot of good advice to offer about the future both on and off campus.
Kelvin Dinkins Jr. ’14 has been named the Executive Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. He will become the first Black executive director in the theater’s 42-year history, and brings with him a vast wealth of knowledge from his position as General Manager at the Yale Repertory Theater in New Haven, Connectitect.
Playwriting alumnus Julián Mesri ’20 and Dramaturg alumna Meropi Peponides ’13 join the team behind Radical Evolution’s world premiere of Songs About Trains. A co-production between Working Theater and New Ohio Theater, Songs About Trains runs through April 23, 2022.
Creative Producing alumna Sarah-Kate Fenelon ‘18 is a producer on season two of the acclaimed Amazon series, Good Omens.
To ease the transition from film school into the industry, Columbia University School of the Arts' Dean’s Council launched an initiative that connects those striving to make a name for themselves with those who have. Veteran alumni provide recent alumni ongoing guidance, contacts, and support while also strengthening the Columbia network around the world. In this series, we feature those pairs. We spoke with alumna Alana Mayo '06 (Columbia College) and her mentee, alumnus Jungyoon Kim '20 (School of the Arts, Film).
This year's Guggenheim Fellowship recipients include five School of the Arts Alumni a well as five alumni and faculty throughout Columbia. They are: Alexandra Kleeman '12, Dinaw Mengestu '05, Anna Craycroft '04, Rebecca Donner '01, and Allison Funk '78, as well as Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Alumnus Fred Turner '85, Associate Director of the Hispanic Institute Hernan Diaz, and Columbia Professors Rosalind C. Morris, Stathis Gourgouris, and Christopher Peacocke.
Writing alumnus Francisco González '19 was recently awarded an O. Henry Prize for his short story "Clean Teen." González's story will be published in The Best Short Stories 2022: The O. Henry Prize Winners by Anchor Books on September 13, 2022. The anthology is now available for pre-order.
Alumna Sian Edwards-Beal '00 recently screened her latest feature film, HERE. IS. BETTER. at the ReelAbilities NY Film Festival in April.
Adjunct Assistant Professor and Master Printer at the Neiman Center for Print Studies Nathan Catlin ’12 is featured in a solo show, What Goes on Behind a Windowpane. This exhibition of new works is on view at Davidson Gallery in New York City until April 30, 2022.
Poetry alumna Antoinette Cooper '20 and Theatre alumna C. Quintana '13 were recently awarded 2022 Winter Literature Grants from The Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC to support their current projects.
Alumnus Adewale Olukayode '21 is among the four emerging filmmakers selected to participate in the Woodstock Film Festival's Filmmakers Residency/Incubator program.
Current Fiction student Jemimah Wei and Poetry student Madeleine Cravens have been awarded coveted Wallace Stegner Fellowships at Stanford University.