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
Several Columbia University alumni have been nominated for the Writers Guild of America’s 2022 WGA Awards in the categories of television, new media, news, and radio/audio. They are: Jacey Heldrich ’13, Eric Tuchman ’87, Brysen Boyd '20, Ashley Lyle ’07 (CC ’02), Lucia Aniello (CC '04), and Sasha Stewart (CC '09).
Alumna Maggie Briggs '19 will participate in the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Writers’ Studio class of 2022.
Alumni Robbie Armstrong ’21 and Lynn Spector ’15 join the team behind the hotly anticipated new musical, Paradise Square, which opens this week at Broadway’s Barrymore Theatre. Armstrong, who studied Stage Management at Columbia, is working behind the scenes as a Stage Management Production Assistant, while Spector, who graduated with an MFA in Dramaturgy, oversees writing as a script supervisor.
Alumna and Adjunct Assistant Professor Judy Chung ‘18 is featured in a group show at NYC Culture Club. The show opened on March 10th and will remain on view until April 16th.
Alumnus Kareem Fahmy ’07 and Adjunct Assistant Professor Manoel Felciano were part of a four-member cohort for the 2022 Classical Directing Fellowship, a program of the Karen and Stuart Tanz Fellowships at The Old Globe in San Diego, California.
The National Book Critics Circle recently announced a list of 30 finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Awards.
Animation Conversations is an interview series with Film faculty, students, and alumni where we discuss working as screenwriters, directors, and producers in the animation industry.
Alumnus Steve Schwartz '73 is one of the producers of All the Old Knives, a new spy thriller starring Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton. Schwartz produced the film alongside his wife Paula Mae Schwartz, Nick Wechsler, Mark Gordon, and Matt Jackson.
Alumna E.J. Koh '13 recently won a 2022 Association for Asian American Studies Book Award for her memoir, The Magical Language of Others (Tin House, 2021). Koh placed first in the category of "Creative Writing: Prose."
2022 marks the 53rd annual NAACP Image Awards. Among the nominees are five projects from Columbia alumni. The NAACP is the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice. The organization has more than 2,200 units across the nation, powered by well over 2 million activists.
The Brazilian Filmmakers Collective, co-founded by alumna Moara Passoni '21, launched formally at the Berlin Film Festival's European Film Market on February 16. The collective was created last year as a hub for Brazilian filmmakers working abroad to share resources, opportunities and promote creative enrichment.
The Neighborhood stars Cedric the Entertainer and is a comedy about “what happens when the friendliest guy in the Midwest moves his family to a neighborhood in Los Angeles where not everyone looks like him or appreciates his extreme neighborliness.”