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
Meghan Flaherty ’13 has been named a 2022 Ignite Fellow by the Scottish Book Trust.
Sanaë Lemoine ’15 and Yvonne Woon ’10 (’06 CC) have been named 2022 Creative Writing Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Running until November 20, 2021, the second installment of the Visual Arts Program 2021 MFA Thesis Exhibition is now open at the Lenfest Center.
Alumna Bat-Ami Rivlin ‘19 and current student Elzie Williams III are featured in Eponymous at M23 Gallery in New York City.
Myth - The Go Between, a short film written and directed by alumna Alies Sluiter '20, won five awards at the South Australian Screen Awards, including Best Drama, Best Director and the Grand Jury Prize.
Broadway League recently announced that they have elected 13 new members to the Board of Governors. Among the newly elected members is Theatre Management and Producing alumna Christina Selby ’14.
A debut novel by alumna Jessamine Chan ’12 is on sale now in the US & Canada with Simon & Schuster. UK publication will follow on March 3, 2022.
Alumna Hope Dickson Leach '05 is set to direct a hybrid adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Edinburgh, Scotland.
You might not expect blood to be a recurring leitmotif in a show about a modern dance team of 13-year-olds, but Clare Barron’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-finalist Dance Nation is unflinchingly visceral in its themes and imagery. At the Lenfest Center this past December, the play was performed with ravenous intensity by the MFA Acting Class of 2022.
Playwriting alum Sam Chanse ’12 is featured as one of five writers in The Public Theater’s new production, Out of Time. In this production, The Public in association with The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) presents a collection of brand-new monologues by five Asian American playwrights.
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust recently announced the names of the 10 outstanding playwrights who will be celebrated with the 2021 Steinberg Playwright Award.