This page is dedicated to stories about Columbia's campus and community. From student, staff, and faculty profiles to interesting events happening on campus and in our surrounding neighborhoods, here is where you can find the latest about what's happening on and around Columbia's campuses.
Story Highlight
When she was just nine years old, Savona Bailey-McClain went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the first time on a field trip with her elementary school in the Bronx. She vividly remembers her mother tenderly loaning her a scarf and special pin for the trip. When she got there, everything changed: seeing and thinking about art became core to her identity.
Decades later, as a young woman settled in Harlem and working full-time at a mental health clinic for children, still taking every chance she got to immerse herself in the art world, she noticed something: People she met every day felt shut out by museums and galleries, intimidated before they even reached the front door.
“I never could quite understand why people were so intimidated,” Bailey-McClain told Columbia Neighbors. “It is a very American problem, and I just said, ‘What if I helped to bring art into the open public space where people could see it every day?’”
Photo of the Week
This past year, 450 Columbia, Barnard, and Teachers College employees and retirees generously donated nearly $250,000 for grants distributed to 47 local nonprofits to combat hunger, provide crucial social services, champion arts and culture, and bridge educational gaps for local youth in STEM, literacy, and the arts.
COLUMBIA HISTORY
In the northeast corner of campus, Constantin Meunier’s sculpture Le Marteleur greets visitors in front of the home of the engineering school. Le Marteleur or the Hammerman was a gift of the Class of 1889 of the School of Mines (now the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science) installed all the way back in 1914. But did you know that the statue has moved multiple times over the years? And not always easily or willingly.
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Out and About
More Stories
What stories grabbed the attention of our readers in 2023? The results may surprise you.
Take a look back at some of the visual highlights of 2023 from the Columbia community.
Fifteen faculty from across Columbia have agreed to take on this urgently needed work.
Daniela Palacios (CC'26) offers monthly bilingual readings and activities as part of Saturday Science on Columbia's Manhattanville campus.
Hundreds of students turned out on November 30 for Columbia’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
On November 30, leaders from Columbia and Princeton joined together to share their strategies and recommendations for discussing complex, charged topics like the War in Gaza within academic settings.
From playoff wins to Rhodes Scholarships and a globe-spanning public health center, Columbians had plenty to feel proud of in the month of November.
Agwuncha has tips on where in New York to find Nigerian food, and the city’s most vibrant holiday market.
The Benin Bronzes from her ancestral homeland in Nigeria have deeply influenced her creative practice.
This Veterans Day, test your knowledge of the incredible history of veterans on Columbia's campuses.
Nelson, who eventually plans to pursue an MD-PhD, has plenty of ideas for how students can get involved in campus life.
In a friendly physical activity competition, the two universities have fun while connecting with their colleagues.
