Campus & Community

A blue and green graphic with the words "Campus & Community" in its center alongside icons that represent Columbia University and New York City.

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

Chloe Harrah
We Asked, You Shared: Columbia Graduation Memories in Photos and Advice

As students, families, and friends gather across campus to celebrate this year’s graduation, we invited members of Columbia’s Class of 2025 to pause, look back, and share moments that defined their time here.

From late-night study sessions and unforgettable friendships to proud academic milestones and moments of quiet resilience, their reflections paint a vivid portrait of what it means to be a Columbian. Their photos and words offer gratitude, hard-won wisdom, and the kind of nostalgia that just might bring a tear to your eye.

Are you a member of the Class of 2025? We’d love to hear your Columbia story, too: share your photos and reflections with us!

Photo of the Week

Commencement from 1987 in a picture from 2025
Commencement Time Capsule

Columbia is excited to honor our 2025 graduates for the next several days! Here, we look back at Commencement Day on Low Plaza in 1987. 

QUIZ

Commencement in 1926
How Well Do You Know the History of Columbia’s Commencement?

From graduation tchotchkes to special speakers, test your knowledge of Columbia's Commencement.

COLUMBIA HISTORY

Frances Perkins 1910GSAS
Library of Congress
The Architect of Social Security

Perhaps no Columbian has affected daily American life more than Frances Perkins (GSAS 1910). As secretary of labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt (HON’08), Perkins—the first woman to hold a cabinet position—responded to the Great Depression by proposing far-reaching economic protections for American workers and retirees. These radical plans included a minimum wage, a forty-hour workweek, universal health insurance, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and social security.

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Avery Hall blobs.

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Out and About

More Stories

Going pro beckons after college, but before then, she’s trying to fit it all in, while breaking a record or two. 

This Valentine's Day, Columbia Community Service extends the deepest gratitude to donors, new and old, for their support throughout the 77th Annual

The award, given by the New York Blood Center, is especially poignant because Dr. Charles Drew was an alumnus of Columbia's medical school.

Omid Cohensedgh's childhood experiences inspired him to enter the field of medicine.

Whether finding the best of friends or the love of your life, Columbia remains a special place to find lifelong connections.

The program supports student projects that provide opportunities for the Columbia community to learn about racial, economic, and educational inequi

From Oscar nominations to Emmy wins and a brand new research consortium, Columbians hit the ground running in 2024.

For National Mentoring Month, Ozdemir (CC'25) spoke with Neighbors about the power of mentorship and his work with the Double Discovery Ce

With the skills she’s honed at School of the Arts, Nimisha Misra is on her way to making that happen.

Richard Hagen is the new full-time director of the Bridge to the PhD program in STEM.

Interim Provost Dennis Mitchell announces programs, funding opportunities, and resources for the Columbia community.

This Columbia College senior is aiming for a career in sports psychology.