2022 Year in Pictures

Take a look back at some of the visual highlights of 2022 from the Columbia community. 

By
Jennifer Pellerito and Kelly Moffitt-Hawasly
December 16, 2022

This year, Columbia came roaring back and ready for action, with a resurgence of campus activities and events. Through it all, photographers of all sorts captured the zeitgeist of the moment, whether by DSLR lens or camera phone. 

Take a visual journey with us over the past year to get a glimpse of the big and small moments that made Columbia a great place to be. 

Students sit on a constructed snow igloo in front of Butler Library.

Early February 2022 marked a snowstorm for the ages and Thomas Richalot (GS'24), Thabo Ngwenya (GS'24), Chris Roman (CC'25), Bryan Zhang (GS'24), and Phillip Grabovsky (CC'25) took full advantage of the blizzard to build one of the all-time favorite snow structures, an igloo, on Morningside campus. 

a frozen fountain in front of Low Library in April

The transition from March to April was a little chaotic — warm one day and freezing the next! In a cruel April Fools joke, the Low Plaza fountains were turned on only to abruptly freeze during one of the temperature shifts. Photo by Jennifer Pellerito (SOA'07).

A collage of a hawk and two baby hawks on John Jay building on Columbia's campus.

In April, two red-tailed hawks moved into John Jay on Columbia's Morningside campus and brought baby chicks into the world. The Columbia community collectively adopted the hawks, affectionately naming them the "Ginsbirds," after famous alum Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Photos by Cristen Scully Kromm.

Students pose with a cardboard cutout of a polaroid in front of Butler Library

The fall 2022 semester kicked off with the New Student Orientation Program (NSOP) in August. Shout-out to the NSOP leaders for celebrating our new lions with roaring pride. Photo by Olivia Namkoong (CC'23).

Jill Biden speaks at Columbia Cancer Center.

On September 21, First Lady Jill Biden and Queen Letizia of Spain discussed Columbia’s strides in addressing health inequities and forward-thinking cancer research in a visit to the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. Photo by Eileen Barroso.

Alok Sharma speaks at World Leaders Forum.

With leaders in town for the UN General Assembly in September, Columbia welcomed President of COP26 Alok Sharma to our World Leaders Forum (established by President Lee C. Bollinger in 2003) to discuss issues like climate change and democracy with Columbia students, faculty, and staff. Photo by Eileen Barroso.  

A crowd of people at the Morningside Lights procession of lanterns on Columbia's Morningside campus.

In September, dozens of makers and thousands of marchers joined together for the annual Morningside Lights parade from Morningside Park to College Walk, after a week of lantern-building workshops for Columbians and our neighbors. This year's theme was "The Reimagined Monument," a reflection on how we collectively memorialize. Photo by Adrienne Stortz.

A child plays with cards at the Zuckerman Institute.

October marked the second Manhattanville Community Day of 2022, a time when friends and neighbors join together on the Manhattanville campus for food, music, and science-y fun. We loved seeing the looks of wonder on smiling faces, including this youngster enjoying a game at Zuckerman Institute. Photo by Susan Farley

Columbia cheerleaders in a pyramid at Columbia Homecoming.

Cheers for our Columbia Lions! Lion pride soared as students, alumni, staff, and families celebrated Homecoming in October. Photo by Kathy Fang.

Representatives from 31 of Columbia's sports teams pose at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

It is a feat as impressive logistically as our Columbia Athletics teams are powerful: the annual all-31 sports team photo, this year at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. Photo by Mike McLaughlin/Columbia University Athletics

Rainbow over Morningside campus against pink and purple skies.

Somewhere, over the rainbow...Columbia's campus is a beautiful sight to see. In a fitting end to 2022, one of our students captured this impressive rainbow landing on our gem of a campus. Photo by Talia Cario (SEAS'26).


Enjoyed this photographic journey through the last year? Don't miss our 2022 Year in Review, covering the top Columbia News stories of the year.