Tang Prize, Fulbright U.S. Student Grants, Tony Awards, and More Milestones for Columbians

Columbia News produces a monthly newsletter (subscribe here!) and article series featuring a roundup of awards and milestones that Columbia faculty, staff, and students have received in recent days. In this edition, you’ll find awards and milestones from May 28 to June 24, 2026.

If you have an accomplishment you'd like to be considered for inclusion, please email [email protected] with your name, title, school, department, and a link to the relevant award or milestone. 

You can take a look at past accomplishments on our Awards & Milestones page. And you can subscribe to receive the newsletter in your inbox. 

FACULTY

ARTS & HUMANITIES

Lydia Kallipoliti, Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, received the Gold Medal in Exhibition Design at the 2026 European Design Awards for her project, “The Metabolic Home.”

Mireia Luzárraga and Alejandro Muiño, Assistant Professors at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, were awarded the Visionarios Award by Elle Decoration.

Mark Wasiuta, Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Co-Director of the Critical, Curatorial, and Conceptual Practices in Architecture program at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, has been selected to co-represent Canada at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale.

MEDICINE & SCIENCE

James Auran, Professor of Ophthalmology, was recognized with a Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The award recognizes special contributions to the academy and to the field.

Elham Azizi, Herbert and Florence Irving Associate Professor of Cancer Data Research (IICD, HICCC) and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious 40 Under 40 in Cancer Award, recognizing her as one of the nation’s most promising young leaders in oncology and cancer research.

Folarin Kolawole, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seismology, Geology and Tectonophysics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, is one of 15 recipients of this year’s National Geographic Wayfinder Award, which recognizes scientists, conservationists, educators, and other “bold changemakers” whose work is expanding our understanding of the planet and helping to protect its future.

Naomi R. Latorraca, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, was chosen as a 2026 Rita Allen Foundation Scholar. The program honors early-career leaders in the biomedical sciences whose research holds exceptional promise for revealing new pathways to advance human health.

Michel Sadelain, Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine, was awarded the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science. He was one of three scientists recognized for the discovery and development of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies, which have revolutionized treatment for blood cancers and solid tumors.

Scott Small, Boris and Rose Katz Professor of Neurology, received a $23,751,165 grant over five years from the National Institute on Aging for the project “Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.” 

ENGINEERING

Megha Prasad, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, University Professor and Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering, received awards through Wellcome Leap's VISIBLE program, which supports research focused on microvascular heart disease in women.

POSTDOCS & STUDENTS 

Thirty-seven recent Columbia University graduates were awarded 2026–2027 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants, annually available in 140+ countries around the world, which offer funding for graduating seniors and alums to undertake independent research projects, graduate study, or English-language teaching positions.

Camila Agosto, Artun Çekem, Fjóla Evans, Joshua Mastel, Diana Rodriguez, and Corie Rose Soumah have won 2026 Charles S. Miller Awards. These awards are given annually to graduate students in the field of Music Composition who, in the opinion of the Music Department faculty, have achieved distinction of the highest standard.

Catherine Alexander (CC'25) and Josephine O'Brien (GS'26) were selected for Inaugural Lafayette Fellowships, launched by the French Embassy of the United States on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence and celebrating the French-American friendship. The Lafayette Fellowship offers funding for a year of master’s level study in France. 

Sarah Asali (MSPH'23) secured a spot on the Arab America Foundation's "30 Under 30" list for 2026.

Sarah Bryden (CC’26), Huma Nayab (CC'25), and Jacob Sanning (CC’27) have been named 2026 Projects for Peace Fellows, to design and implement an innovative, community-driven, and scalable project addressing some of today’s most pressing global challenges.

Sophia Cordoba (CC’26) was named the 2026 Michel David-Weill Scholar. The scholarship is awarded each year to one American student in the United States for a two-year master's program at Sciences Po in Paris.

Lucas de Gamboa (CC’25), Martine Panner (GS’28), Christabelle Sutter (CC’27), and Claire Thornhill (CC’27) were awarded 2026 Hertog Fellowships for an intensive summer program of study in politics, history, philosophy, public policy, and related fields held in Washington, D.C.

Samay Garg (SEAS'26) was named Cognizant STEM Mentor of the Year by the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), recognizing his commitment to developing the next generation of STEM leaders through volunteer work with fifth graders in the Bronx.

Lauren Harris (JRN'26) placed first in the University of Missouri’s annual Reynolds Journalism Institute Student Innovation Competition, whose theme this year focused on how to create collaborative partnerships between news organizations and social media creators. 

Riya Kalra (MSPH’26) took first place in the NVIDIA AI Summit Hackathon in New York City, beating a talented field of engineers and computer scientists. 

Anna Lind (CC'26) and Elijah Rameker (CC'26) were awarded Henry Evans Traveling Fellowships to pursue project-based travel in the year after graduation while building on intellectual connections fostered throughout their undergraduate studies.

Jiale Lin, Columbia student beginning this fall, and Tongxin Wu (BC'27) were selected as HHMI Cech Fellows. The summer research experience provides talented undergraduates the opportunity to conduct hands-on research in a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) lab. Lin will work in a lab at Harvard Medical School and Wu will work in a lab at the University of Chicago. Several labs at Columbia, including the labs of Mustafa G. Aydogan, Oliver Hobert, Vikram Gadagkar, and Samuel Sternberg, will host fellows from other institutions.

Montserrat Olivares, Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Kristin Baldwin, has been named a Pew Latin American Fellow. The program provides support for young scientists from Latin America to receive postdoctoral training in the United States.

ALUMNI

Several Columbia alumni, fellows, and faculty members won Tony Awards, including Best Musical for Schmigadoon!, Best Play for Liberation, and Best Revival of a Musical for Ragtime, at the ceremony on June 7. Read about Columbia’s 2026 Tony Award winners and nominees here. 

Mariana van Zeller (JRN'02) won multiple Emmy Awards as a host and executive producer of Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller at the 2026 News & Documentary Emmy Awards. For more on van Zeller and additional Columbia Journalism School alumni earning awards, including the 2026 Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) Awards, here is the list of winners and nominees.