Welcome to the Celebration for the Classes of 2020 and 2021!
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of these two recent alumni classes. Scroll down for the full virtual celebration experience and get to know our graduates.
Watch the Celebration for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 above or on one of our other webcasts. The ceremony is best viewed on a desktop, laptop, or tablet. Closed captions are available on all webcast platforms.
For a PDF of the Celebration for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 program above, download it here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2020 AND 2021 AWARD RECIPIENTS
2020 Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching
- Raymond D. Horton
Frank R. Lautenberg Professor of Ethics and Corporate Governance
Management Division
Columbia Business School
- Jean E. Howard
George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities
Department of English and Comparative Literature
- Bert Huang
Michael I. Sovern Professor of Law
Columbia Law School
- Stacy Kinirons
Assistant Professor of Programs in Physical Therapy
Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Paola Maria Valenti
Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of International and Public Affairs
School of International and Public Affairs
- Michael Naft
Department of Psychology
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Diana Rose Newby
Department of English and Comparative Literature
Graduate School of Arts and Science
- Ashley Simone (1988-2021)
Department of Classics
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
2021 Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching
- Denise Cruz
Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Department of English and Comparative Literature
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Jeremy Dodd
Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Physics
Department of Physics
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Jasmine A. McDonald
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Department of Epidemiology
Mailman School of Public Health
- Timothy Mitchell
William B. Ransford Professor of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies
Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Katherine E. Reuther
Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Design, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Department of Biomedical Engineering
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Daniella Cádiz Bedini
Department of English and Comparative Literature
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Miguel Ángel Garrido
Department of Statistics
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Christopher Medina-Kirchner
Department of Psychology
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Marianne Hirsch
William Peterfield Trent Professor of English
Department of English and Comparative Literature
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Ellie Hisama
Professor of Music, Music Theory and Historical Musicology
Department of Music
- Darcy Kelley
Harold Weintraub Professor of Biological Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences
- Gillian Metzger
Harlan Fiske Stone Professor of Constitutional Law
Codirector, Center for Constitutional Governance
Columbia Law School
- Mae Ngai
Lung Family Professor of Asian American Studies and
Professor of History
Codirector, Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race
- Rachel Adams
Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Department of English and Comparative Literature
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Nabila El-Bassel
University Professor and Willma and Albert Musher Professor of Social Work
School of Social Work
- Virginia Page Fortna
Harold Brown Professor of U.S. Foreign and Security Policy
Department of Political Science
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Marcel Agüeros
Associate Professor of Astronomy
Department of Astronomy
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Casey N. Blake
Mendelson Family Professor of American Studies
Director of Center for American Studies
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Geraldine Downey
Niven Professor of Humane Letters
Department of Psychology
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Cristiane Duarte
Ruane Professor for the Implementation of Child Mental Health for Child & Adolescent Mental
Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Department of Psychiatry
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Jean E. Howard
George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities
Department of English and Comparative Literature
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Jamal Joseph
Professor of Professional Practice
Department of Film
School of the Arts
#ROARLIONS2020 & #ROARLIONS2021
Scroll to learn more about our graduates
School Ceremonies
Individual schools are working to provide opportunities for their graduates to gather with each other during this time. Please reach out to your school contact, listed below, for more details.
School Contact:
Esther Turay
[email protected]
(212) 854-9543
School Contact:
SOA Student Affairs
[email protected]
(212) 851-0248
School Contact:
Office of Alumnae Relations
[email protected]
[email protected]
School Contact:
Dean's Office
[email protected]
(212) 854-0225
Executive MBA School Contact:
Brandon Kelly
[email protected]
MBA School Contact:
Laura Tierney
[email protected]
MS School Contact:
Elizabeth Elam
[email protected]
PhD School Contact:
Elizabeth Elam
[email protected]
School Contact:
Cynthia Thomson
[email protected]
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022
Time: 4:00-6:30 p.m.
Location: Southfield, Morningside Campus
School Contact:
Columbia College Events
[email protected]
School Contact:
Melissa Welsh
Alumni & CE Director
Columbia College of Dental Medicine
[email protected]
(212) 305-6881
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022
Time: 12:30-3:00 p.m.
Location: Southfield, Morningside Campus
School Contact:
Columbia Engineering Events
[email protected]
School Contact:
GS Student Life
[email protected]
(212) 854-9536
School Contact:
Erin Hussein
[email protected]
(212) 854-6728
School Contact:
Susan Storms
Director, Alumni Affairs
[email protected]
(212) 854-8598
School Contact:
Melanie Huff
[email protected]
(917) 834-2571
Julie Pozo-Cepeda
[email protected]
Information on the Law School Celebration
School Contact:
Denise Dilley
[email protected]
212-854-7562
School Contact:
Columbia Mailman Office of Development and Alumni Relations
[email protected]
School Contact:
Sharon Sobel
Assistant Director, Alumni Relations
[email protected]
(212) 305-5999
School Contact Email:
Office of Alumni Relations
[email protected]
School Contact:
Ana Angeles
[email protected]
Date: Sunday, May 22
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Louis Armstrong Stadium in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Speaker: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
School Contact:
Convocation Help Desk
[email protected]
(212) 678-4039
Physicians and Surgeons School Contact:
Andrea Patterson
[email protected]
Institute of Human Nutrition School Contact:
Sarah Bergren
[email protected]
(212) 342-3804
Programs in Ocupational Therapy School Contact:
Jessica Bussey
[email protected]
Programs in Physical Therapy School Contact:
Kimberly Whittam-Dougherty
[email protected]
Program in Genetic Counseling School Contact:
Amanda Bergner, MS, CGC
[email protected]
(212) 304-6500
FAQs
Be prepared to enter campus with these items before the candidate lineup starts on upper campus at 8:00 a.m. for the Celebration for the Classes of 2020 and 2021. Make sure to inform your guests about what they should bring with them on Commencement day.
- Cap
- Ticket
- Proof of Vaccination, or Negative COVID-19 Test (time-stamped photo of an at-home antigen test on the day of each event or email results of a PCR test within 48 hours of the first attended event)
- Mask
- Water Bottle
- Prepare for inclement weather
- Feeling sick? Stay home and tune in virtually.
2020 and 2021 graduates may attend these celebrations and activities. Each graduate is allowed to bring 2 (two) guests.
Registration is required to participate in these make-up activities and will open in April. Be on the lookout for a communication from your school with more details and update your information in the Columbia Alumni Association directory to stay informed.
Full regalia is optional for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 but caps will be required. Regalia is available from the Columbia University Bookstore or online.
- Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees: Orders can be placed in-store starting March 8. Online orders may be placed beginning March 14 and ending April 27 to be directly shipped to the student by visiting columbia20202021.shopoakhalli.com.
- Doctoral Degrees: Head wear may be reserved in store from March 8 through April 11th without incurring a late fee. In-store pickup and ship-to-home options are available. Online orders may be placed beginning March 14 and ending April 27 by visiting columbia20202021.shopoakhalli.com. Head wear and accessories ordered will be shipped directly to your home.
Please reach out to your individual school to receive any documentation related to obtaining visas.
We welcome alumni to volunteer as Event Hosts for ceremonies held on the Morningside Campus. Event Hosts provide welcoming support and guidance to graduates and their guests attending events on campus from Friday, March 13, through Wednesday, May 18.
For more information, please email [email protected]
Those requiring accommodations during the Classes of 2020 and 2021 Celebration and corresponding events, including alumni and guests whose disabilities limit their ability to walk or negotiate stairs, should contact Disability Services at [email protected] by Wednesday, May 4. To learn more visit Disability Services.
Below is the timeline for this event.
7:30 a.m. Gates open for General Admission Outdoor seating: Line forms on Broadway at 115th Street to access General Admission gates Disability access: For individuals with disabilities or limited mobility, and those needing assistance, line forms at 115th and 116th Streets and Amsterdam Avenue
8:00 a.m. Graduate lineup begins
8:30 a.m. Graduate procession begins
9:00 a.m. Celebration for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 begins