Our Services

The Office of Public Affairs offers a number of services to our communications colleagues across the University. We focus on building the University brand; enhancing and protecting its reputation; and engaging our faculty, staff, students and local community. We manage the daily operation of the University’s central communications channels, including digital/web, social media, and newsletters; oversee Columbia’s engagement with the press; and provide our campus partners with strategic communications counsel and design, illustration, photography, and video services.

Design Consulting

Columbia Creative provides design services at Columbia University and stewards the visual identity guidelines and University brand. As part of the Office of Public Affairs, Columbia Creative forges new standards for what can be achieved in visual communication partnerships with our colleagues across the University.

Contact Junie Lee to procure high-quality print and web marketing materials. For those on the Morningside campus, free branding services are available. 

Columbia Creative is located on the third floor at 2929 Broadway. To make an appointment, call (212) 854-2793 or send an email to [email protected]. To learn more about their services, visit Columbia Creative.

Digital Strategy Consulting

The Office of Communications and Public Affairs provides advice, strategy, and consulting services to help you achieve your vision. For guidance on digital strategy, contact Sheri M. Whitley.

Editorial and News Consulting

The Office of Public Affairs can help you communicate the diverse range of stories about Columbia's teaching, research, campus life, and community-based programs and services.

Columbia News

For Columbia News content contact Susan Ellingwood and Wilson Valentin or reach out directly to the person who covers the subject area that you are looking to address:

If you have news about Awards and Milestones, please email [email protected].

If you have a suggestion for a Quiz, Photo of the Week, Photo Essay, or other Campus and Community news, please email [email protected] to reach Kelly Moffitt-Hawasly, Dan McShane, and Jenny Pellerito.

Columbia Neighbors

For Columbia Neighbors content contact Wilson Valentin or Kelly Moffitt-Hawasly or reach out directly to the person who manages each Neighbors platform:

If you have general questions or community news to share, please email n[email protected].

Executive Communications

If you need a quote or information from the President's Office, please contact Claire S. Levenson.

Promote Your News

If you have an event or initiative that you would like promoted through the University's main communications channels, including enewsletters, websites, and social media, please fill out this form.

For editorial content questions about Columbia.edu, the University's homepage, contact Kelly Moffitt-Hawasly and Wilson Valentin.

Enewsletters

If you need information about (or to subscribe to) Columbia News or Columbia Neighbors enewsletters, please contact Wilson Valentin and Dan McShane.

If you have a Columbia University event or initiative that you would like promoted through the University's enewsletters, please fill out this form.

For local community events or initiatives, please fill out this form. 

Photography

The Office of Public Affairs provides a full slate of photographic services, including photography, image sourcing, and photo permissions, to document your events, enrich your communications, and produce portraits.

Hire a Photographer

If you need a photographer for special events, head shots, and creative photo shoots for your print and digital communications, please fill out this request form. To learn more about University Photographer Eileen Barroso's work, visit the Photography Services page.

Find a Photo

To access images from the Office of Public Affairs photo collection for your digital and print projects, contact Jennifer Pellerito.

For photo permissions, email [email protected].

Scientific Illustration

If you need science illustrations, or graphics for research figures, journal covers, and other projects, please contact Nicoletta Barolini or fill out a request form. To learn about this service, visit the University's Scientific Illustration Gallery.

Social Media

To learn more about the University's main social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and YouTube—or for guidance on setting up social media accounts, please contact Susan Ellingwood.

For Columbia Neighbors Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, please contact Kymani Hayden.

If you oversee your school or department's social media channels, please be sure to fill out this registration form, which will also introduce you to the social media Slack channel. 

And if you have a Columbia University event or initiative that you would like promoted through the University's main social media channels, please fill out this form.

Video Production

The Office of Communications and Public Affairs can provide full video production services—including camera work, editing, and animation—to document your events, research, or news items. If you need a video produced for a Columbia-related item, email the team to learn more.

Interested in streaming an event on Columbia's YouTube channel? Read this information to see if it is a good fit. 

Working With News Media

The media relations staff is available to help faculty, staff, and students with media requests. For questions about dealing with the media, please contact Ben Chang and Samantha A. Slater. 

If you are a member of the news or entertainment media seeking to write articles about Columbia, feature Columbia experts in news pieces, film on campus, or gain access to Columbia-owned content, please visit Media Relations and Resources. 

Workshops and Training

The Office of Communications and Public Affairs provides one-on-one and group training on content strategy, search engine optimization (SEO), information architecture, social media strategy, and user experience. For more information, contact Sheri M. Whitley. 

In addition to this training, our office offers week-long courses and one-off seminars on a variety of communications skills, including content creation (writing and design) and strategic planning. These sessions are specifically for subscribers to WeConnect. For more information on these classes, contact Robert Hornsby. 

Our workshops are open to anyone with a UNI. For more information, to learn about upcoming courses, and to view past workshops, visit Workshops and Trainings and Workshop and Trainings Library.