Year in Review
As the new year approaches, we’re celebrating our achievements and looking forward to another year of discovery and partnership.
In 2025, Columbia Engineers made great strides in pursuit of our mission: Engineering for Humanity. As the year comes to a close, we look back on just a few of the many highlights.
6 New Research Centers
Our faculty kicked off major collaborations with a wide range of partners in 2025. These new research centers — led by Columbia Engineering — are already advancing knowledge and innovation on topics ranging from AI and cryptoeconomics to energy, power electronics, and sustainable materials.
3 New Minors
Columbia Engineering’s curriculum has changed dramatically since our school was founded in 1864. This year, the School announced minors in three vital new areas: artificial intelligence, aerospace engineering, and fusion energy.
2,592 New Students
We welcomed 436 undergraduates, 2,037 MS students, and 119 PhD students to Morningside Heights and Columbia Engineering.
18 New Faculty
Columbia Engineering welcomed 18 new faculty across all ranks. These new members of our intellectual community bring fresh ideas, cutting-edge research techniques, exciting theoretical perspectives, and promising research programs to Morningside Heights. Meet our new colleagues, mentors, and teachers.
946 Giving Day Donations
Hundreds of Columbia Engineers showed their Columbia pride by donating to the School on Giving Day, October 21. Their generous gifts will enable departments, students, and researchers to further advance our collective mission of Engineering for Humanity.
9 Events at Climate Week
Columbia Engineering was proud to take part in Climate Week NYC 2025, hosting nine events ranging from keynote presentations and fireside chats to workshops and panels.
6 Faculty Members Inducted into National Academies
The country’s most prestigious institutions of scholarship recognized six of our outstanding faculty members. In February, Michal Lipson and Venkat Venkatasubramanian were elected to the National Academy of Engineering. In April, Michael Weinstein became a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Julia Hirschberg joined the National Academy of Artificial Intelligence. In November, Gil Zussman was welcomed into the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. In December, Elisa Konofagou was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
35 Teams Building (and Rowing) for Glory
The cardboard boat contest has quickly become a favorite tradition on campus. Now in its second year, the race requires students to build a boat using only cardboard, duct tape, and waterproofing spray. This year’s winning team crossed Uris Pool in just 37.56 seconds.
100 Years of Quantum
A century ago, European physicists developed the theory of quantum mechanics, changing the way scientists think about the world we live in. Columbia was among the first US institutions to begin making sense of this counterintuitive way of understanding matter and energy. Today, Columbia engineers, physicists, and chemists collaborate to apply this knowledge to improving technology in service of humanity. Watch this video for more.
1 Knight
The government of France named Soulaymane Kachani, senior vice provost at Columbia University and a professor at Columbia Engineering, a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d’Honneur. Kachani, who was born in Morocco and has lived in France as well as the United States, was recognized for his longstanding commitment to scientific and academic excellence, as well as his dedication to international cultural dialogue.
Lead Photo Caption: Members of Xueyue (Sherry) Zhang's lab inspecting a dilution refrigerator that contains superconducting quantum circuits.
Lead Photo Credit: Columbia Engineering