Dean Shih-Fu Chang, Barclay Morrison III, and hundreds of students throw beanies into the air in an auditorium
At the Academic Assembly, Dean Shih-Fu Chang and Senior Vice Dean Barclay Morrison III throw their beanies in the air, a yearly tradition in welcoming new students to Columbia.

Image credit: Timothy Lee
 
At the Academic Assembly, Dean Shih-Fu Chang and Senior Vice Dean Barclay Morrison III throw their beanies in the air, a yearly tradition in welcoming new students to Columbia.

Image credit: Timothy Lee

Students

Hats Off to a New School Year

This year's orientation season welcomed the first cohort of Master's in AI students and, for the first time, opened the Academic Assembly to transfer and combined plan students.

September 04, 2026
Beatrice Mhando

Each year at the start of the fall semester, the Columbia Engineering community comes together to welcome new students to campus. To help new students prepare for their academic journey, orientation runs for multiple days leading up to the first day of classes. 

For the first time this year, the School welcomed the inaugural cohort of students to the new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) program, and also welcomed transfer students to participate in the Academic Assembly. 

Warm welcome for graduate students

Orientation season kicked off with the Aug. 27 Graduate Welcome Day, where new graduate students were met with cheers from the welcome crew. Students spent the day participating in activities such as “Guess that Song,” a game that has become an annual tradition with exclusive prizes for the winners. 

Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang and Senior Vice Dean of Academic Programs Barclay Morrison III gave remarks to the students, ending the programming with the Deans’ selfie, another orientation tradition. 

Orientation 2026 slideshow

Dean Shih-Fu Chang holds a selfie stick with another man as a large auditorium audience gathers behind them.
Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang and Senior Vice Dean of Academic Programs Barclay Morrison III take a selfie with new graduate students. Credit: Tim Lee
Welcome crew members kick their legs in the air while holding blue Columbia Engineering inflatable sticks.
The Orientation crew cheers on the new students as Graduate Welcome Day commences. Credit: Tim Lee
Two students turn toward the camera from their seats as other attendees face a presentation screen.
A Columbia Engineering stuffed lion sits in the foreground with an attendee out of focus behind it.
New graduate students participate in “Guess that Song,” an icebreaker where winning students earn exclusive prizes. Credit: Tim Lee
Rows of attendees face a large auditorium screen displaying images of engineering research.
Dean Shih-Fu Chang speaks onstage beside a podium as attendees watch from rows of seats.
The dean shares the School’s foundational vision: Engineering for Humanity
Elizabeth Strauss holds a microphone onstage in front of a projected presentation slide.
Elizabeth Strauss, the Associate Dean of Engineering Student Affairs, gives her remarks to students. Credit: Tim Lee
Dean Shih-Fu Chang walks between rows of seated attendees while holding a Columbia Engineering bag.
After the Deans’ Selfie, Dean Chang participated in a giveaway of Columbia merchandise. Credit: Tim Lee
Attendees raise their hands toward two presenters holding small stuffed lions onstage.
Dean Shih-Fu Chang and Barclay Morrison III stand among attendees as blue-and-white beanies fly overhead.
At the Academic Assembly, Dean Chang and Senior Vice Dean Morrison throw their beanies in the air with the new class as part of a fun tradition. Credit: Tim Lee
A blue Columbia Engineering pennant rests on an attendee's lap.
Three seated students hold Columbia Engineering fans and blue foam paw signs in an auditorium.
Snapshot of the kickoff for new students in the Master's of Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) program.
Attendees sit in a lecture hall beneath a large screen displaying "MSAI Kickoff."
Students show off their new swag at the MSAI Kickoff.
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Move-in marks the beginning 

Nearly 1,700 undergraduate students from both Columbia Engineering and Columbia College were warmly welcomed on Aug. 29-30 for Move-in Weekend, with international students arriving on Aug. 29 and domestic students arriving Aug. 30. Spearheaded by the New Student Orientation Program (NSOP), an initiative created by Undergraduate Student Life, new students are given resources to help their transition from high school to college. Throughout the day, new students had the opportunity to attend seminars and workshops, including a talk, “From SEAS to Space,” by Mike Massimino, a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and former NASA astronaut. He shared his journey from Columbia to NASA and discussed the School’s new aerospace engineering minor.

The weekend ended with Convocation, a formal welcome ceremony that featured remarks from President Jennifer L. Mnookin, Dean Chang, and Columbia College Dean Josef Sorett.

“Research from Columbia Engineers is powering so much of modern life, from internet video streaming to the smartphone image sensors used by billions of people every day. Today, you become part of this history!” said Dean Chang in his remarks. “Here at Columbia, you can follow your curiosity, your passions, your questions–and see where it takes you.”

New MS in AI program welcomes its first class

Columbia Engineering ushered in its inaugural class of MSAI students at the Sept. 1 orientation, where they had the opportunity to learn about the faculty and administrators who will support them throughout their graduate school journey. 

The programming began with brief remarks from MSAI program co-directors Vishal Misra, vice dean of computing and artificial intelligence, and Ton Dieker, professor and chair of industrial engineering and operations research, followed by introductions to the faculty and advisors for each of the nine MSAI concentrations. At orientation, students participated in multiple raffles, with winners receiving a bag of Columbia merchandise. 

The “beanie” tradition lives on 

Orientation week capped off Sept. 2 with the Academic Assembly, Columbia Engineering’s flagship event marking the start of the academic journey for the Class of 2030. Also known as the “Beanie Ceremony,” students receive a custom Class of 2030 beanie as part of a longstanding tradition, where first years in the Engineering School had to wear their beanies the entirety of their first year. While no longer mandatory, the beanies serve as a memento of their time at Columbia. For the first time this year, transfer and combined plan students were invited to attend the ceremony as well. 

The assembly featured a presentation and remarks from Dean Chang, Vice Dean Morrison, Associate Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics Carlos Paz-Soldan, engineering alum and Google software engineer Cindy Wang BS’18 MS’19, and student speaker, Nosakhare Iyoha BS’27. 

In his advice to students, Paz-Soldan, the director of the Columbia Fusion Research Center, talked about how doors of opportunities will come and go, but to trust the process of reaching your full potential. "Don't worry about the master plan," he said. "You'll get there one door at a time."