Titans of local, national, and international journalism descended on the Lee C. Bollinger Forum at Columbia’s Manhattanville campus Wednesday for the 84th annual duPont-Columbia awards.

Following advocacy efforts by acting University President Claire Shipman, CC ’86, SIPA ’94, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Jan. 5 that the National Institutes of Health cannot place a 15 percent cap on its allocation for indirect research-related costs attached to all NIH-issued grants.

Columbia’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors called for sweeping changes to the University’s board of trustees in a Dec. 2, 2025, proposal. Their reforms included open nominations and “competitive direct elections” for half of the seats on the board, and greater transparency, communication, and engagement with University stakeholders.

Days after the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, the Institute of Global Politics addressed the future of the country at a webinar on Jan. 7 titled “Venezuela — What Happens Next?”

Columbia’s four undergraduate student councils held the annual Tree Lighting ceremony on College Walk on Dec. 4, turning on the lights at 7:19 p.m. as hundreds of students watched and cheered. For the third consecutive year, student organizations protested the event, calling on the University to open its gates, rather than divest from Israel—a shift from the previous protests in 2023 and 2024.