Inaugural Dean’s Leadership Dinner Celebrates the Transformative Impact of Support

Monday, March 3, 2025

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(Left to right) Dean Josef Sorett with Arnold Asiimwe CC’25, Diya Shah CC’28 and Maria Martinez CC’25.

Brandon Vallejo

olumbia College celebrated philanthropic impact and student excellence at the inaugural Dean’s Leadership Dinner, held on Feb. 19 in Pulitzer Hall. More than 125 College alumni, parents, supporters, students and staff were in attendance, and as different speakers took to the podium, a central theme emerged: The College is a place where ambition meets opportunity, and where a culture of generosity ensures that opportunities are accessible.


Dean Josef Sorett opened the dinner by underscoring the transformative impact of financial aid, research and internship assistance, and support for the Core Curriculum — all made possible through the generosity of those gathered in the Joseph D. Jamail Lecture Hall. “Each of you — whether you are a student, parent or alum — contributes to the incredible fabric of this institution in unique and invaluable ways,” Sorett said. “I encourage you to meet someone new, share your Columbia story, and be inspired by the incredible talent and generosity in this room.”

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The first speaker, Mohit Daswani CC’95, established the Daswani-Patel Family Scholarship Fund in 2022.

Brandon Vallejo

The first featured speaker was Mohit Daswani CC’95, who, with his wife, Sejal Patel Daswani CC’95, established the Daswani-Patel Family Scholarship Fund in 2022. Daswani recollected his experience at the College, which included meeting his wife, finding his voice as a leader and reconnecting with his culture. He shared that the Core prepared him for a career in finance and technology by making him versatile. “The ability to break down a school of thought, analyze its core principles and understand how it evolves over time — that’s exactly what we learned in Contemporary Civilization and even Music Humanities,” he said.


Daswani then introduced Diya Shah CC’28, a recipient of his scholarship who was born in Gujarat, India, and later moved to New Jersey. Shah, who has a passion for neuroscience, shared how her research at the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute is uncovering the complexities of motor learning. She also spoke to how the financial support she has received at Columbia has expanded her horizons both academically and personally.

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Dean Josef Sorett with Diya Shah CC’28 and Mohit Daswani CC’95.

Brandon Vallejo

Arnold Asiimwe CC’25, an I.I. Rabi Scholar from Uganda, then reflected on his journey at the College, from seeing skyscrapers for the first time to finding his academic home in computer science and chemistry. He credited the generosity of donors and the mentorship of faculty for his opportunities, including his upcoming Ph.D. studies at Princeton.


Maria Martinez CC’25 took the stage to describe her experiences at the College, where she is a Columbia University Senator and co-chair of the Senate’s Student Affairs Committee as well as its Commission on Diversity. Her largest project was proposing and helping to pass a resolution to create the University’s first dedicated space for first-gen, low-income students, where they can find resources, mentorship and a sense of belonging.

As the event drew to a close, Sorett returned with words of appreciation, thanking the supporters, students and volunteers who sustain the College’s mission. He emphasized that Columbia’s strength lies not just in its academics but also in the collective effort of its community.

A fitting conclusion to the evening came from a remarkable performance of Beethoven’s “Serioso String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95” by Li Yu Chen CC’26, Raunak A. Kumar CC’25, Robert Fornos SEAS’26 and Miles F. Levine CC’28.

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