Columbia University Celebrates Record-Breaking Military Ball

Set against the sparkling backdrop of the Chelsea waterfront, Columbia pride radiated through Pier Sixty as nearly 700 guests gathered for the University’s annual Military Ball—the largest in the event’s history. The room buzzed with anticipation even before the program began, a reflection of both the scale of the gathering and the deep sense of community that defines Columbia’s veteran community. The celebration honored the University’s long-standing commitment to veterans and helped raise critical funds for academic, financial, and career-transition programming to support service members and their families both at Columbia and nationwide.

The evening’s MC, William Luo ’28GS, secretary of the Military Veterans of Columbia University (MilVets), opened the ceremony by welcoming guests and recognizing the University’s dedication to veterans. Before introducing Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch ’90GS, Luo reflected on their first meeting and her visible advocacy for student veterans:

“I first met Dean Rosen-Metsch on the Columbia float at the New York City Veterans Day Parade—a fitting place to see her champion our community in action. A steadfast advocate for those who served, Dean Rosen-Metsch has continued GS’s tradition of being the destination in New York City for student veterans and has helped elevate programs that ease the transition from military to campus life, including the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.”

Established in 2010, the Military Ball has become the premier event uniting veterans from across the University and New York State. Its mission reflects a broader institutional dedication to veterans that dates back decades to when Columbia GS was founded, in large part, for veterans returning from military service following World War II—and with the establishment of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration (CVTI) in 2017. 

CVTI has since become a national leader in helping service members transition successfully into higher education and the workforce. While rooted at Columbia, the Center's reach extends well beyond campus—from establishing partnerships with employers, faculty, and staff, to developing resources and narrative training that support veterans, active-duty service members, and military-connected students across the country.

“Over the last nearly 80 years, GS has maintained a deep and direct connection to that founding mission,” Dean Rosen-Metsch said, noting that the School has “forged the path for highly selective peer institutions to recognize what we have known since our founding: student veterans make our universities better.”

Today, GS is home to more than 350 undergraduate student veterans—the most in the Ivy League—with many more studying across Columbia’s other schools, including the Business School, the School of International and Public Affairs, and the Journalism School, to name a few. 

Building on this theme, Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman ’86CC, ’94SIPA highlighted how veterans have transformed the University through their academic excellence, leadership, and community-building, underscoring why Columbia continues to invest deeply in supporting them.

The program then shifted to honor five individuals whose service and leadership exemplify the values celebrated at the Military Ball. The Peter J. Awn Service Award—named for the late GS dean, a champion of nontraditional students and veterans—was presented to Lisa and Victor Mendelson ’89CC and Secretary Jeh Johnson ’82LAW. The Arrow Award went to Ian Rottenberg, Dean of Religious Life, Director of the Earl Hall Center, and Associate Chaplain. The Quill Award was presented to Jazmin McBride, Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Veteran Initiatives at Columbia GS and a U.S. Air Force veteran.

Bringing the ceremony to a close, MilVets President Pj Sonnen ’26GS reflected on the strength and support of the military veteran community at Columbia: “It’s a community in which we strive to leave no veteran behind.” 

Sonnen also highlighted the wide-ranging impact veterans make across campus and in New York City—from research to fashion to global leadership—affirming their continued commitment to service, “because we believe that service does not end when we take off our uniforms,” he said.

The ceremony concluded with a toast from MilVets Vice President Philip Auerbach ’27GS and, as is tradition, rousing renditions of the armed forces songs, the official anthems for each branch of the military, which truly captured the pride and spirit that defined the evening.

With record attendance and inspiring tributes, this year’s Military Ball reaffirmed Columbia’s enduring belief in veterans’ transformative contributions to the University and to the world beyond the gates of Morningside Heights.