Kwang-Wu Kim, D.M.A.

Dr. Kim is the tenth president in the 125-year history of the college. Appointed by a unanimous vote of the board of trustees, President Kim has served in this capacity since July 1, 2013.

A native Chicagoan with over thirty years of experience as a performer, teacher, and administrator, president Kim is an outspoken advocate for the arts and a proponent of expanding the role of creative practice in society, and he is deeply committed to preparing students to act as creative agents in society.

Prior to becoming Columbia’s president, Dr. Kim was dean and director of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, which is comprised of the schools of art; arts, media, and engineering; dance; design; music; and theatre and film, as well as the ASU Art Museum. As dean and director, he led a faculty and staff of 500, serving over 5,000 students, and held a tenured professorship in the School of Music. While at Arizona State University, he led the development and creation of a new cross-disciplinary BA in Digital Culture, securing $20 million in private support to fund the initiative.