Senior Communications & Outreach Manager

lc3460@columbia.edu
212-854-7783
505 Butler Library

Lauren G. Close is the Senior Communications and Outreach Manager at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Lauren is the main point of contact for all things communications, both internal and external. She works closely with the entire CTL team to make sure that all of our programs, services, projects, and partners are well-promoted.

Before joining the CTL, Lauren was the Communications Manager for the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub, housed within Columbia University’s Data Science Institute. She was also previously the Program Manager for the Program for Economic Research in Columbia University’s Economics Department. Prior to joining Columbia, Lauren worked in the New York art world, managing an art gallery specializing in Old Master prints and drawings. She also worked in operations for an international fine arts fair. 

Lauren has a M.S. in Strategic Communication from Columbia University (‘24), an M.A. in Art History from New York University (‘16), and a B.A. from The College of Wooster (‘08). Her academic interests include Napoleonic fine art and literature, the Thutmoside Dynasty of New Kingdom Egypt, and Giallo films. Lauren lives in northern Manhattan with her husband and a feisty tortoiseshell cat. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys baking, learning to code and design games, practicing her language skills (French, Italian, and German), and kayaking.