Columbia University's prestigious College of Dental Medicine reversed its decision to reject Jeffrey Epstein's longtime girlfriend Karyna Shuliak after the disgraced financier donated $100,000 to its dean and discussed a multi-million dollar contribution, according to newly released emails. The correspondence, part of the Justice Department's latest Epstein Files release, exposes how wealth and connections secured entry into an elite Ivy League institution despite glaring academic deficiencies.
Special Favors for a Controversial Applicant
Ira Lamster, then dean of Columbia's College of Dental Medicine, along with other administrators, offered what Lamster now acknowledges were "special favors" during Shuliak's 2011-2012 application process. Shuliak, a 36-year-old immigrant from Belarus who had a nine-year relationship with Epstein, was admitted to Columbia's dental program despite lacking a bachelor's degree and demonstrating notably weak written English skills. Remarkably, the school fast-tracked her graduation, allowing her to complete her studies a year ahead of the class from which she was originally rejected.
A Case Study in Elite Access
The email exchanges between Epstein, his staff, Lamster, and Columbia administrators read like a textbook example of leveraging wealth for institutional access. "Tell her not to be concerned as all is fine...We are good here," Lamster assured Epstein in one message. At the time, Epstein and the university were negotiating what Lamster described as a potential $5-6 million donation for a new dental school building.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Lamster admitted that "of course the optics are bad" but insisted "there was no quid pro quo" linking Shuliak's acceptance to Epstein's contributions. "Maybe I was naive," he reflected. "One of the things that is more important to me than anything else is my good name and that I'm an ethical and moral person." Lamster was listed as dean emeritus on Columbia's website until February 6, when the page disappeared from public view.
The Application Process Unraveled
Epstein began donating to Columbia's dental college in March 2011 through his personal dentist, Thomas Magnani, a school alumnus. Columbia confirmed that Magnani no longer teaches there or sits on its admissions committee. A month later, Epstein's assistant pushed for Shuliak to receive a special one-on-one tour of the dental college, which senior associate dean Martin Davis arranged as "a favor" despite noting they don't normally provide such privileged access.
After the tour, Davis wrote that "we rarely consider a candidate without a bachelor's degree" but added that a fundraising office member had "informed me that Mr. Epstein was a significant supporter of CDM!!! All the better... Maybe I should have created an all day tour!" When Shuliak was denied admission in February 2012, Epstein immediately scheduled drinks at his home with Magnani and Lamster.
The Reversal and Its Aftermath
Soon after that meeting, Lamster wrote to Belarusian authorities asking if Shuliak could complete her fifth year at Columbia to receive her dental degree from Belarusian State Medical University—a letter he claimed not to remember writing but later acknowledged was "not typical" and done "as a favor to Epstein as a potential donor." Within two and a half months of her rejection, Shuliak moved into an Epstein-owned apartment and was accepted as a transfer student.
Lamster and his staff arranged to fast-track her schooling despite having previously inquired about her completing undergraduate coursework. He also overlooked Shuliak's immigration situation, writing to Epstein: "Visa is not an issue due to her special status." Five days after Shuliak's acceptance, Epstein hosted a dinner for Lamster, Magnani, and Sara Patterson, then the dental school's senior associate dean for finance.
Financial Transactions and Ongoing Support
Three days after the dinner, Lamster emailed Epstein about a major gift to the university, expressing concern that others might try to influence his generosity. "Dean Lamster is concerned where your donation will end up," Magnani clarified in another email. "The medical school is always trying to claim all donations... The donation is for the dental school only."
By August 2012, Shuliak was enrolled and participating in the white coat ceremony with the class of 2016, despite not having been accepted to that cohort. She emailed Epstein a photo from the event, to which he responded: "And you will graduate a year before everybody else on that stage." Three days later, Lamster's office received a $100,000 donation from Epstein, with emails showing the check was personally chauffeured to him.
University Response and Lasting Implications
Columbia University stated it is "aware of approximately $200,000 in giving from Epstein related entities" and noted that university leadership "ended [discussions about a large gift] immediately when they learned about the source of funds." Lamster told the Daily Mail: "They refused to pursue this because they were concerned it was inappropriate. I was annoyed by that."
The university declined to comment further but confirmed that Lamster no longer works at the dental school and that its current dean played no role in Shuliak's admission. Through her lawyer, Shuliak declined to comment. She has not spoken publicly about her relationship with Epstein nor what she knows about his activities.
Epstein paid approximately $70,000 annually for Shuliak's Columbia tuition while providing her with an Upper East Side apartment and covering substantial additional expenses. He supported her parents in Belarus, paid for her mother's breast cancer treatment, and put Shuliak on salary starting in 2015, the year she graduated with her doctorate in dental surgery.
Epstein's Extensive Involvement
Documents reveal Epstein took an extraordinarily active role in Shuliak's life, arranging legal representation for her visa applications, helping her through an ICE case in 2014, and attempting to secure her dental residencies and licenses. He even tried to buy her a job in a St. Thomas dental office and outfitted two of his homes with dental equipment for her use.
The pair remained close until Epstein's death, with Shuliak being the last to speak with him by phone before his apparent suicide in 2019. Although Epstein attempted to bequeath the majority of his estate to her two days before his death, much of it has been liquidated to compensate victims, leaving approximately $125 million that won't be distributed until all claims are settled.
Shuliak, currently licensed as a dentist in Florida, New Mexico, and New York, returned to Columbia after Epstein's death, earning a post-graduate degree in general dentistry. She was seen in a video from her graduation ceremony last May, hugging professors and smiling broadly—a stark contrast to the controversial circumstances that first brought her to the Ivy League institution.
