In 2016, I came to Indiana University to assist the faculty and staff with founding the School of Art + Design at Indiana University Bloomington. This new school was the merger of art, design, and merchandising units, with the addition of a new architecture program in 2017. With a major gift in 2019, we became the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design.

Our innovative, department-less structure is organized around degree programs and areas of study, along with several centers/galleries/collections. The faculty created a common core – the Creative Core – which consists of a number of foundational courses taken together by all the majors in the school. As we refine the curriculum we are also working toward interdisciplinary capstone courses at the upper-level. In this way, the majors will begin their arts education together, then focus on becoming an expert in their own discipline, and finish by coming back together for a culminating experience. In addition to these internal collaborations, the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design is known for many research and teaching partnerships throughout campus.  

In founding the school, we’ve created the key building blocks for a strong and sustainable future: governance and policy documents; staff and leadership organizational design; budget creation and financial management; facility renovation and design (two new buildings, four renovated buildings); enrollment management; development and fundraising; marketing and communication plans; human resources management; strategic planning; diversity, equity, and inclusion planning.