Dean's Messages Archive

Greetings from cold and snowy University Park! We are now in the fourth week of the spring semester, and it did not take long for our college to kick into high gear for 2023. In addition to our typical schedule of performances, lectures, exhibitions, and related events in the coming weeks and months, we have some great alumni events on the horizon, including a reception at the College Art Association conference in New York City, the President’s Concert at Heinz Hall, and the return of our popular tailgate during Blue-White weekend, hosted by the Arts and Architecture Alumni Society. As a member of our college community, you are welcome to join us for these and other events, anytime. I am always happy to connect with alumni, whether here on campus or elsewhere.

We kicked off the year watching our own Blue Band perform in the Tournament of Roses parade and football game. What an incredible experience for our band members, directed so masterfully by Blue Band director Greg Drane. Although I was unable to attend in person, it was a proud moment for me, as dean, to see the band representing Penn State on the national stage.

The college is also very much visible on the international stage, as evidenced by recent awards from the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (AARC) presented to Lisa Iulo, associate professor of architecture and director of the Hamer Center for Community Design, and Elena Vazquez, a 2022 doctoral graduate. Lisa received the 2023 ARCC Mid-Career Research Impact Award and Elena received the ARCC Dissertation Award. These are just a few examples that speak to the visibility and influence of our faculty and students’ work.

If you have been following the Palmer Museum of Art’s journey, you know it is the museum’s last semester at the current building on Curtin Road. Staff will begin moving offices and collections this summer. The new museum at the Arboretum is scheduled to open in spring 2024. While there will be no physical location to visit for much of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the museum will continue its robust virtual programming to keep patrons engaged. For frequent updates, be sure to follow the Palmer on social media (@palmermuseumofart on Instagram and Facebook, @palmermuseum on Twitter). While you are at it, I invite you to connect with and follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram (@aadean).

When I sit down to write these messages, it’s sometimes challenging to come up with a single theme. It’s actually a good problem to have – with such diversity in programming and student and faculty activity, there is almost too much to focus on! That is a big part of why I love being dean of the College of Arts and Architecture. Our students, faculty, and staff make me proud on a daily basis. Our alumni and friends inspire me with their career successes and their own commitments to furthering the arts and design.

Thank you, as always, for your support of the college. I look forward to seeing you at one of our alumni events or at an event on campus soon.