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Deneige is the Assistant Director of Student Affairs at School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Lorne M. Buchman is the fifth president of ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.

When Buchman took office in 2009, he quickly engaged students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees to define what a great art and design college should be in the early 21st century. His talent for gaining consensus among diverse constituencies proved key to ArtCenter’s mission-driven growth. Uniting the community around a shared vision, he led the development of Create Change 1.0, the strategic plan that guided the institution from 2011 to 2016. Buchman then spearheaded Create Change 2.0, the strategic plan to guide ArtCenter through 2023.

During Buchman’s presidency, the College increased the undergraduate and graduate degree programs and realized record enrollments. He has also recruited a diverse group of distinguished leaders to the board of trustees. His passion and deep commitment to excellence in education has generated an unprecedented response from alumni and foundations in terms of financial support. Under his guidance, philanthropic investments in the College have increased significantly to support scholarships and the growth of the campus physically and programmatically. The College recently surpassed its ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign goal with a total of $124 million raised.

Among his many accomplishments is the City of Pasadena’s approval of a 15-year master plan informed by the College’s conservatory-like approach to education. The plan will provide the first-ever campus housing in the history of the College, offering a more affordable education for students.

As part of the president’s advocacy for the value of art and design to audiences beyond academia, he hosts Change Lab: Conversations on Transformation and Creativity, a podcast produced by ArtCenter in which Buchman conducts intimate interviews with leading artists and innovators. He has also written a book on creativity (anticipated August, 2021) Make to Know: From Spaces of Uncertainty to Creative Discovery, published by Thames & Hudson.

Buchman previously served as president of both Saybrook University and California College of the Arts (CCA). At CCA, he led the creation and development of its renowned San Francisco campus, oversaw significant enrollment growth, and diversified the faculty.

Buchman holds a PhD from Stanford University and a BA from the University of Toronto. He founded Buchman Associates, a consulting firm focused on facility development projects for nonprofit organizations. A key venture was his leadership of the highly acclaimed Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, an international center dedicated to disability rights and universal access.

A trained theater director and scholar, Buchman is the author of Still in Movement: Shakespeare on Screen and has taught and served as an administrative leader at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Gabrielle Colageo is a Hall Director at Pratt Institute. Her work has been primarily within Residential Life and Housing Education. Gabrielle holds a M.Ed in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Salem State University.

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Dr. Melanie Corn is the fifth president of Columbus College of Art & Design. Since joining the college in 2016, Dr. Corn has made significant progress on the dual goals of building a national reputation for the college and strengthening CCAD’s role as a leading cultural institution in the region. She has overseen the implementation of a three-year strategic plan, the construction of the new state-of-the-art Cloyd Family Animation Center, and an increase in new applicants and in overall enrollment at the college.

Dr. Corn makes connecting with students and graduates a priority, holding town halls, writing frequent letters to current students, and spearheading an annual alumni tour that includes stops across the country.

She is a member of the Columbus Partnership and serves on the boards of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design, CBUS Retail, and the Washington Gladden Social Justice Park. Dr. Corn was a 2017 and 2018 finalist for the CEO of the Year award from Columbus CEO and a 2018 recipient of the Progressive Woman award from Smart Business.

Prior to joining CCAD, Dr. Corn spent 13 years in academic administration at California College of the Arts. She received her bachelor’s degree in art history from Stanford University, a master’s degree in art history from the University of California Santa Barbara, and a doctorate in higher education management from University of Pennsylvania.

After working in art and design education for more than a decade and a half, Dr. Corn is a fervent believer in the power of creativity. She loves her job because, as she frequently says, “No one’s mom ever made them go to art school,” meaning, of course, that CCAD students are intentional, hardworking, and passionate about their education.

As part of CCAD’s strategic plan, Dr. Corn helped to define the college’s institutional values—accountability, inspiration, positivity, and respect. Her vision for the future of the college includes adding new degree offerings and facilities to meet the needs of tomorrow's creative workforce and building on CCAD's long history of youth programming and community education with more professional development offerings for the thriving workplaces of central Ohio.

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Eleanor Fuchs boasts an extensive career working in art and design education focused on assessment and institutional research to support college innovation while honoring accreditation standards. She has served as Assistant Provost at the College for Creative Studies; Associate Provost at the Columbus College of Art and Design; and currently serves as the Director of Accreditation and Assessment at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. In addition, she has consulted with several arts colleges and non-profits in their accreditation and assessment efforts. In addition, she led the Assessment Initiative for the Association of Independent College of Art and Design, a national initiative to develop assessment best practices for post-secondary art and design education, and currently serves as chair of the NASAD Committee on Nominations. Eleanor holds a B.A. from the University of Minnesota, an M.A. from the University of Toronto, and is currently pursuing an additional M.A. in Organizational Leadership and Development at the University of Minnesota.

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Theresa is an Assistant Director of Employer Relations at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago/Career and Professional Experience.

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Dr. Gillian Gualtieri works closely with Dr. Alexandre Frenette on arts and public policy research as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University. A sociologist, Dr. Gualtieri’s research is situated at the intersection of culture, creative work, art, organizations, and inequality.

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Trey Burnart Hall straddles the line between educator and artist while residing in the beautiful city of Richmond, Virginia. He serves as the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Writing Center Coordinator and during this tenure has held positions such as the Conference Assistant Chair of the Southeastern Writing Association Conference. In addition to his academic life, he is an active musician who has won FloydFest’s “On the Rise” series and played some of the region's best stages. As an educator, his inter-departmental collaborations have focused on writing resource accessibility for students with disabilities and he is currently focusing on writing support expansion for art students. As a multimodal artist with a vocal disability, his intentions as an academic advocate for his students and the Richmond community hope to empower all people with a written (or sung) voice. Hall holds a B.A. and M.A in English from VCU. He is also an accepted student in the VCU Media, Art, and Text multidisciplinary PhD program.

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Clair Harris is the Director of Student Access Services at Ringling College of Art and Design since 2018. Prior to Ringling College, Clair was the Accessibility Coordinator and Counselor at a small private health education college in Ohio.

Clair is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in trauma and adolescents and emerging adulthood transition barriers in managing disabilities. Clair became certified in EMDR treatment in 2016. She is pursuing her Doctorate of Education at Florida Southern College with research geared toward transitioning from an IEP to the college accommodations process. Clair received her master’s degree from Youngstown State University in 2014 in clinical mental health counseling, and her bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in 2011.

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Vice President of Campus Life Laura Kiralla brings over 20 years' progressive leadership experience to her role. Holding an Ed.D. focused on Organizational Leadership, a M.S. in Higher Education Counseling, a B.A. in Psychology and Art History. While at Otis College, Laura has served as Vice President for Student Success, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management, Dean of Student Affairs, and Associate Dean of Student Support and Career Services. Throughout her career, Laura has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to student success, while also leading at Otis in the areas of enrollment management and the reorganization of Extension. Her expertise in organizational dynamics, change management, staff/professional development, policy development, and legal issues in higher education has also brought much added value to the College.

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Laura is currently the Director of Campus Life at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she has worked since 2014, starting as the Assistant Director Campus Life-Neiman Center. Laura has worked in higher education for over 10 years, primarily serving in student activities positions, which has included orientation, programming board advisement, student group oversight, and campus programming. Laura holds a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Iowa State University.

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John Luther has been working in career development at the Stamps School of Art & Design for almost 20 years. Helping people figure out who they are, what they want to do, and how they want to do it is what it all boils down to. John's background encompasses the performing arts as well, and he loves being the academic advisor for InterArts students, a joint degree at the University of Michigan's Stamps School and School of Music, Theatre and Dance.

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Dr. Nick Negrete currently serves as the Dean Of Student Affairs at Otis College of Art and Design, as will be transitioning to serve as the Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Nick has a demonstrated history of working in higher education with progressive leadership experience in Academic Advising, Residence Life, Multicultural Affairs and DEI advocacy, Crisis Management, Leadership Development and Social Justice education. Nick has a Master of Education focused in Higher Education & Student Affairs Administration from University of Vermont (UVM) as well as a doctoral degree from UVM in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

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Dr. Robinson is the Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Health Center at Ringling College of Art and Design since 2016, overseeing the Peterson Counseling Center and campus medical services. She was named the 2020 Director of the Year by the American College Counseling Association.
Dr. Robinson is a licensed clinical psychologist, working both in higher education and private practice. Dr. Robinson received credentialing as a College and University Suicide Prevention Specialist by the American Society of Suicidality in 2014. She has also done extensive clinical work and program development with survivors of sexual assault. Dr. Robinson has a particular area of expertise in working with LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, specifically in providing support to individuals who are exploring their gender identity and providing outreach and consultation around gender inclusive practices.
Working in Higher Education is a passion, both in regards to working with resilient, talented, and layered students, as well as the opportunity to work interdepartmentally for a common goal.

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Ana Serrano joined OCAD University – Canada’s largest art and design university – as President and Vice-Chancellor on July 1, 2020.

An innovator and global visionary leader in digital media, Ana has a strong sense of the value of art and design education and research coupled with a record of success effectively managing financial resources and high-performing teams. She has also been an adjunct professor at OCAD U, advising students in the Digital Futures graduate program, and led the formation of the Canadian Film Centre and OCAD U partnership that began in 2011.

The winner of the Digital Media Trailblazing Award at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards, she brings more than 20 years of experience building award-winning digital products, securing public and private sector investment, creating strategic alliances and starting new ventures.

Before coming to OCAD U, she was the Chief Digital Officer of the Canadian Film Centre for close to 10 years. Recently, she launched ideaBOOST, Canada's first digital entertainment accelerator, with founding partners Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment and Google.

Ana has received numerous awards from the digital media, film, and theatre industries in both Canada and the U.S., including receiving the insignia of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) from the Government of France in 2018, the Digital Media Trailblazer Award from the Academy of Canadian Film & Television in 2015, a Best Canadian Feature Film Award from the International Reel Asian Film Festival for her own transmedia production Prison Dancer: the Musical, and a Jim Blackaby Ingenuity Award for Body/Mind/Change from the American Museums Association.

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Sanjit Sethi, the President of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, has two decades of experience as an artist and cultural academic leader. For the past three years, Sethi has served as the first Director of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at George Washington University, where he oversaw the reestablishment of the historic art and design college as it integrated with the University.

Sethi’s previous positions include serving as Director of the MFA program at the Memphis College of Art; Director of the Center for Art and Public Life, Barclay Simpson Professor, and Chair of Community Arts at the California College of the Arts; and Executive Director of the Santa Fe Art Institute. Additionally, Sethi has lectured and taught at the Srishti School of Art, Design, and Technology in Bangalore; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Saint Mary’s College in London.

Born in Rochester, New York, Sethi received a BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, an MFA in Ceramics from University of Georgia, and he holds an MS in Advanced Visual Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sethi has been awarded numerous grants and fellowships, including an Enrichment Travel Fellowship to work on a project in London, Budapest and Dublin, and a Fulbright fellowship in India.

As an artist and curator, Sethi’s work has spanned different media and geographies. Past works include the Kuni Wada Bakery Remembrance; Richmond Voting Stories; the Gypsy Bridge project. Recent curatorial projects have included Spiked: The Unpublished Political Cartoons of Rob Rogers and the upcoming exhibition, 6.13.89 The Cancelling of the Mapplethorpe Exhibition. Additionally, Sethi is currently working on the Portland Hospice Potters Network and a body of paintings and drawings – the Delta Series.

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Rosalie works with the creative community of students, faculty, alumni, and staff at SAIC. She has twenty years of experience in higher education and has worked at a variety of institutions, small liberal arts colleges, mid and large size universities and graduate schools of education in the Northeastern U.S. Her love for the arts brought her to SAIC where she applies her background in career education. Rosalie holds a B.A. in Psychology and a M.S. in Counseling from Pace University in New York.

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Patrick Spence is the Associate Dean of Student Affairs in Campus Life for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Patrick has been at SAIC since 1999, also serving as the Assistant Dean of Residence Life for 5 years. Patrick works alongside the Campus Life team at SAIC to facilitate Orientation, Parent Orientation, Commencement, Family Weekend, and two public art sales, among other events. Patrick holds an M.Ed. from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago.

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Anna Umbreit is a board certified counselor (NCC) specializing in career development. She has 16 years of experience in university career centers, including Emerson College, James Madison University, and William & Mary. Currently, she serves as the Senior Assistant Director: Arts, Design, & Entrepreneurship at Virginia Commonwealth University Career Services. She holds an M.S. in Counseling from Shippensburg University and a B.A. in Communications/Journalism.

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Michelle Webb is the Program Coordinator, Career Adviser for the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) team at SAIC. She has previous experience in non-profit fundraising/programming for organizations including SAIC's Office of Institutional Advancement, Loyola University Chicago, After School Matters and River North Dance Company. In addition to her experience, Michelle's degree in Business and Entrepreneurship from Columbia College Chicago has helped hone her passion for the intersection of arts and education.

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