Sent on behalf of Provost Mun Choi and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Sally Reis:
We write, with regret, to inform you that Dean Bríd Grant has decided to resign from her position as Dean of the School of Fine Arts, effective July 24, 2015, as it has become necessary for her to return to Ireland for family reasons.
Since joining us in 2012, Dean Grant has implemented many changes in the School of Fine Arts, leading the development of the new academic plan for 2014-2019, making strategically reforming appointments within the departments and centers while working to cultivate and support a research culture in the School. Dean Grant’s tenure has been characterized by a strong commitment to working collaboratively with colleagues to achieve successful engagement and outcomes in creative and innovative interdisciplinary collaborations among the arts programs and across academic fields. Her support for and influence on the creation of new course offerings, performances, exhibitions and events have been extremely important.
She has provided leadership in improving the School’s websites and developing a more active social media profile. Dean Grant’s office has taken a leading role in high-school recruitment, developing a consistent message and printed materials, and working towards the integration of department, School and university recruiting initiatives.
Dean Grant has worked continuously to enhance the School facilities’ appearance, with an emphasis on maintenance, repairs and improvement in addition to securing funding to build a Production Facility for the School, while also securing significant funding from a variety of donors for various projects.
Professor Anne D’Alleva has agreed to serve as Dean to complete the last two years of Dean Grant’s term. Dr. D’Alleva earned her undergraduate degree in Art History from Harvard University and her PhD in Art History from Columbia University. Dr. D’Alleva’s research interests include the arts of eighteenth and nineteenth-century Tahiti and the Society Islands, examining the ways that gender and the visual arts shaped interactions between Society Islanders and explorers, missionaries, and colonizers.
Dr. D’Alleva has extensive administrative experience, having served as Department Head in Art & Art History and as an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Fine Arts. Please join us in thanking Brid Grant for her service and in welcoming Anne D’Alleva as Dean for the next two years.
For more information, contact: Office of the Provost at provost@uconn.edu