Parsons appoints new executive dean

By

Robin Driver

Published
Dec 20, 2018

The New School announced on Wednesday that it has appointed Dr Rachel Schreiber as the executive dean of Parsons School of Design, a role in which she will succeed Joel Towers, who will be stepping down in June 2019 after a decade in the position.

In her new role, Schreiber will be the art and design college’s academic and strategic leader, and will be responsible for overseeing Parsons’ curriculum, as well as its management and administration.

The gender historian, artist and designer was recruited after a wide-ranging international search, and joins Parsons from the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) where she most recently served as provost and senior vice president.

Schreiber brings more than 20 years of experience in design and higher education to her new position. Prior to working at SFAI, she also served as dean of humanities and sciences at California College of the Arts, as well as graduate program chair at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
 
She holds a PhD in History from Johns Hopkins University, an MFA in Art and Critical Writing from the California Institute of the Arts, and a BFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, and has experience teaching design, studio arts and interdisciplinary humanities at both a graduate and an undergraduate level.
 
Over the course of her career, she has published several peer reviewed articles, as well as two books with academic presses. Her visual art has also been exhibited worldwide.
 
“We are thrilled Rachel chose to bring her extensive experience in design, the fine arts, and humanities to The New School,” said New School president David E. Vant in a release. “Rachel’s strength as a leader comes at a crucial moment for Parsons and the university as we continue to evolve, innovate, and imagine the school’s next stage of development.”
 
“I am deeply honored to be joining Parsons School of Design as Executive Dean,” added Schreiber. “Parsons’ rigorous and innovative curriculum, situated within The New School with its emphasis on social research, emphasizes the value of design to a just and civic society.”

Schreiber’s appointment is effective July 1, 2019.