PRATT COMMITS TO EXPANSION OF FULL-TIME FACULTY

Six-Year Plan Represents Commitment to Improving Educational Experience

This fall, Pratt will begin implementation of a plan to hire 40 full-time faculty members over the next six years, representing the most significant commitment in the Institute’s history to grow its base of full-time instructors and professors. The Institute currently has 140 full-time faculty members, so the addition of these positions represents a nearly 30 percent increase in Pratt’s full-time faculty by 2016.  Ultimately, the plan, which is based on current enrollment figures, aims to have full-time faculty teaching 30 percent of total credit hours offered at the Institute.

Pratt will hire the first four faculty members in fall 2011. The new faculty positions will be assigned to departments based on periodic evaluations of departmental needs across the Institute.  Pratt will then hire eight faculty members each year from 2012-2015, and four in 2016, for a total of 40 over the six-year period. The 40 full-time positions will include those reserved for departmental chairs and deans who are typically offered the chance to step into faculty jobs when they complete their terms. Most of the positions will be filled after thorough national searches.

President Thomas F. Schutte calls the implementation of the plan an exciting step in further developing Pratt as a world-class institution for art, design, architecture, and library and information science.

“I am thrilled to announce this institutional commitment to growing our faculty,” Schutte says. “Pratt faculty members represent the world’s top leaders in art, design, architecture, and library science. Our plan to increase faculty will allow us to further secure Pratt’s position as one of the world’s premier colleges of art and design.”

Provost Peter Barna says that growing the number of full-time faculty means that professors and instructors will be able to spend more time with their students and participate in the outside-the-classroom activities that are crucial to enhancing the overall Pratt experience.

Full-time faculty members are responsible for playing certain roles at the Institute that include participating in curriculum development, serving on committees, and advising in student activities.

“This plan will have an enormous impact on the student experience at Pratt,” Barna says. “So much of the skill and knowledge our students gain comes from working closely with instructors and professors. Increasing the faculty presence on campus will let our students benefit from increased interaction with Pratt’s top faculty both inside and outside the classroom.”

Photo © Bob Handelman

PRATT HONORS NEARLY 1,400 DEGREE CANDIDATES AT COMMENCEMENT

Curators, Artist, and Commissioner to Receive Honorary Degrees

L-R: Martin Friedman, Mildred Friedman, Hawkinson, Sadik-Khan, McGuire

Pratt Institute will honor an expected 1,400 bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates at the 122nd annual Commencement exercises on Monday, May 16 at 11 AM at Pier 94, in Manhattan. Those being honored at Commencement include about 1,100 students who are expected to graduate this spring, along with about 300 who officially graduated in the summer and fall 2010 terms.  

As part of the ceremonies, Pratt will award honorary degrees to Martin Friedman, former director of Walker Art Center, and Mildred Friedman, former Curator of Design and Architecture of Walker Art Center; Tim Hawkinson, artist; Raymond McGuire, Citi Head of Global Banking; and Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation.

ABOUT THE HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS

Martin Friedman and Mildred Friedman have guest-curated museum exhibitions, served as advisors to museums and other arts organizations, and have worked collaboratively with architects on numerous major projects. During their time at Walker Art Center, the Friedmans were instrumental in the creation of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, a highly acclaimed joint effort with the city of Minneapolis, and the site of numerous works by leading American and international artists. Martin has served as art consultant for the National Gallery of Art and for the Hall Family Foundation, and as an art advisor to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art regarding the development of the Kansas City Sculpture Park. Mildred has organized a number of major exhibitions of American and international architecture, and has previously served as consultant to the Battery Park City Authority.

Tim Hawkinson’s artwork focuses on nature, machines, mortality, the body, and human consciousness. Hawkinson has been the subject of more than 40 solo exhibitions and has participated in nearly 90 group shows throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, including three biennial exhibitions. The work of Hawkinson, who is currently represented by The Pace Gallery, is included in a number of public collections. He is currently working on a major commission from the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.

Raymond J. McGuire is Citi’s head of global banking, which includes corporate and investment banking, and as such, is responsible for leading the coverage of global industries and clients, executing strategic transactions, and advising on transactions valued at more than $200 billion. McGuire has been honored with such accolades as the Humanitarian Leadership Award from the Council of Urban Professionals, and was featured in Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the “100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America.” He serves on the boards of the International Center for Photography; the New York Public Library; Lincoln Center; the Studio Museum in Harlem; and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Janette Sadik-Khan has served as the commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation since her appointment by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in April 2007. She has since implemented a program to improve safety, mobility, and sustainability throughout New York City; new Select Bus Service routes in the Bronx and Manhattan; installation of 18 plazas; and the addition of more than 250 miles of on-street bike lanes, car-free summer streets, and weekend pedestrian walks. Sadik-Khan is president of the National Association of City Transportation Officials and has previously served as senior vice president of Parsons Brinckerhoff and as deputy administrator at the Federal Transit Administration.

COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION:
Pier 94, 755 Twelfth Avenue at 55th St.
Doors open: 10 AM, Processional: 11 AM
Tickets are required.
For information visit: www.pratt.edu/commencement. 

Pratt students chosen to show at icff for third year in a row

Industrial Design Student Work Created in Collaboration with Renowned Italian Furniture Firm Cappellini Envisions Updates to Classic Designs

Pratt Institute’s Department of Industrial Design, in collaboration with renowned Italian furniture firm Cappellini, will present an exhibition of furniture designs as part of the 23rd annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) from May 14–17 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Pratt was one of nine design schools selected to exhibit at this year’s show by GLM, the producer and manager of the ICFF. This is the third year in a row that Pratt was selected to exhibit.

Pratt’s Department of Industrial Design was chosen for its theme, “Perpetual Motion,” which was conceived by Pratt ICFF lead faculty advisor Mark Goetz  (B.I.D. ’86) to challenge his graduate students and adjunct assistant professor Tim Richartz’s (B.I.D. ’86) undergraduate industrial design students to create modern and innovative furniture and lighting design prototypes that remain rooted in boldly disruptive ideas, while keeping the dynamism of design moving into the future.

Several of the most successful student designs will be on display at ICFF as selected by a team of esteemed designers and industry professionals invited by Cappellini representative Frederick McSwain, who provided guidance to the students throughout the creative process.

“The premise of ‘Perpetual Motion’ is to look at the future of furniture design by coming up with fresh, new ideas that incorporate technology and sustainability and that potentially envision updates to classic designs for the future. Pratt has an outstanding reputation for creative design thinking and innovation and is uniquely suited for this challenge,” says Goetz. “We were thrilled that Cappellini, a company well-known for nurturing young designers, helped to guide and advise us in this endeavor.”

Each year GLM mounts the design schools’ exhibitions, inviting the world’s leading design academies and the brightest of the next generation to submit student work for juried review. This year the exhibition shows off six student projects that will serve as a signpost for evolving trends. While still emphasizing the analytical, problem-solving process essential to design, several of the exhibitors also address the global nature of today’s design collaborations and the calculus of practical mechanics necessary for such collaborations to work well.

GLM provides each school with a complimentary 200-square-foot  booth for housing its exhibition. In addition to Pratt, eight other schools will participate including Maryland Institute College of Art, University of Washington, Rhode Island School of Design, Philadelphia University, San Jose State University, University of Lincoln, University of Oregon, and The University of Tokyo. 

Also showing at ICFF will be:

George Nakashima Woodworker, S.A.
Pratt exhibition design students under the direction of interior design professor Jon Otis designed the booth for esteemed furniture maker George Nakashima Woodworker, S.A.

Off-Site Exhibitions:

 “Fraternal Twins” Exhibition
Moss
150 Greene Street, Manhattan
May 16–June 30; Public Hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 AM–7 PM

An exhibition of metal sculptures and designs by Pratt professor of architecture Haresh Lalvani (M.S. ’72) and Pratt industrial design graduate Chen Chen (B.I.D.’07).

ICFF is North America’s singular showcase for contemporary design. Almost 600 exhibitors will display contemporary furniture, seating, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, wall coverings, accessories, textiles, and kitchen and bath for residential and commercial interiors, with over 24,000 visitors expected from around the world.

The fair is open to the trade Saturday, May 14 through Monday, May 16 from 10 AM to 5 PM and is open to the trade and general public on Tuesday, May 17 from 10 AM to 4 PM For ticket information, please visit www.icff.com.

Please consult the ICFF guide upon arrival at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for booth locations.