Four New Chairs Named

Four new chairs have been appointed to Pratt, three in the School of Art and Design, and one in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

 
Photos (L–R) Jean Davis, Steve Diskin, Gregg Horowitz, Steven Zucker. 

Jean Davis, acting chair of the Creative Arts Therapy department will serve as permanent chair; author and designer Steve Diskin will serve as chair of the Industrial Design department; Gregg Horowitz, associate professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University, will chair the Social Science and Cultural Studies department; and Steven Zucker, dean of the school of graduate studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology will serve as chair of the History of Art and Design department.

Jean Davis

Jean Davis holds her M.P.S. from Pratt in creative arts therapy, and has been a member of the faculty since 2000, serving as acting chair for the past two years. Most recently, she has been focusing her work on developing awareness of sustainability in the field of art therapy.  

“Jean has established herself as a leader in the field of creative arts therapy through her scholarly work as well as her professional practice,” said Concetta M. Stewart, dean of the School of Art and Design.

Steve Diskin

Steve Diskin has taught at several design programs including those at Harvard University and at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he was the founder of the Graduate Program in Industrial Design. He has published widely about design and culture, and is an accomplished screenwriter.

“Steve will doubtlessly continue to demonstrate the collegiality, professionalism, and innovativeness for which he has come to be known through the worldwide academic community,” said Stewart. 

Gregg Horowitz

Gregg Horowitz is an expert in aesthetics and the philosophy of art history, critical theory of culture, and philosophy and psychoanalysis.

His books include Sustaining Loss: Art and Mournful Life (StanfordUniversity Press, 2001) and The Wake of Art: Criticism, Philosophy, and the Ends of Taste. Essays by Arthur C. Danto (co-edited and -written with Thomas Huhn; Gordon and Breach Publishers, 1998).

“As a philosopher deeply committed to the exploration of artistic practice, Gregg is just the right person to lead a multi-faceted liberal arts department at Pratt,” said Toni Oliviero, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Steven Zucker

Steven Zucker is most noted as a leader in the field of the digital teaching of art history and is the co-creator of the website/web-book and new art historical tool, www.smarthistory.org. Prior to joining the Fashion Institute of Technology he served as Development Research Coordinator for the Museum of Modern Art.  

“Steven’s contributions to this new area have given him world-wide recognition and earned him several prestigious awards,” said Stewart. Steven is eager to meet his colleagues and we do heartily welcome him.”

 All new chairs will be in place by the start of classes in September.

Pratt Named One of Nation's Most Environmentally Responsible College

Among the Pratt projects earning praise from The Princeton Review guide is the construction of the new building on Myrtle Avenue, which will become the first LEED-certified academic building in New York City.

“Pratt Institute serves as a role model for art and design schools across the nation through its approach to the global challenge posed by climate change,” says President Thomas F. Schutte. “We are committed to integrating sustainability into the campus and classroom so that our students understand their role as socially and environmentally responsible citizens, artists, and designers.”
 
In 2007, President Schutte became one of the first signatories of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and that same year accepted New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 30/10 Challenge to reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent by 2017.
 
As part of his climate commitment, President Schutte also created two full-time positions overseeing sustainability; laid out plans to offer a sustainability minor at Pratt; and began working with local community groups to promote energy conservation and other sustainable living practices.

College students are increasingly seeking this type of environmental commitment, says Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher, The Princeton Review. “Students and their parents are becoming more and more interested in learning about and attending colleges and universities that practice, teach, and support environmental responsibility,” he says.

The free Guide can be downloaded at http://www.princetonreview.com/greenguide.