ݮƵ College of Art and Design is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tiffany Holmes as Vice President for Academic Affairs. Her appointment follows a national search as supported by the firm of Storbeck Search.
Holmes’ background reflects a lifelong passion for art and design. She has served at two peer institutions, first for 18 years at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) as a full-time faculty member, department chair, and dean, and then for five years at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore as its vice provost for Undergraduate Studies followed by her interim appointment as provost in 2021.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Holmes to the ݮƵ College creative community as someone who is a highly consultative and collaborative leader,” said Dr. Larry R. Thompson, president of ݮƵ College of Art and Design. “In her new role at ݮƵ College she will provide the academic leadership that will continue and expand the exciting trajectory that the College has planned for the future.”
In her role as VP for Academic Affairs, Holmes will serve as a strategic and innovative leader on campus. She will work closely with the College’s senior leadership team, academic department heads, faculty, and the members of the Board of Trustees to develop and execute strategies and tactics that will continue to enhance ݮƵ’s academic excellence and success.
Equally important to Holmes is progressing the work needed to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and globalization initiatives. She has developed training programs to support equitable faculty hiring processes resulting in more diverse faculty hires, provided opportunities to engage more BIPOC speakers, and collaborated with faculty to build community and appreciate the individuality and unique perspectives both students and faculty bring to their classrooms.
“I am thrilled to be joining the innovative ݮƵ community,” said Holmes. “I look forward to contributing to a college that rigorously prepares emerging artists, ݮƵ, and thinkers for purposeful and creative lives.”
Holmes’ career has woven together her multiple interests in community, sustainability, art, and technology. Her Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College (Williamstown, MA) in art history with a concentration in environmental studies led to a six-year teaching engagement in under-resourced public schools for the Teach for America program. This spurred an interest in pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in studio art and subsequently, a Masters of Fine Arts in imaging and digital arts, launching her career in higher education as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Art and Design, and ultimately as a full-time professor at SAIC. Her ongoing research and studio practice led her to complete a PhD focused on creative visualization to promote energy conservation at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom before transitioning to higher education administration.
