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Interior design to merge with the art department

Rob Jepson

    The Caine College of the Arts has announced plans to merge the interior design program into the department of art. The merger is scheduled to begin next year under the direction of recently-appointed art department head Dr. Laura Gelfand, who will take office July 1.

    Dean of the Arts College Craig Jessop said, “Our interior design program is a small program. It’s not large enough to be considered a separate department, and in this time of fiscal restraint and looking closely, I think what we’ve done is really the wise thing in protecting and maintaining a fantastic program that many students are involved in.”

    Jessop said it is common for universities to combine their art and interior design programs, and the programs’ similarities make combining them a logical move.

    “The benefits are many,” he said. “Administrative costs are now not duplicated, foundation courses are often the same for both disciplines. I don’t see any drawbacks at all; I see it as all positive.” 

    Jessop said he is very pleased with the selection of Gelfand as the new department head of art.

    “We had outstanding applicants from all over the country,” he said. “It was very competitive, but she clearly rose to the top and was the enthusiastic endorsement of the search committee.”

    He said Gelfand’s “irrepressible enthusiasm” made her stand out among the other applicants.

    “She lit up the sky with her great talent, her great knowledge and her wonderful energy and enthusiasm, and everyone was so impressed,” he said.

    He also said Gelfand’s education in art history and appreciation for all the arts would help her to administer to each of the disciplines equally.

    Gelfand, who currently works as a professor of art history and associate dean of honors at the University of Akron (Ohio) said, “I am totally thrilled. I am really, completely thrilled.”

    Gelfand said she enjoyed meeting students while visiting USU during the interviewing process, and is excited to work with Jessop. She said merging the interior design and art programs will be one of her biggest challenges.

    “They’re both such strong, strong areas,” she said, “and so, to sort of get to work with both sets of faculty and find ways to create collaborations and create a sense of real inclusion for everybody is going to be, I think, a really exciting challenge.”

    Gelfand said her other big challenge will be starting the process of getting the art and interior design programs accredited.

    “It’s a lot of work,” she said. “Everybody really has to participate. It can’t be one person sort of driving that, it has to be everybody, you know? So it’s a lot of organization, getting everybody going, which to me that’s the kind of challenge that I really like.”

    Jessop said he eventually hopes to get every program in the college accredited. He said being accredited means it has been recognized to have “essential components” for the art programs.

    He said while they are just beginning the process, he is optimistic that things will go smoothly.

    Dr. Joyce Kinkead, head of the search committee that hired Gelfand, said the interviewing process included meeting with students and faculty and giving presentations on their vision for the department.

    “Dr. Gelfand was particularly astute in her presentation, using her own scholarship in art history as a base to discuss leadership,” she said. “She brings enormous energy to the position and is eager to interact with the community.”

    Gelfand earned her bachelor’s degree in art history from Stony Brook University, her master’s degree from William’s College and her Ph.D from Case Western Reserve. Her personal research focuses on Northern renaissance art. She grew up in the Salt Lake area and has taught art history for more than 15 years.

– robmjepson@gmail.com