Dianne Taylor-Gearing, incoming president of NSCAD University.
NSCAD University in Halifax has announced the appointment of Dianne Taylor-Gearing as president.
Taylor-Gearing, a UK citizen, is currently vice-president research and academic affairs at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary. Achievements include the approval of ACAD’s first grad program, a Master of Fine Arts in Craft Media, the introduction of a new academic structure with the appointment of four academic chairs, and accessing funding for new “2+2” programs between ACAD and other Alberta colleges.
An art educator, fashion designer and administrator, Taylor-Gearing will step into the leadership position at NSCAD University effective August 4. She will succeed Daniel O’Brien in the role.
“We welcome Prof. Taylor-Gearing to Halifax and to NSCAD University,” Grant Machum, chair of NSCAD’s Board of Governors, said in a release. “She has substantial experience working with independent arts institutions in the U.K., United States and Canada and providing guidance through times of change. A skilled leader and administrator, she’s known for her team-building approach.”
NSCAD has certainly been dealing with times of change—for the past few years, the university has been faced with severe financial issues, and there has been speculation that it will be rolled into one of several other Halifax post-secondary institutions.
According to the NSCAD release, Taylor-Gearing has a “learning plan” for the first three months of her mandate at NSCAD University. In that time, she aims to gain a deep understanding of the school’s vision and strategic plan, challenges and opportunities, barriers and resources, structure, and external realities and internal perceptions. Once the learning phase is over, she says, “we can start to move forward based on the collective vision of a creative community.”
Prior to her time at ACAD, Taylor-Gearing held positions at the University for the Creative Arts in the UK; Ravensbourne in London, UK and Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia.
