Rhode Island School of Design has announced that Pradeep Sharma will join RISD as Dean of Architecture and Design this fall. With his extensive experience as both a teacher and academic administrator, his strong research background and active strategic design practice, Sharma will provide dynamic and effective leadership for the Division of Architecture and Design. Sharma has demonstrated his ability to help advance RISD’s strategic priorities, and exhibits the ability to lead and collaborate with all of the departments in the Division with his deep understanding of opportunities and challenges that face each discipline.
Most recently, as Head of the Bath School of Art and Design at Bath Spa University in England, Pradeep managed the School’s operations, finances, facilities, assessment, academic program development as well as the student experience. Despite a challenging economic climate, he was responsible for developing new undergraduate and graduate degree programs, expanding research activity, and building collaborative industry relationships. With the understanding that new technology is changing the way we produce art and design objects and the built environment, he worked to incorporate digital technologies into various disciplines at Bath, while remaining committed to the hands-on studio learning that contributes so deeply to a RISD education.
“Pradeep brings a keen interest in how the architecture and design disciplines can work together with the fine arts and the liberal arts to inform each other’s practice. His international outlook and expansive global experience and network will open opportunities to enhance RISD’s global strategy,” said RISD Provost Rosanne Somerson. “Pradeep’s educational and professional background will continue to support and develop the excellence of RISD’s academic programs while promoting new paths for exploration and innovation.”
Prior to Bath, Sharma was Head of Art and Design at the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Studies at the University of Glamorgan, UK, and a research fellow and senior lecturer at Unitec Institute of Technology in New Zealand. He has maintained a design management and consultancy practice since 2002. He holds a BA and MA in Electrical and Information Sciences from Cambridge University, an MA in Industrial Design Engineering from Teesside University, and is in the final stages of completing his Doctorate in Management at the University of Hertfordshire.
About RISD
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned an international reputation as the leading college of art and design in the United States. Approximately 2,400 students from around the world study at RISD, pursuing full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree programs in a choice of 19 studio majors. RISD is known for its phenomenal faculty of artists and designers, the breadth of its specialized facilities and its hands-on, studio-based approach to learning – one in which critical thinking informs making works by hand. Required courses in the liberal arts provide an essential complement to studio work, enabling graduates to become critical and informed individuals eager to engage with the world. Through the accomplishments of its 26,000 alumni, the college champions the vital role artists and designers play in satisfying the global demand for innovation. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) and the RISD Museum of Art help make Providence, RI among the most culturally active and creative cities in the region. For more information, visit www.risd.edu or our.risd.edu.