Interim president Somerson named RISD president

ROSANNE SOMERSON HAS BEEN named the 17th president of Rhode Island School of Design, effective immediately. She has been serving as interim president since Jan. 1, 2014. / COURTESY JO SITTENFELD/RISD
ROSANNE SOMERSON HAS BEEN named the 17th president of Rhode Island School of Design, effective immediately. She has been serving as interim president since Jan. 1, 2014. / COURTESY JO SITTENFELD/RISD

(Updated 2:48 p.m.) PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island School of Design has named its interim president, Rosanne Somerson, to lead the institution following a nine-month, global presidential search.
In a brief interview on campus Wednesday, Somerson, the first female alumna and second graduate to be named president, highlighted priorities that include increased scholarships, diversity, attention to the latest advanced technologies and collaboration with other institutions of higher education in the area, political leaders and foundations.
“This region is so poised to make huge strides,” she said, “because there is an intimacy in the region and strong voices in innovation and manufacturing that date back to the industrial revolution. It’s an area where new knowledge, job creation and economic innovation can thrive. We’ll be a partner in that conversation.”
She added that she will guide the school as new 21st century tools for artists and designers such as digital fabrication technology become increasingly in vogue while making sure they “supplement” and do not “supplant” centuries old creative making processes.
In a press release, Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Spalter called Somerson the “perfect fit” as the 17th president for the renowned art and design college.
Somerson replaced former president John Maeda in January 2014 after he left abruptly the month before.
A co-editor of “The Art of Critical Making: Rhode Island School of Design on Creative Practice,” she served as provost from 2012-2014, leading an effort to rearticulate RISD’s academic vision, including the creation of the college’s current strategic plan, “Critical Making/Making Critical.”
That plan articulates the vision for educating and preparing artists and designers for a changing world in ways that respect RISD’s founding ideals and contemporary character.
She also said a new center for advanced technologies, a goal of the 2012-2017 strategic plan, could be a single large center or more than one small one, depending on what fits in best on the urban campus.
With deep roots in the RISD community, Somerson earned her BFA in industrial design at the college in 1976, focusing on furniture, returned to RISD in 1985 as a faculty member, and has been part of the faculty or administration since.
Spalter described Somerson as “a gifted, inspiring leader with great integrity, humility and vision.
“Her experiences as a RISD student, alumna, faculty member, department head, provost and interim president provide a depth of knowledge and almost instinctive understanding of the institution that no other candidate could match,” Spalter said. “She has also shown the collaborative leadership style and informed vision RISD needs to expand its role in advancing global innovation in the 21st century.”
In the past year, Somerson has focused on maximizing the efficacy of operations and on planning for emerging challenges and opportunities for higher education. She also has championed work on a campus master plan, which has already led to upgrades in academic studios and classrooms, student housing and administrative spaces.
“I am honored to lead this institution,” Somerson said in a statement, “to build on its strong 138-year legacy and advance ambitious plans for facilities, programs and global partnerships. Our extraordinary community of faculty scholars and practitioners, students and alumni is making a positive impact in the world every day.”

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