Dear Members of the CMU Community,
I am pleased to announce that Dean of University Libraries Keith Webster has agreed to serve as director of Emerging and Integrative Media Initiatives, effective July 1. In taking this additional responsibility, Keith will facilitate the growth of the Integrative Design, Arts and Technology Network (IDeATe), the Emerging Media Masters, the Integrative Media Program in NYC and the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC).
Over the last year, IDeATe has had a powerful impact on Carnegie Mellon’s education, research and creative practice in domains that merge technology and arts expertise. Already recognized as a national model, IDeATe has brought together a distinctive set of intellectual and creative strengths at CMU, with more than 300 students and 70 faculty from 15 different departments and schools participating.
Appointed dean in 2013, Keith was integral in establishing IDeATe’s intellectual commons in Hunt Library, where it is fostering interdisciplinary study and research. Keith will continue to serve as dean of University Libraries, and holds the rank of principal librarian and a courtesy academic appointment in the School of Public Policy and Management in the Heinz College. As a successful academic and international expert in envisioning future learning and information environments, Keith is well positioned to guide the program’s continued growth. Keith will work closely with the IDeATe staff and dedicated faculty toward this direction. Also reporting to Keith is CMU’s ETC. In its 15th year, the ETC is a unique, blended degree program jointly conferred by the College of Fine Arts and the School of Computer Science, and is an important component of CMU’s collaborative interdisciplinary mix of art, design, technology and production.
In addition, I have appointed a Steering Committee to provide Keith with strong disciplinary and programmatic guidance for the next stage of IDeATe’s evolution and expansion. Please join me in thanking the following faculty leaders who have agreed to serve on this committee: Peter Boatwright (Tepper School of Business); Drew Davidson (ETC); Susan Finger (College of Engineering); Jodi Forlizzi (School of Computer Science); Jessica Hodgins (School of Computer Science); Steve Lee (College of Fine Arts); Golan Levin (College of Fine Arts); Sarah Pickett (College of Fine Arts); Dan Sieworek (College of Engineering and School of Computer Science); and Tim Zak (Heinz College).
I will be soliciting input from the Steering Committee, the IDeATe staff and dedicated faculty, and the campus community on the long-term strategic direction of IDeATe and ways in which it can continue to serve our academic mission.
Once again, I want to thank Thanassis Rikakis for his leadership, passion and creativity, and his many contributions to the university. We are committed to building upon the foundation created by CMU’s network of design, arts and technology, which has galvanized and supported so much pathbreaking work by so many of you across this campus. I believe Keith’s leadership, with support from the Steering Committee, will allow IDeATe to pave the way for new creative and innovative collaborations across the university.
Please join me in congratulating Keith on his new role.
Sincerely,
Farnam Jahanian
Provost