Dear Digital + Media Community -- Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni:

It is with genuine excitement about the future of the Digital + Media
Department that I share with you the news of the appointment of Kelly Dobson
as Associate Professor and Department Head.  Many of you know Kelly through
her dedicated work in the department for the past two years: first as a
one-year term appointment and, this past year, as interim Department Head.
 Kelly brings to the department -- and now with the platform and mandate
that this appointment infers -- a radiant creative practice, a distinctive
set of research interests and trajectories, a demonstrated and abiding
commitment to teaching and her work with D +M, as well as other, students at
RISD, a dynamic approach to collaboration and innovation across fields and
departments, and a developing and increasingly accomplished process of
guidance and leadership.  As divisional dean, I very much look forward to
our continued work together.  D + M is a distinctive and multi-dimensional
department which serves as a dynamic and agile incubator of cultural ideas
and practices, established and emergent forms of research, and strategies
for genuine and sustained engagement of artists and designers in the world.
 Kelly possesses a particular character of commitment, creativity,
independent thinking, good humor, and passion for graduate education that
will make her a responsive advocate and effective agent for the department.

I enjoyed the opportunity to serve in an ex officio capacity on the search
committee where I was able to witness firsthand the credentials and
qualifications of an impressive and international group of applicants for
this position at RISD. This demonstrated interest in D + M at RISD made the
search process intensive, challenging, and deeply gratifying.  Members of
the search committee brought complete attention and commitment to this long,
unfolding process and I thank them for their remarkable work:  Rafael
Attias, Shawn Greenlee, Bethany Johns, Brian Smith, Dean Snyder (Chair), and
Lisa Young.

As we look with anticipation to the future of the department, I want to
acknowledge the extraordinary work of three interim D + M Department Heads
who brought leadership and commitment to our community during several years
of change and transition:  Teri Rueb, Daniel Peltz, and Kelly. Please join
me in offering your congratulations and support -- and sharing your ideas
and interests --  as Kelly begins her work as a fully vetted and deeply
accomplished new Department Head of Digital +Media.

Best wishes,

Patti

Patricia C. Phillips
Dean of Graduate Studies

Ayah Bdeir in the New York Times

Art Made at the Speed of the Internet
…and more importantly, Elle Orient:

ELECTRO-FASHION