Roski selects Erica Muhl to take role of new dean


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The Gayle Garner Roski School of Fine Arts announced Wednesday that Professor Erica Muhl will serve as the new dean of the school. Muhl will begin work as dean immediately.

Muhl has served as the interim dean of the school since September 2012 and has been working as an adviser for the school since January 2012.

Muhl worked to change the curriculum and programs of the school during her interim directorship, according to a press release. For example, Muhl has introduced several new international partnerships for educational exchanges. In addition, she has stressed outreach between the school and alumni constituencies for fundraising.

Before serving as interim director, Muhl was a professor of composition and associate dean for faculty affairs at the Thornton School of Music. She also chairs the University Committee on Academic review and  holds a doctorate in musical arts from USC.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Elizabeth Garrett said that Muhl’s timely appointment will benefit the school and its progress.

“The appointment of Dr. Muhl comes at an auspicious time for the Roski School,” Garrett said in a statement. “Situated in one of the cultural capitals of the Pacific Rim and nurtured by the university’s vibrant and growing artistic and scholarly community, the school is poised to ascend to the highest levels of creative work and recognition under the leadership of Dr. Muhl.”

In 2012, Roski rose in ranking as a fine arts school, rising in the U.S. News & World Report from No. 37 to No. 36.

Muhl’s work also extends beyond of the university — she served as assistant conductor at the Los Angeles Opera Theater, Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Wagner Festival’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, an opera series. She has received several grants and awards from organizations such as the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Garrett said Muhl’s diverse background in the arts will enhance the program for students and faculty alike.

“In addition to a successful career as a performing and creative artist, she also brings to the position extensive experience across the arts and humanities in the areas of tenure, faculty development and mentoring, transformative faculty hires, strategic vision and academic excellence,” Garrett said.