Academic Divisions

RISD's 21 departments are distributed among four academic divisions, each led by a dean. Deans work closely with department heads and graduate program directors to oversee faculty, degree programs, and curriculum.

Academic Divisions & Departments

Division of Experimental & Foundation Studies | Joanne Stryker

The Division of Experimental and Foundation Studies oversees the studio curriculum for all first-year undergraduate students at RISD, comprised of three programs of study: Drawing, Design and Spatial Dynamics.

Office Staff:
Karen Zucconi | Office Supervisor 
401 454-6176 | kzucconi@risd.edu 

Traci Vaspol | Departmental Coordinator 
401 454-6176 | tvaspol@risd.edu 

Division of Fine Arts | Brooks Hagan

The Division of Fine Arts is comprised of ten departments: Ceramics, Film/Animation/Video, Glass, Illustration, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Textiles.

Office Staff:
Laurie Chronley | Senior Division Administrative Coordinator 
401 454-6116 | lchronle@risd.edu 

Tiara Silva-Gardner | Fine Arts/Academic Coordinator
401 709-8443 | tsilva@risd.edu 

Division of Liberal Arts | Damian White

The Division of Liberal Arts is now comprised of four departments: History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences (HPSS), Literary Arts and Studies (LAS), Theory + History of Art + Design (THAD), and Teaching + Learning in Art + Design (TLAD).

TLAD has officially moved to Liberal Arts beginning AY21/22.

Office Staff:
Gail Hughes | Division Coordinator, Operations & Administration 
401 454-6572 | ghughes@risd.edu 

Karen Montecalvo | Division Assistant, Operations & Administration 
401 454-6569 | kmonteca@risd.edu 

Mickey Ackerman

Program Head
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6161
  • Location:
    CIT/Mason Building, Floor 4, 169 Weybosset Street
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Johanna Barthmaier-Payne

Department Head | Landscape Architecture
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6282
  • Location:
    Bayard Ewing Building, 231 South Main Street
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Robert Brinkerhoff

Graduate Program Director | Illustration
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6435
  • Location:

    Illustration Studies Building (ISB), Floor 1, 55 Canal Walk

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Tiago Campos

Graduate Program Director | Landscape Architecture
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Shana Cinquemani

Department Head and Graduate Program Director | Teaching + Learning in Art + Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6133
  • Location:
    Plantations Barn Building, 345 South Main Street
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Eduardo Duarte

Graduate Program Director | Interior Architecture
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.454.6227

  • Location:
    CIT/Masonuilding, Floor 6, 169 Weybosset Street
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Angela Dufresne

Graduate Program Director | Painting
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.454.6158

  • Location:

    Memorial Hall, 226 Benefit Street

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Megan Foster

Graduate Program Director | Printmaking
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.454.6224

  • Location:

    Benson Hall, 235 Benefit Street

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Lindsay French

Department Head | History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences (HPSS)
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6643
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 418, 2 College Street
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Mary Anne Friel

Department Head | Textiles
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.427.6909

  • Location:
    College Building, Room 146, Floor 1, 2 College Street
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Scheri Fultineer

Dean of Architecture + Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6280
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 342, Floor 3
    2 College Street
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Avishek Ganguly

Graduate Program Director | Global Arts and Cultures (GAC)
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.427.6949
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 418, 2 College Street
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Shawn Greenlee

Department Head and Graduate Program Director | Digital + Media
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6176
  • Location:
    Waterman Building, 13 Waterman Street
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Brooks Hagan

Dean of Fine Arts
  • Departments:
    Ceramics | Film/Animation/Video | Glass | Illustration | Jewelry + Metalsmithing | Painting | Photography | Printmaking | Sculpture | Textiles
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.427.6967
  • Location:
    Market House, Room 104, 27 Market Square
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Daniel Heyman

Department Head | Printmaking
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.454.6224

  • Location:
    Benson Hall, 235 Benefit Street
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Bethany Johns

Graduate Program Director | Graphic Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.427.6956

  • Location:
    Design Center, Room 103, Floor 1, 31 Canal Walk
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Patty Johnson

Graduate Program Director | Furniture Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.427.6903
  • Location:
    ProvWash, Room 238, Floor 2, 20 Washington Place
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Amy Kulper

Department Head | Architecture
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.277.4849
  • Location:
    Bayard Ewing Building, Room 103, Floor 1, 231 South Main Street
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Carl Lostritto

Graduate Program Director | Architecture
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.709.8545
  • Location:
    Bayard Ewing Building, Room 103, Floor 1, 231 South Main Street
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Anais Missakian

Graduate Program Director | Textiles
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6162
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 146, Floor 1, 2 College Street
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Lisa Morgan

Department Head | Apparel Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6378
  • Location:
    Apparel Building, Room 111, Floor 1, 189 Canal Street
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Ijlal Muzaffar

Department Head | Theory + History of Art + Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6526
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 418, 2 College Street
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Sean Nesselrode Moncada

Graduate Program Director | Nature - Culture - Sustainability Studies (NCSS)
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.277.4978
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 418, 2 College Street
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Khipra Nichols

Department Head | Industrial Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6165
  • Location:
    Industrial Design Building, 161 South Main Street
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Jocelyne Prince

Department Head and Graduate Program Director | Glass
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6190
  • Location:
    Metcalf Building, Room 212, Floor 2, 7-14 North Main Street
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Lisi Raskin

Department Head | Sculpture
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6631
  • Location:
    Market House, Room 101, Floor 1, 27 Market Square
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Heather Rowe

Graduate Program Director | Sculpture
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.454.6425

  • Location:
    Market House, Room 101, Floor 1, 27 Market Square
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Wolfgang Rudorf

Department Head | Interior Architecture
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6228
  • Location:
    CIT/Mason Building, Floor 6, 169 Weybosset Street
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Katy Schimert

Department Head and Graduate Program Director | Ceramics
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6230
  • Location:
    Metcalf Building, Room 212, Floor 3, 7-14 North Main Street
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Mark Sherman

Department Head | Literary Arts and Studies
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6576
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 418, 2 College Street
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Paul Soulellis

Department Head | Graphic Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.277.4837
  • Location:
    Design Center, Room 103, Floor 1, 31 Canal Walk
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Chris Specce

Department Head | Furniture Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.709.8435
  • Location:
    Prov Wash, Room 238, Floor 2, 20 Washington Place
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Paul Sproll

Department Head and Graduate Program Director | Teaching + Learning in Art + Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6132
  • Location:
    Plantations Barn Building, 345 South Main Street
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Tracy Steepy

Department Head | Jewelry + Metalsmithing
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.427.6953

  • Location:
    Metcalf Building, Room 212, Floor 2, 7-14 North Main Street
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Joanne Stryker

Dean of Experimental & Foundation Studies
  • Departments:
    Digital + Media
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401-454-6177
  • Location:
    Waterman Building, 13 Waterman Street
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Joanne Stryker

Ayako Takase

Graduate Program Director | Industrial Design
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.709.8547

  • Location:
    Industrial Design Building, 161 South Main Street
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Craig Taylor

Department Head | Painting
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6158
  • Location:
    Memorial Hall, 226 Benefit Street
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Eric Telfort

Department Head | Illustration
  • Email:
  • Phone:

    401.277.4988

  • Location:

    Illustration Studies Building (ISB), Floor 1, 55 Canal Walk

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Brian Ulrich

Department Head | Photography
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6595
  • Location:
    Design Center, Room 202, Floor 2, 30 North Main Street
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Tim Veske-McMahon

Graduate Program Director | Jewelry + Metalsmithing
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.277.4894
  • Location:
    Metcalf Building, Room 212, Floor 2, 7-14 North Main Street
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Damian White

Dean of Liberal Arts
  • Departments:
    History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences (HPSS)
    Literary Arts & Studies (LAS)
    Theory + History of Art + Design (THAD)
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6572
  • Location:
    College Building, Room 418, 2 College Street
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Sheri Wills

Department Head | Film / Animation / Video
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6435
  • Location:
    RISD Auditorium, Room 530, Floor 5, 17 Canal Walk
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Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa

Graduate Program Direcot | Photography
  • Email:
  • Phone:
    401.454.6122
  • Location:
    Design Center, Room 202, 2nd Floor, 30 Canal Walk
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