Otis College Announces Colette Veasey-Cullors as Provost

Veasey-Cullors will begin her new role on August 1, 2024

Otis College of Art and Design has announced that Colette Veasey-Cullors will be the institution’s next provost, starting August 1, 2024. Veasey-Cullors comes to the role from the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City, where she most recently served as the Dean and Deputy Director, instituting critical initiatives, updating curriculum, and developing new summer programs in partnership with Pace University, among other accomplishments. 

“I am pleased to welcome Colette Veasey-Cullors, an accomplished educator and artist, to Otis College of Art and Design as our new provost,” says Otis College President Charles Hirschhorn. “Colette joins our community at an exciting time, and I look forward to collaborating with her on key initiatives including the implementation of our new strategic plan.”

A lifelong educator, Veasey-Cullors also is a community-engaged photographic artist and mentor. She obtained her BFA in photography from the University of Houston and her MFA in photography from the Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA). She has exhibited her work throughout the United States, including The California African American Museum in Los Angeles, The African American Museum in Philadelphia, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston/Glassell School of Art, and The Chattanooga African American Museum. Her work also is included in the permanent collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and in the Photographic History Collection of the National Museum of American History, both of the Smithsonian Institution. 

Prior to her time at ICP, Veasey-Cullors served as Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies at Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA), where she oversaw 21 majors, 22 minors, nearly 100 full-time faculty, and over 200 part-time faculty. There she focused on assessing and updating the first-year curriculum and implementing a strategic restructure of the institution’s undergraduate unit. In addition, Veasey-Cullors served as co-chair of the President’s Task Force for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Globalization, during which time she collaborated with stakeholders on matters central to academic equity. Before her tenure at MICA, Veasey-Cullors was a tenured Associate Professor and Photography Area Coordinator at Howard University. 

“I am deeply honored to assume the provost position at Otis College and join an inspiring community committed to diversity, inclusivity, equity, and accessibility—one that educates, prepares, and empowers students to forge meaningful and impactful creative careers,” Veasey-Cullors says. “I am truly inspired and committed to work alongside the dedicated faculty, staff, and students to embrace and grow the collective skills and knowledge that Otis fuels towards positive and impactful differences in the world.”

Veasey-Cullors succeeds former Otis College provost Jiseon Lee-Isbara, who was announced earlier this year as president of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

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