Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Dean Jean Miller has announced that she will retire on June 30, 2024. She has been dean at ISU for over 8 years.
Miller arrived at Illinois State as dean in 2015 after serving 25 years as faculty, chair, associate dean, and dean at five universities, including University of North Texas, University of Missouri St. Louis, and Towson University in Towson, Maryland. In her role as dean, Miller supports the School of Music, School of Theatre and Dance, Wonsook Kim School of Art, the Creative Technologies program, University Galleries, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for the Performing Arts.
“Jean Miller has provided excellent leadership during an exciting time of growth in the college,” said Acting Provost Ani Yazedjian. “Helping secure a transformative major gift, overseeing the establishment of a new school within the college, and increasing enrollment in fine arts are just a few of the highlights of her tenure as dean. I thank her for her deep dedication to the ongoing success of the students, faculty, and staff of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts.”
Miller worked with Wonsook Kim and Thomas Clement, former ISU President Larry Dietz, Vice President of Advancement Pat Vickerman, and former Director of the School of Art Michael Wille to establish a $12 million gift to name the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts and Wonsook Kim School of Art. Other initiatives Miller takes pride in are the dramatic increase in fine arts enrollment over the past several years, the proposal to transition the Creative Technologies program to a School of Creative Technologies, and the development of faculty and staff international opportunities and partnerships. From 2019-2022, she served as president of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD) organization.
Since 2020, Miller has been a lead team member, collaborating with architects, engineers, and the State of Illinois Capital Development Board to plan and design ISU’s $67.3 million Fine Arts Transformation Building Project. The project will break ground in spring 2024.
“By June 2024 I will mark 34 years in higher education,” said Miller. “In every academic role I have had it has brought exciting possibilities, but ISU has been special. It is the people. It is ISU’s relationship to Central Illinois communities. It is about how much the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts alumni, faculty and students, donors, and the campus respect and celebrate fine arts.”
The search for the next dean of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts will begin this fall.
