Joel Towers Named Interim Dean of
Parsons The New School for Design

 

NEW YORK, April 27, 2009 – The New School has announced that Joel Towers has been appointed as the Interim Dean of Parsons The New School for Design. Towers was selected Dean after Tim Marshall, who held the post for the past three years, was appointed Interim Provost of The New School. Tower's term will begin immediately.

"Joel is a remarkable academic leader whose strengths have played out in several progressive roles at Parsons and The New School," said New School President Bob Kerrey.

For the past two years, Towers has led the formation of Parsons’ School of Design Strategies, bringing together the programs and faculty of the Integrated Design Curriculum, Design and Management, and the Foundation year program. Design Strategies is developing new graduate programs in transdisciplinary design and design management, as well as collaborating on the university-wide initiatives in urban design and environmental studies. Joel has also been a central participant in developing a new Parsons-wide governance structure, shaping priorities and policies, and collaborating to establish a collective voice on key institutional concerns.

"As incoming Dean of Parsons, I look forward to building upon the impressive work that Tim has accomplished as dean, by advancing key priorities and initiatives already underway as well as identifying new strategic opportunities," said Towers. Parsons is in the midst of an ambitious academic plan to better respond to art and design in the 21st century. As part of this plan, this year Parsons introduced a new academic structure with five thematic schools that were created to better facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to design education. In addition to the School of Design Strategies, this includes the School of Art and Design History and Theory; the School of Art, Media and Technology (Fine Art, Photography, Illustration, Communication Design, and Design and Technology); the School of Constructed Environments (Architecture, Interior Design, Lighting Design and Product Design; and the School of Fashion.

"Joel has played a key role in helping us to realize the full potential of the academic changes currently underway at Parsons," said Marshall. "I am looking forward to continue working with Joel in my new capacity as provost, where he will work strategically with the rest of the deans of The New School to address the academic goals of the university."

Towers came to The New School in 2004 in a new role as director of Sustainable Design and Urban Ecology. In 2006, he became the inaugural director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center and Associate Provost for Environmental Studies. He helped to design the new university-wide Environmental Studies degrees that are now jointly offered by Parsons and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts. This innovative undergraduate program goes beyond natural ecology and resource conservation, emphasizing urban ecosystems, sustainable design, and public policy.

Prior to joining The New School, Towers taught in Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, developing cross-disciplinary teaching and research focused on sustainability and urban ecology in relation to urban design and architecture. A practicing architect for the past two decades, Joel co-founded the firm Sislian, Rothstein and Towers (SR+T Architects) with Karla Rothstein. For several years the firm maintained offices in New York and Berlin. Today the work generated through SR+T continues in new collaborations that extend the realm of traditional practice into construction, materials development, real estate development, and sustainable design. Joel received his Masters in Architecture from Columbia University and his B.S. in Architecture from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

About Parsons The New School for Design

Parsons The New School for Design has been a pioneer in art and design education for more than a century. Based in New York but active around the world, the school offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the full spectrum of design disciplines. Critical thinking and collaboration are at the heart of a Parsons education. A student-centered curriculum allows for both focused and interdisciplinary learning, with unparalleled internship opportunities and industry partnerships laying the groundwork for entrepreneurship and professional success. An integral part of The New School, Parsons builds on the university’s legacy of progressive ideals, scholarship, and pedagogy. Parsons graduates are leaders in their respective fields, with a shared commitment to creatively and critically addressing the complexities of life in the 21st century. For more information, please visit www.parsons.newschool.edu.

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