Columbus State University announced that Christopher Whittey will be stepping in as the new Alan F. Rothschild Chair of Art. Whittey, who has most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at the Cleveland Institute of Art, will begin his role at CSU in July.

“We are fortunate to have an experienced teacher and administrator like Chris Whittey as the Chair of the Art Department,” said Dr. Larry Dooley, interim dean of CSU’s College of the Arts. “His years of experience in top-tier programs will help guide the Art Department forward in exciting new directions.”

With experience as a master carpenter, Whittey has built stage sets and props for the Metropolitan Opera, Saturday Night Live and The Conan O'Brien Show. His work has also been showcased in numerous locations including White Columns and The Thread Waxing Space in New York. He also brings nearly 20 years of experience in academia, with former experience as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean at Maine College of Art (MECA) and Dean of Academic Services at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

Whittey holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from Wayne State University and a master of fine arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design, and he continued his education at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program.