Mark Robbins will step down as dean of the School of Architecture to fill the position of executive director of the International Center of Photography.

The Board of Trustees at the ICP announced Thursday it selected Robbins for the position after a nine-month international search. The search began after Willis Hartshorn, executive director since 1994, chose to pursue a new role within the institution, according to a May 3 ICP press release.

Robbins has served as dean of the School of Architecture since 2004 and is the ninth dean in the school’s history. Robbins is also Syracuse University’s senior adviser on architecture and urban initiatives. Before coming to SU, he was the director of design for the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.

‘It is an exciting moment to lead an institution dedicated to the image and its production,’ Robbins said. ‘I look forward to building on ICP’s rich history and expanding into new modes of practice, debate, and public engagement.’

Robbins could not be immediately reached for comment for The Daily Orange.

‘This guy is terrific,’ said Jeffrey Rosen, president of the board at ICP. ‘All of us at ICP who met Mark were very impressed with what he had accomplished at Syracuse and with the range of his intellect and his talent, be it managerial, artistic, strategic, and leadership.’

Rosen also said Robbins demonstrated an extensive knowledge of photography, and that he understood the power behind the visual image in any form. This understanding is consistent with the mission of ICP, he said.

The search process was very thorough, intensive and extensive, Rosen said, and included people from a wide range of backgrounds. From early on, the board saw Robbins as someone with the right experience and talent- an out-of-the-box thinker, he said.

Robbins will leave the university to begin his new position July 1, according to a May 3 SU News release.

‘Mark Robbins has made a tremendous impact not only on the SU School of Architecture, but on SU as a whole and, indeed, on the City of Syracuse,’ said Chancellor Nancy Cantor in the release. ‘We’re sad that he is moving on to new challenges, but so happy for him to have this new opportunity in New York.’

Robbins’ work in architecture and photography has been featured in exhibits all over the world, including Australia and Japan. He also has a permanent collection in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, according to his faculty page.

The ICP, located in Manhattan, is both a museum and a school dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of photography. It includes programs, exhibitions and collections that are available to the public, as well as professionals in the industry.

Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina said in the SU News release he plans to meet with faculty from the architecture school to discuss the transition and the beginning of an international search for a new dean.

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Published on May 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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