Wade Hobgood has been named the new dean of UWM’s Peck School of the Arts. He will assume his duties July 1.
Hobgood currently is professor of mass communications at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. He previously served as chancellor of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and as dean of the College of the Arts at California State University–Long Beach and the College of Fine Arts at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas.
“Wade has experience that perfectly matches the needs of UWM’s Peck School of the Arts,” said Rita Cheng, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, in making the announcement. “I know that he will add great value to UWM and I look forward to working with him and the entire campus community as we continue to meet our goals of growing our research and scholarly activity, and providing access and success to all of our students.”
“We’re very excited to be working with Wade Hobgood,” said Scott Emmons, professor of music and interim dean of the Peck School. “He brings all of the skills we have been looking for in a dean.
“The faculty were excited by his presentation and impressed with his leadership skills. He has a thorough knowledge of the arts. His background in graphic design will be especially helpful as the school looks to grow in the graphic design area.”
Hobgood’s professional background includes photography, graphic design, illustration, art appreciation and film/video. He has extensive experience in fund-raising and has developed many successful partnerships with donors, business sponsors and potential supporters.
Hobgood has also served as a consultant with international, national and regional arts clients and several universities, helping them develop new curricula, policies and procedures.
The Peck School of the Arts is the only school in the University of Wisconsin System dedicated exclusively to the arts. The Peck School serves nearly 2,000 undergraduate majors and graduate students, offering programs in dance, film, music, theater, visual art and inter-arts.
