Rosanne Somerson
| Roseanna Somerson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | woodworker, furniture designer/maker, educator, current RISD president |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | RISD, 1976 |
| Notable awards | NEA's Visual Artist Fellowship (twice) |
| Rosanne Somerson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 17th President of the Rhode Island School of Design | |
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Assumed office February 18, 2015 Interim: January 1, 2014 – February 18, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | John Maeda |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 21, 1954 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Woodworker, furniture designer, educator |
Rosanne Somerson (born June 21, 1954) is an American-born woodworker, furniture designer/maker, educator, and current President of Rhode Island School of Design. Long known as a leader in the studio furniture field, she has also earned a growing reputation as a visionary leader in art and design education.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she began her undergraduate degree at Rhode Island School of Design in photography, but switched her focus, and received her BFA in Industrial Design in 1976. After graduation, Somerson worked as a correspondent for Fine Woodworking magazine. She also assisted with former professor and mentor Tage Frid's three-part book series "Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking" (Taunton Press).
She taught with the Harvard Extension School from 1977 to 1978, and joined the RISD faculty in 1985. From 1985 to 1995 she ran the MFA Graduate Program in Furniture Design in the Industrial Design department. In 1995, Somerson led{{How}date=February 2017}} the creation of the Furniture Design department, heading it from 1995 to 2005, and from 2008 to 2011. She served as RISD's interim associate provost for Academic Affairs from 2005 to 2007, as interim provost from 2011 to 2012, as provost from 2012 to 2013 and as interim president from 2014 to 2015. The RISD Board of Trustees appointed her the college's 17th president in February 18, 2015. Somerson is the co-editor of The Art of Critical Making: Rhode Island School of Design on Creative Practice.
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