It is with great pleasure that I can announce the appointment of Dr Peter Cooke to be the next head of School of Drama, effective January. A full press release to the wider community will be published tomorrow, but I wanted to write to all of you in the School of Drama directly and immediately.
Peter gained his Bachelor of Dramatic Art [Design] from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, Australia, and his PhD from the University of New South Wales, also in Sydney. He was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1990, and this year was given the Order of Australia Medal (OAM). Amongst his professional work he was the Design Consultant for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and for Atlanta's 1996 Olympic Games.
Peter is joining us from Sydney, where he was the Deputy Director and the Head of Design at NIDA. I know that you will all join me in giving him a warm welcome when you see him on campus for the rest of this week and when he formally starts working with us in January. I look forward very much to working with him in the years to come, as he leads the School forward maintaining and strengthening its programs and its reputation.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the search committee for their tireless work through last academic year, through the summer, and into this year. The process has been long and exacting, but your dedication and focus has been inspiring to me: thank you for helping the School and the College at this crucial time.
Last, but far from least, a huge debt of thanks is due to Dick for his role as interim head. I don't know how we would have coped without him and the way in which he stepped up to serve the School. It has been wonderful, and Dick will continue to play a crucial role in the School as Peter arrives and get to know us all, and in the years to come also. Thank you Dick: the acknowledgment on the Fence yesterday was well earned and well deserved!
So welcome, Peter! We are all excited to have you join us, and hopeful of a bright future with you as part of the Carnegie Mellon family!
Hilary.
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