Dear Alumni,

I am writing to let you know that Dean Peter N. Miller has accepted a new position as president of the American Academy in Rome effective July 1, 2023. I have just shared this information with the Bard Graduate Center board of trustees, and I hope that you will join us in wishing Peter the very best in his new post.

As you know, Peter has played a pivotal role in establishing Bard Graduate Center as the leading institution of education and research in the decorative arts, design history, and material culture. He joined the faculty in 2001, became chair of academic programs in 2006, and dean in 2008.

I am grateful to Peter for growing the faculty to include the many outstanding academics I am proud to call colleagues. In the early years of his tenure, Peter created the Seminar Series. As dean, he launched the Research Institute, originated and served as editor of the Cultural Histories of the Material World series, and revitalized the journal West 86th. We can thank Peter for establishing postdoctoral fellowships with the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Museum, initiating the decade-long Cultures of Conservation project, and sparking discussions about conservation and research across diverse disciplines. More recently, he has collaborated with the Alliance of HBCU Museums and Galleries to develop a summer program at BGC for HBCU students and launched a summer school for undergraduates.

At 30, BGC remains a young institution. During his 22 years here, Peter has helped grow BGC into a powerhouse that attracts some of the most brilliant young scholars to its MA and PhD programs, sparks some of the most invigorating conversations among intellectuals from around the world, and disseminates some of the most exciting new research in our field through its publications, events, and exhibitions.

As plans for this transition develop, I will share them with you, but for the moment, I simply want to recognize Peter’s achievements and offer him my gratitude for the innovation, intelligence, and energy he has poured into building our institution. I wish him all good things in his next adventure.

There will be a community-wide toast to Peter on May 18.
Details to come.

Susan Weber
Founder and Director