RISD selects new president

The Rhode Island School of Design has announced its next president - and he's coming from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

John Maeda will take up his new job on College Hill this June, coming from his post as associate director of research at the MIT Media Laboratory. His work has been covered in the New York Times, the Economist and the International Herald Tribune, and he was named one of the 21 most important people for the 21st century by Esquire magazine. Though he's been internationally recognized for his work in design and technology, he said he's not necessarily a fan of technology.

"I've had my doubts about it," Maeda told The Herald. "Today we're stuck in a catch-up game," he added, as computers and gadgets get more complex and "bloated" every year. Simplicity has been the subject of his most recent research, including a book called "The Laws of Simplicity." RISD, he said, is able to address the question of integrating technology with traditional art and design. He said he thought the idea of simplicity resonated with the presidential search committee, which unanimously recommended Maeda to RISD's board of trustees.

The search committee's work took nine months, but members said they are satisified with the result.

"Couldn't be happier," said RISD senior Angela Manes-Muir, one of two student representatives on the search committee, which also included members of the board of trustees, faculty, the RISD museum and the school's administration. "He just has this incredible vision of where art and design can go."

Manes-Muir said she was impressed by his vision, sense of humor and, of course, his resumé. Since all RISD faculty members are required to be practicing artists, it's good to have a president who is one too, she added.

Student reaction to Maeda has been very positive, with only a few negative comments on RISD's Daily Jolt Web site, she said. A Jan. 9 meeting at which Maeda spoke was packed with students, she said.

Maeda has made an effort to communicate with the RISD community, even six months before he's due to take over.

"My plan right now is to understand RISD," Maeda said. "I'm on a fact-finding kind of journey right now."

An internal blog, viewable only by RISD students and faculty, came out when Maeda's selection was announced in December. There, he said, he talks about "everything," asks about Providence, and gets input from students and alums. The blog - the first of its kind, according to Maeda - averages about ten comments a day, he said. Maeda has also made his presence known on the Daily Jolt forums and Manes-Muir said he is an "avid Facebook member."

Maeda has also been in contact with current university presidents, including President Ruth Simmons, as part of his preparation, a process he called "Being a University President 101." But the most important of the presidents he has spoken to is the man he'll be replacing: Roger Mandle.

Mandle said he has been speaking daily to Maeda, planning for the transition on June 2, right after RISD's commencement.

"He's the ideal person for RISD at this time," Mandle said of Maeda, citing his unique combination of artistic talents and technological skills.

Mandle will be leaving after a 15-year term, the longest for a RISD president in more than 50 years. He said he's particularly proud of improvements to RISD's facilities and curriculum, as well as lowering the student-teacher ratio. Mandle announced his decision to leave last February, months after a no-confidence vote by department heads, though he has said that vote was not the reason for his departure.

Concerning his own plans, Mandle would not be specific but said an announcement would be made in February. He said only that he'll do "something very exciting and very different."