http://www.nysid.edu
Alexander C. Cortesi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) in New York City, announced the Trustees’ unanimous decision to appoint Dr. Christopher J. Cyphers (42) the college’s sixth president. Dr. Cyphers succeeds Inge Heckel, who retired after 12 years as president. Cyphers took office August 11, 2008.
According to Mr. Cortesi, “We are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Cyphers’ leadership at this time in our institution’s history. NYSID’s tradition of excellent professional education, provided by a superb faculty of practitioners, will benefit tremendously from his extensive experience in a variety of relevant areas, and by his vision and skill to lead the organization forward. At a time of great change and challenge—including advances in technology and economic uncertainty, NYSID’s students must be well-prepared to deal professionally with how we live in our changing environment. I believe that Dr. Cyphers is uniquely qualified to meet those challenges.”
In a statement Cyphers said, “I am profoundly honored to have been selected by the trustees to assume the duties and responsibilities of the college’s presidency. I look forward to working with the trustees, faculty, staff, and students to build upon President Heckel’s successes. We have entered into a very exciting—and challenging—time in the history of design, and NYSID is well positioned to advance its role as a leader in interior design education and practice.”
Before joining NYSID, Cyphers served for six years as provost at School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Prior to being named provost, he served as director of institutional research and assessment. During his tenure as provost, Cyphers founded an undergraduate honors program, oversaw the creation of six new degree programs, assumed a leading role in the college’s strategic planning activities, and led SVA through successful decennial accreditation visits by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. In addition to his administrative duties, Cyphers has taught American political, cultural, and labor history at several colleges and universities over the past 15 years.
Cyphers received his undergraduate degree in political science from Hampden-Sydney College (VA), an MA in liberal studies from Wesleyan University (CT), and the PhD in history from University at Albany-SUNY. Cyphers is the author of The National Civic Federation and the Making of a New American Liberalism (Praeger, 2002), as well as several articles on research, assessment, and planning in higher education.
For Cyphers, “the future of our institution looks extremely promising. The field of interior design is burgeoning and is broadening to include a host of related disciplines. Our institutional planning activities will certainly reflect this fact and will include the development of new degree programs and additional co- and extracurricular opportunities for NYSID’s student body.”
About New York School of Interior Design
Located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side Historic District, New York School of Interior Design was founded in 1916 and chartered in 1924 by the New York State Board of Regents. Nationally ranked in the top 15 for Interior Design by DesignIntelligence for both the graduate and undergraduate programs, NYSID provides certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs in interior design and its related fields to more than 700 students from 22 countries. Evenly divided between coursework for residential and commercial design, an education at NYSID offers a variety of classes from design history and decorative arts to the latest in CAD and current building codes. As New York City’s only fully accredited college devoted exclusively to interior design education, NYSID boasts a renowned faculty composed entirely of working professionals, capable of bringing their expertise and networking skills into the classroom. For more information, please visit http://www.nysid.edu
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For more information go to: http://www.nysid.edu
