August 3, 2023 – Millikin has appointed an interim Dean of the College of Fine Arts, effective July 1.
The university announced today that Jessica Wilcoxen has assumed the position after the promotion of Laura Ledford, who served in the position since 2012. Wilcoxen has served on Millikin’s faculty since 2016, first as the Department Chair of Arts Technology and Administration and then the school’s first Director of the School of Art and Creative Media starting in 2022.
“I am honored to be able to build off of the accomplishments of Laura Ledford’s career as Dean, which include leadership in the building of the impressive Center for Theatre and Dance, the birth of the successful interdisciplinary Arts Technology program, and the launch of the Millikin Community Arts Academy,” Wilcoxen said in a press release.
University leadership credits Wilcoxen with building a sense of community in her previous roles after various mergers restructured the College of Fine Arts. Provost Mary Black noted that Wilcoxen’s successes during her directorship would translate nicely as the interim Dean of the College of Fine Arts.
“Professor Wilcoxen has proven herself as a transformative leader as the inaugural Director of the School of Art and Creative Media,” Black remarked in a press release. “Her experience building programs and enrollments in that school will be invaluable as she works to build enrollments, programs, and innovation more broadly in the College of Fine Arts.”
Additional College of Fine Arts leadership will include Rachel Barnett as the School of Theatre and Dance’s Director and Mirela Tanta as the interim Director of the School of Art and Creative Media. Wilxocen said she’s looking forward to collaborating with those leaders to drive the department forward in adherence with Millikin’s strategic plan.
“By using the strengths of faculty across disciplines in the College of Fine Arts, Millikin will be able to support students’ paths to jobs in creative industries more holistically,” Wilcoxen said. “Our community serving platforms, Millikin Community Arts Academy and the Kirkland Fine Arts Center, will diversify their offerings of lessons, classes, and productions to better serve audiences with a variety of interests in entertainment and the arts.”
Wilcoxen earned her Master of Fine Arts in graphic design from the University of Memphis.
