 |
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 | Levent OZLER
New York School of Interior Design Celebrates the Installation of Dr. Christopher John Cyphers as the Sixth President of the College
 New York School of Interior Design will be celebrating the inauguration of its sixth president, Dr. Christopher John Cyphers, with a formal inauguration ceremony on Friday, April 17, 2009. There will be a series of special events organized throughout the week, designed to reflect the inaugural theme, "Educating a Green Generation." The theme was chosen to emphasize the college's ongoing commitment to sustainability in its curriculum and practices.
The installation ceremony will serve as the official recognition of Dr. Cyphers' entrance into the nation's academic leadership as well as an opportunity for NYSID to look ahead to its future while honoring its traditions. The ceremony will include greetings from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Assemblyman Jonathan Bing. And delegates from area colleges and universities will be part of the academic procession.
Dr. Cyphers will be presented with a presidential medallion, designed by the renowned architect and designer Michael Graves, as a symbol of responsibility. He will also be presented with a ceremonial mace-an ornamental staff that symbolizes the office of the president-designed by NYSID faculty member Rene Estacio as a torch of knowledge in fluted bronze with a flame finial. The gilt finishing on the flame finial was done by Dean Barger, another NYSID faculty member.
"This is a very exciting time to be a trustee of the New York School of Interior Design," said Alexander C. Cortesi, Chairman of the NYSID Board. "During the first academic year of his presidency, Chris Cyphers has energized the entire NYSID community in striving for new levels of institutional excellence."
Dr. Cyphers has set an ambitious and far-reaching agenda since he took office in August 2008. His plans, outlined in the first-ever strategic plan, keep pace with the rapidly changing discipline and include developing new undergraduate and graduate degree programs, acquiring additional space, creating a more formal fundraising apparatus, and creating a new corporate identity program, including a completely redesigned website.
"This is a time of great opportunity for NYSID to truly lead the design discipline at the theoretical, pedagogical, and practice levels," said Dr. Cyphers. "We have a chance to be out in front of discussions about the practice of developing new ways of thinking about the interior environment from the perspective of universal access, the psychosocial relationship to the built world, and, of course, the absolute necessity of sustainability. All of this is codified in the creation of new degree programs, an institute for continuing and professional studies, public programming, and a planned center for sustainable design." Cyphers further noted that "realizing these strategic goals will require us all to embrace a measure of change in how we think about the education of designers and how we conduct business-both of which depart from the old paradigm."
|
|
|
