The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has announced that Elissa Tenny is the college’s new president. She is the fifteenth executive and first woman to take on this role in the history of the school. Tenny originally joined SAIC in 2010 as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. Her initiatives have included establishing the Earl and Brenda Shapiro Center for Research and Collaboration.

Prior to SAIC, Tenny was provost and dean at Bennington College in Vermont, and before that held a variety of positions at The New School in New York from 1977 to 2002, eventually becoming the acting dean and vice dean there. Tenny has a doctorate degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania, a masters in media studies from The New School, and a bachelors in business administration from Stockton University.

Of her appointment, Tenny said, “The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been a leader in art and design education for more than 150 years, and I am humbled to have the opportunity to carry on the School’s legacy and help pave the way for the next generation of thinkers and makers…I have learned so much from our students, faculty, and staff over the last six years, and I am looking forward to leading the School as we head into our next 150 years.”