By Bonnie Leung
Many students are familiar with the current Associate Dean of Fine Arts, Dr. Ann Calvert, and soon other students will get to know her better. Dr. Calvert will start her new job as Dean of fine Arts June 1.
Calvert replaces former Dean of fine Arts, Maurice Yacowar.
Raised in Calgary, Calvert moved to Edmonton for her Bachelor’s degree and master of education at the University of Alberta. She then graduated from the University of Oregon with her PhD before coming back home to teach at the University of Calgary.
Before she was Associate Dean of fine Arts, Calvert was a professor at the U of C for 14 years.
"During that time, I’ve also had a major teaching role in the Faculty of Education," she said. "I worked with secondary art student-teachers and graduate students. In Art Education [I taught] museum studies and curriculum." Calvert sees the role of dean as facilitating the work of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the university.
"My role will be to support faculty work in teaching and research, to make the university and community more aware of the role of Fine Arts and the power of the Arts in education and in the social life of Calgary," she said.
Calvert hopes to accomplish many things as the new dean.
"[I hope to have] a greater sense of colleagueship among the art disciplines and a new strength in programs both for the undergraduate and the graduate students, and a more prominent profile for creative activities and research in arts within the university," she said.
The biggest challenge Calvert sees is to be consistently involved in the numerous facets of her new job.
"There’s a tremendous amount of expertise among my colleagues that I can look to," she said. "I think it’s important to have a framework of priorities you keep in the front of your mind to maintain attention to a great number of things that have to be dealt with."
According to Calvert, the best aspect of her new job is the ability to work with very talented people, to witness their achievements and to be directly involved in the arts on campus.
For relaxation, Calvert spends a lot of time with her family. She skis, reads, and travels during her holidays.
"I travel mostly to Europe– France, Italy, Scotland," she said.
"I have a house in the mountains I spend time in when I’m not working."