Press Release - NCAD appoints Head of School of Design
The National College of Art and Design has today (06.01.2017) announced that Professor Alex Milton has been appointed as the Head of School of Design and will assume his position on 16th January 2017.
Speaking today, Bernard Hanratty said: “Professor Milton is no stranger to NCAD. He previously held the position of Head of School of Design between May 2012 and June 2014 before leaving to take on the demanding and important role as Programme Director of Irish Design 2015.
“The overall goal of Irish Design 2015 was to increase the awareness, understanding and use of design in Irish society. The global initiative showcased the wealth of design and creative talent in Ireland, and successfully encouraged investment in design and design thinking in order to increase exports and generate additional employment. Professor Milton’s success in that role and his achievements over the last two and a half years are perfectly aligned with the aspirations of NCAD.”
Professor Milton was selected for the position of Head of School of Design from an international slate of 23 highly qualified candidates for the post. The College was privileged to have two external representatives on its interview panel who greatly informed the final selection. The interview panel was impressed by Professor Milton’s understanding of the evolving needs of the domestic and international design sector, coupled with his vision of how NCAD can evolve its educational offering to meet those needs.
Bernard Hanratty, NCAD Acting Director, said “We are delighted to welcome Alex back to NCAD. His knowledge of the institution means that he will hit the ground running, while his time outside the College has very much augmented his industry knowledge, profile and influence.”
Speaking of his role, Professor Milton said: “I am delighted to return to NCAD, at what is a pivotal time for design in Ireland. I look forward to working with students, staff and the wider design community to position NCAD as a leading design institution in this changing landscape.”
ENDS
Contact: Sarah Harte, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4200580 / 087-9858259
Note for Editors:
About NCAD
The National College of Art and Design occupies a unique position in art and design education in Ireland. It offers the largest range of Art and Design degrees in the State at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and is the only Irish university institution specialising in Art and Design. NCAD has over 1,100 full-time students and a further 450 students who take award and non-award bearing part-time classes. Further information is available at www.ncad.ie
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About Alex Milton:
As a designer, educator, curator and author Alex Milton has promoted an interdisciplinary approach to the creative arts and industries. Originally trained as a car designer at Coventry University he has worked and taught across a range of design disciplines over the past 20 years. As the Programme Director of Irish Design 2015 (ID2015), he successfully devised and delivered a programme that exceeded all targets and established a platform for the continued development of design in Ireland. A former Head of Design & Applied Arts at Edinburgh College of Art, he has taught and managed at a diverse range of institutions - including the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University, University of Dundee, Edinburgh Napier University, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design and the Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing - with his students winning dozens of international awards. He is a Visiting Professor at University College Dublin, Aston University and Manchester School of Art.
Alex has authored a number of publications, such as ‘Irish Design 2015 - Making Design Matter’, ‘Product Design’ and ‘Research Methods for Product Design’. He co-founded the Claystation design collective, and his creative work has been exhibited at numerous international venues including Designers Block Milan, ICFF New York, 100% Design London, London Architecture Festival, MUDAC Lausanne and INDEX Copenhagen. He has also contributed to numerous international, peer-reviewed and industry publications. Alex has throughout his career, advocated the pivotal role of creative learning – be that through public engagement, cultural interventions, curriculum innovation or policy development. He sees creative education as having the power to build a platform for change in the wider economic, political and social context, and NCAD as a wonderful stage for that.
