Welcoming Christoph Cox as the Next Dean of Eugene Lang College
A message from Dr. Renée T. White, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
I am delighted to announce that Christoph Cox has been appointed the next Dean of Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts. He will begin August 1, 2022 at the conclusion of Jennifer Wilson’s term in this role.
Christoph is a strong leader at a pivotal moment for Lang and the university as we continue to evolve, innovate, and imagine the College’s next steps to becoming a national leader in liberal arts and interdisciplinary education. He brings extensive experience in cross-disciplinary, student-directed education, most recently as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Hampshire College, located in Amherst, Massachusetts and part of the collaborative Five College Consortium. For the past 15 years, Christoph has also taught and served on the Graduate Committee at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. Prior to joining Hampshire College, he was the William Rainey Harper Instructor in the Humanities and Philosophy at The University of Chicago, and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton College.
Christoph brings a transdisciplinary background as an educator, scholar, art critic, theorist, and curator. He has taught classes in contemporary European philosophy, cultural theory, and aesthetics and advised across the liberal arts curriculum. His research combines deep connections to cultural theory, curatorial studies, contemporary art and music, feminist theory, political theory, and other fields in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. He has published three books with academic presses, contributed numerous articles in leading arts and culture publications, and has curated art exhibitions in the United States and abroad. He holds a BA in Modern Culture and Media from Brown University and a PhD in the History of Consciousness from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Christoph is widely regarded as a thoughtful leader who places a high value on listening and is committed to building shared governance and promoting social justice. He is honored to be joining Lang and The New School. During the search process, he was excited by our excellent and innovative programs and curriculum and inspired by the faculty, staff, and students he met.
To effect a smooth transition, Jennifer Wilson has graciously agreed to my request to continue as Lang Dean through July 31, 2022 and will work closely with Christoph as he settles into the role during the month of August. The university is deeply grateful to Jennifer for leading Lang these past two years, providing a steady, direct, thoughtful, and compassionate approach as dean during a challenging period. After a well-earned sabbatical next year, she will return to full-time teaching and research in mathematics in Lang’s Natural Sciences and Mathematics department.
Our thanks go out to everyone who was engaged in the search process, especially the members of the Search Committee (list provided below)—a group of faculty, staff, students, and members of Lang’s Board of Governors who devoted an extraordinary amount of time and effort to ensure that the search process was far-reaching, highly participatory, and rigorous. We are very pleased with the outcome, and look forward to officially welcoming Christoph and introducing him to the entire university community later this summer.
Lang Dean Search Committee Members
Will Milberg, Co-chair, Dean and Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research
Danielle Goldman, Co-chair, Associate Professor of Critical Dance Studies, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Carolyn Berman, Associate Professor of Literature, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Noor Lima Boudakian, student at Eugene Lang College and Chair of the University Student Senate
Natalie Gross, Director of Civic Engagement and Social Justice, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Riva Kadar, Vice Dean, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Grace Lang, member of Lang College Board of Governors
Mark Larrimore, Associate Professor of Religion, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Natalia Mehlman-Petrzela, Associate Professor of History, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Andrew Meier, Associate Professor of Writing, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Jonah Nigh, Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement, Office of the President
Miller Oberman, Director of First Year Writing, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Dianca Potts, Part-time Lecturer, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Miriam Steele, Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research
Genevieve Yue, Assistant Professor of Culture and Media, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts