Yvonne Watson to Lead University Global Academic Strategy and Partnerships
A Message from Richard Kessler, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
I am pleased to announce that Yvonne Watson has been appointed Vice Provost for Global Academic Strategy and Partnerships, a new role in the Office of the Provost. Yvonne will begin in this new position beginning in February, following a well-deserved sabbatical during fall 2025.
In this new role, Yvonne will lead strategy and develop compelling academic opportunities for The New School around the world. She will provide oversight and help to strengthen existing international partnerships while advancing new campuses, collaborations, and exchanges aligned with our mission and vision. Yvonne began conversations about this role with former Provost White, and I am pleased that we recently finalized her appointment.
This new role is a progression of Yvonne’s deep experience, contributions, and accomplishments at The New School. Since joining the Parsons faculty in 2010, her successive leadership roles have included Associate Dean of Curriculum and Learning and Associate Dean of the School of Fashion. She later served as Parsons’ Dean of Curriculum and Learning and Advisor to the Provost’s Office on Curriculum before being asked to serve as Parsons’ Interim Executive Dean in the summer of 2022. Her appointment as Executive Dean was later extended to 2025.
Under Yvonne’s leadership, Parsons has continued to flourish as the leading art and design school in the world. Drawing on her deep experience in disciplines that are central to Parsons and the university, Yvonne has been a steadying force at Parsons during a period of change and evolution. She successfully led our efforts to increase the number of full-time faculty at the College by more than 20% since 2022, including the conversion of part-time faculty to full-time positions. She implemented new budget processes that fostered collaboration and alignment across Parsons leadership and resulted in an increase in the FY26 budget. Yvonne also advocated for increased resources and space for teaching, learning, and creative practice to ensure Parsons remains at the forefront of art and design education.
A strong thread in Yvonne’s work has been her involvement in advancing global partnerships and creating frameworks for international engagement. She brings to this work vision, a keen understanding of academic structures, strong global relationships, skills in diplomacy, and an abiding commitment to collaboration.
Before joining Parsons, Yvonne was on the faculty at Nottingham Trent University in England, where she served in roles including Program Director for the BA in Fashion Knitwear Design, MA in Textile Design and Innovation, and MA in Decorative Arts. She holds a Master’s degree in Globalization, Identity and Technology from Nottingham Trent University and is working toward her Doctorate in Education at Northeastern University.
Please join me in both thanking Yvonne for her service to Parsons and the university and congratulating her on her new role.