Ithaca College School Of Music, Theatre, And Dance Names Steve TenEyck as New Dean

Following a national search, Steve TenEyck has been selected as the new dean of the Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, effective March 1. He had served for this past year as the school's co-interim dean and for the two years prior as associate dean.

In making the announcement, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein said that TenEyck's unique experiences and expertise as a faculty member, administrator, and theatrical designer provide him with the skills in collaboration, strategic visioning, management, and engagement needed to effectively represent the work of the students, faculty, and academic programs in the School of MTD.

"Steve has demonstrated an understanding of the rich history of Ithaca College's beginnings as a music conservatory, the importance of fostering an environment that promotes curricular and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the imperative to adopt a student-first approach, ensuring that Ithaca College is seen as the gold standard for performing arts education and scholarship both now and in the future," said Stein.

TenEyck joined Ithaca College in what was then the Department of Theatre Arts in 2001, rising to the rank of professor in 2017. He became department chair in 2021, and was named associate dean in 2022 when the department came together with the School of Music to form the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

As dean, TenEyck will have budget and academic oversight of the school's 15 degree programs, 120 faculty, and 700 students. He says that success in moving forward will involve working with all stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategic plan with measurable outcomes that help propel the school's mission "to equip students to thrive in their professional pursuits and as agents of positive change by cultivating a vibrant and inclusive performing arts community."

"We need to strengthen our existing programs by investing in our human and physical resources, bolster our offerings to students outside of MTD, align our financial resources with our values, and ensure that we are cultivating a vibrant and inclusive performing arts community," says TenEyck. "We have all the pieces in place: Incredible and talented faculty who are not only experts in their fields but also master teachers; dedicated and extraordinary staff who have created systems to support the work; world-class facilities; and passionate and gifted students."

TenEyck holds a BA degree in drama from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MFA in lighting design from the University of Washington School of Drama. He taught at both institutions prior to joining Ithaca College.

During his time on the faculty, TenEyck has taught numerous theatrical design courses and designed lighting for and mentored students on 6-10 theatre productions each year. A member of local 829 of United Scenic Artists, the union for theatrical designers, he has designed sets and lighting for dozens of theatre, musical theatre, opera, and dance productions at venues across the country, and has been responsible for the production design of numerous special events, including university anniversary celebrations and facility dedication ceremonies.

TenEyck succeeds Anne Hogan, who had served as the inaugural dean of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance from 2022-24.