| IN THE NEWS
Institute alumni Elise Effmann Clifford, Esther Bell, and C.D. Dickerson at the opening of The Brothers Le Nain: Painters of Seventeenth-Century France at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco on October 8th, 2016.
Alumni Achievements
The Institute of Fine Arts has a robust community of over 2,000 alumni, living in 43 different countries. Institute alumni hold positions in major museums, auction houses, galleries, publishing houses and universities in New York City and beyond. We are proud to share some recent appointments and awards earned by our alumni.
A more comprehensive list of alumni can be found in this interactive and searchable map. We would be pleased to add your recent accomplishment to that list. Please email us at ifa.alumni@nyu.edu and let us know what you are up to!
2024
 Dr. Saarthak Singh was selected as the recipient of the 2024 UC Berkeley South Asia Art & Architecture Dissertation Prize. Read more about Saarthak Singh and this prestigious award on UC Berkeley's website.
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2023
| Former Institute director and alumna Mariët Westermann has been appointed Director and Chief Executive of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. Read more about Mariët Westermann's appointment in the New York Times |
| Institute alumna Paulina Pobocha has been named the Hammer Museum's new Robert Soros Senior Curator. Read more about Paulina Pobocha in ArtDaily |
| Institute alumna Sarah Mallory has been appointed the Annette and Oscar de la Renta Assistant Curator of Drawings and Prints at the Morgan Library and Museum. Read more about Sarah Mallory in ArtDaily |
2022
| The Clark Art Institute promoted Esther Bell, PhD 2011, to deputy director and chief curator. Read more in the Berkshire Eagle. |
| C. D. Dickerson III has been appointed the new senior curator of European and American art at the National Gallery of Art. Read more about C. D. in Art Daily. |
| Sarah Humphreville has been appointed Lunder Curator of American Art at the Colby College Museum of Art. Read more about Sarah on centralmaine.com. |
| Sasha Suda, PhD 2016, appointed next director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Read more about Sasha in the New York Times. |
| Ayşin Yoltar-Yıldırım appointed curator of Islamic and Later Indian Art at the Harvard Art Museums. Read more in ARTFIX Daily. |
2021
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2020
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Eve Straussman-Pflanzer2019
Ronni Baer, PhD 1990, has been named Princeton Museum of Art's distinguished curator and lecturer. Read more about Ronni Baer in Artforum
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Elizabeth A. Eisenberg, PhD candidate, was awarded the first annual Ricciardi Prize for best new and unpublished article on a drawings topic submittted by a young scholar under 40. Read more about the Ricciardi Prize on Master Drawings website.
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Aimé Iglesias LukinNicole R. Myers, PhD 2015, named Senior Curator of Eurpoean Art by the Dallas Museum of Art. Read more about Myers in Artforum
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Alexander Rich,
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2018
Andaleeb Badiee Banta, PhD 2007, appointed Senior Curator of Prints, Drawings & Photographs at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Read more about Andaleeb's appointment in Artdaily
Joannie Bottkol, MA 2011, received a 2018-19 Rome Prize in conservation from the American Academy in Rome.
 Rebecca Capua, MA 2007, Associate Paper Conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been awarded the 2018 Schulman and Bullard Article Prize. |
 Valerie Hillings, PhD 2002, appointed Director of the North Carolina Museum of Art. |
Rena Hoisington, PhD 2006, named Curator and Head of the Department of Old Master Prints at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
Allison Kidd, PhD 2018, receives postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Edinburgh.
 Jongwoo Jeremy Kim, PhD 2007, named Associate Professor of Critical Studies in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University. |
Anna Majeski, PhD candidate, received a two- year fellowship from the American Academy in Rome for Medieval Studies.
| Mary Oey, MA 2007, named Senior Manager for Conservation and Collections Care for The New York Public Library. |
 Ariel Plotek , PhD 2008, appointed its new curator of fine art at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in New Mexico. Read more about Ariel's appointment on Artforum |
 Maggie Popkin, PhD 2012, the Robson Junior Professor at Case Western Reserve University, has been tenured and promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Art History and Art. |
 Christopher Wayner , MA, named Deputy Director at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. |
2017
 Esther Bell, PhD 2011, named Senior Curator of the Clark Art Institute. Read more about Esther's appointment on Artdaily |
 Peter Jonathan Bell, PhD 2017, named Associate Curator of European Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Read more about Peter's appointment on Artdaily |
 The Ringling Museum of Art appoints Sarah Cartwright, PhD 2000, Curator of Collections. Read more about Sarah's appointment on Artforum |
 Jennifer Y. Chi, PhD 2002, appointed Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Brooklyn Museum. Read more about Jennifer's appointment in Artnews |
 Kim Conaty, PhD 2015, will be joining the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York's curatorial department as the new Steven and Ann Ames Curator of Drawings and Prints. Read more about Kim in Artforum |
 Alison Gass, MA 2004, a leading curator of contemporary art and a senior leader at university museums, has been appointed the director of the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. Read more about Alison's appointment in Artdaily |
 Danielle Johnson, PhD 2012, named Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Read more about Danielle in Artdaily |
Marci Kwon, PhD 2017, awarded the Zuckerman Prize in American Studies by the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania for best dissertation in the field.
 Aysin Yoltar-Yildirim, PhD 2002, named associate curator of Islamic art at the Brooklyn Museum. Read more about Aysin in Artforum |
2016
 Denise Birkhofer, PhD 2013, named Collections Curator and Research Centre Manager at the Ryerson Image Centre. Read more about Denise in Ryersonian |
 Kenji Kajiya, PhD 2014, named Associate Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies, The University of Tokyo. |
 Yulin Lee, PhD 2012, named Director of the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan. Read more about yulin in E-Flux |
 Nicole Myers, PhD 2015, named Lillian and James H. Clark Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the Dallas Museum of Art. Myers will be joining the DMA from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, where she has held the position of associate curator of European painting and sculpture since 2011. Read more about Nicole in Art News |
Tricia Paik, PhD 2009, appointed the next Florence Finch Abbott Director of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum.
 Eve Straussman-Pflanzer, PhD 2010, appointed Head of the European Art Department and Elizabeth and Allan Shelden Curator of European Paintings at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Read more about Eve's appointment in Art Daily |
 Marcelle Polednik, PhD 2009, named Director of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Read more about Marcelee in Art News |
2015
Kim Conaty, PhD 2015, named curator at The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, where she will be responsible for exhibitions, research, and assessing possible acquisitions. Read more about Kim's appointment in the Boston Globe |
 Jacquelyn N. Coutré, PhD 2011, has arrived at Queen’s University in Kingston as the Agnes Etherington Art Centre´s new Bader Curator and Researcher of European Art. Read more about Jacquelyn in CODART |
 C.D. Dickerson, PhD 2006, has been named curator and head of sculpture and decorative arts at the National Gallery of Art. Read more about C.D. in the Washington Post |
 Jennifer Sudul Edwards, PhD 2014, is the new curator at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Read more about Jennifer in the Charlotte Observer |
 Rebecca Long, PhD candidate, named the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Associate Curator in the Department of Medieval to Modern European Painting and Sculpture, the Art Institute of Chicago. Read more about Rebecca in Art Daily |
Charles S. Moffett, PhD 1971, received Icon Award from the Bruce Museum. Greenwich Daily Voice
 Sarah Montross, PhD 2012, has been named associate curator at the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Read more about Sarah Montross in Artforum |
 Maura Reilly, PhD 2000, Maura Reilly appointed Chief Curator at the National Academy Museum. Read more about Maura Reilly in Artforum |
 Allison Unruh, PhD 2008, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, has been appointed associate curator of the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis. Washington University |
Sasha Suda, PhD 2016, named Curator & R. Fraser Elliott Chair, Prints & Drawings Council of the Art Gallery of Ontario
2014
Joseph S. Ackley, PhD 2014, appointed Mellon Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in the Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University.
Jennifer Babcock, PhD 2014, appointed Curatorial Postdoctoral Associate, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, NYU.
Zainab Bahrani, PhD 1989, awarded a President's Global Initiative Grant to begin her field project Mapping Mesopotamian Monuments.
 Esther Bell, PhD 2011, named Curator in Charge, European Paintings, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Read more about Esther Bell's appointment in ARTnews |
 Michael Brown, PhD 2011, appointed Associate Curator of European Art, San Diego Museum of Art. Read more about Michael Brown in Artinfo |
Miriam Basilio, PhD 2002, appointed Associate Professor of Art History and Museum Studies, NYU.
Denise Lynn Birkhofer, PhD 2013, named Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College.
Sheila Dillon, PhD 1994, named Chairperson, Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, Duke University.
Ana M. Franco, PhD 2012, appointed Assistant Professor, Universidad de los Andes.
 Aimée E. Froom, PhD 2001, appointed curator of Islamic art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Read more about Aimée Froom in Artdaily |
 Kathryn Gunsch, PhD 2012, appointed Teel Curator of African and Oceanic Art,The Baltimore Museum of Art. Read more about Kathryn Gunsch's appointment in Artdaily |
Maile Hutterer, PhD 2011, appointed Assistant Professor, University of Oregon.
Mary Levkoff, MA 1978, appointed Museum Director of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA.
Mark Loiacano, MA 2005, current PhD candidate, named Director of Lisa Cooley Gallery in NYC.
Sarah Madole, PhD 2012, hired as Adjunct Professor, Marymount Manhattan College.
 Kellie Morgan, MA 2010, named Community Outreach and Marketing Manager for the Wexner Center for the Arts. |
Erika Nelsen, MA 2012, hired as Grants Manager for the Seattle Art Museum.
Adele Nelson, PhD 2012, Professsor of Art History at the Tyler School of Art, was awarded Fulbright Scholarship for 2014-2015.
Lelia Packer, PhD 2012, appointed McCrindle Curatorial Assistant, The National Gallery in London.
 Tricia Paik, PhD 2009, appointed Curator of Contemporary Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art. Read more about Tricia Paik's appointment in GalleristNY |
Karin Ann Sanders, MA 2013, named Collection Director of the Paul Ickovic Foundation.
Ileana Selejan, PhD 2014, named Linda Wyatt Gruber ’66 Curatorial Fellow in Photography at the Davis Museum at Wellesley College.
Stephanie Stebich, MA 1998, Director of theTacoma Art Museum, was named Non-Profit Business Leader of the Year, awarded by the Milgard School of Business.
 Angus Trumble, MA 1998, named Director of Australia's National Portrait Gallery. |
 Jeffrey Uslip, PhD Candidate, named Chief Curator, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. |
Julianna White, MA 2013, appointed Editorial Assistant, Publications and Editorial Services at Yale University Art Gallery.
2013
 Andaleeb Badiee Banta, PhD 2007, appointed Curator, European & American Art, Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College. Read more about Andaleeb Banta's appointment in ArtDaily |
 Caroline Baumann, MA 1990, named Director, Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Read more about Caroline Baumann in GalleristNY |
Laurel Diane Bestock, PhD 2007, named Vartan Gregorian Assistant Professor, Brown University.
 Cathleen Chaffee, PhD 2013, named Curator of Contemporary Art, Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Read more about Cathleen Chaffee in Art in America |
 Tia Chapman, MA 1993, appointed Deputy Director for External Affairs, The Frick Collection. Read more about Tia Chapman in ArtDaily |
Maura Coughlin; PhD 2001, named Associate Professor of Visual Studies, Bryant University.
Jason Dubs, PhD 2013, hired as Museum Research Consortium Project Manager at The Museum of Modern Art.
Sarah Humphreville, MA 2013, appointed Curatorial Assistant, Whitney Museum of American Art
Lauren Jacobi, PhD 2012, appointed Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ronda J. Kasl, PhD 2012, appointed Curator of Colonial Latin American Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Abby Kornfeld, PhD 2013, appointed Assistant Professor of Art History, City College of New York.
Areli Marina, PhD 2004, received tenure at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Nick Marmor, MA 2013, hired as Development Associate, Foundation Relations Office, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Kathryn Blair Moore, PhD 2011, appointed Assistant Professor of Art History, University of Hong Kong.
Merribell M. Parsons, MA 1967, named Curator of European Art, San Antonio Museum of Art.
Stuart W. Pyhrr, MA 1973, named Distinguished Research Curator, Department of Arms and Armor, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Marika Sardar, PhD 2007, appointed Associate Curator, Southern Asian and Islamic Art, San Diego Museum of Art
 Sarah Schroth, PhD 1990, appointed Director, Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University. Read more about Sarah Schroth in Artinfo |
 Richard P. Townsend, MA 1989, named Director, Museum of Biblical Art. Read more about Richard Townsend in GalleristNY |
Shellie Winkler, MA 1984, named Chief Strategy Officer, MSLGROUP North America
2012
 Serena Urry; Certificate in Conservation, 1989; appointed Chief Conservator Cincinnati Art Museum. Read mroe about Serena Urry's appointment in Artdaily |