Roger Mandle is a nationally known advocate for the far-reaching impact of
art, design and education. During his 15-year tenure at RISD, he set ambitious priorities and goals, spearheaded inclusive planning processes and led the institution through a period of substantive and positive evolution. As a result, the campus community has benefited from stimulating new programs, major facilities upgrades, new governance structures and a variety of other initiatives. The general public has also welcomed his approach to partnering with the City of Providence on projects ranging from improving the public school system to beautification of the riverfront.
“[President] Mandle is credited with transforming RISD from an elite art school
that sat almost literally in the shadow of its neighbor, Brown University, to a dynamic, multifaceted presence in both Providence and the world,” noted Julie Lasky in a recent issue of I.D. magazine (September 2007). Indeed, his widespread involvement in local business, civic and educational organizations has heightened RISD’s stature as an advocate for the arts and for economic development. In addition, his progressive global outlook and world travels as RISD’s ambassador have led to growing opportunities for students and faculty in Europe, Asia and Central and South America.
With a BA from Williams College and an MA and Certificate in Museum Training from New York University, Mandle began his career as an associate director of the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts before moving on to direct the Toledo [OH] Museum of Art. As deputy director and chief curator of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, from 1988-93, he was an outspoken arts activist and oversaw all aspects of managing the respected museum. While in the capital, Mandle served as a member of the National Committee for Education Standards in the Arts and helped write the position paper Education Goals 2000: Standards in the Arts. Both President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the National Council on the Arts, one of scores of policymaking and advisory groups he has served on and led over the years. A specialist in aesthetics and Dutch art, he also holds a PhD from Case Western Reserve University.
While at RISD, Mandle has not only worked to strengthen relationships with students and faculty but has traveled the globe to meet with educational and business leaders, RISD alumni and parents, and fellow art and design advocates. Closer to home, he has built strong bonds with the presidents of Rhode Island’s other colleges and universities, along with local business and civic leaders.
“I had the great privilege of working with Roger Mandle for nine years when I was president of Brown University,” noted Vartan Gregorian, now president of Carnegie Corporation, in The Providence Journal. “[He] has been without peer in [leading] RISD to new national and international heights.”
