Faculty Excellence
The impact of RISD’s world-class faculty reaches from the classroom to every aspect of business, industry and culture.
Without our extraordinary faculty of artists, designers and scholars, there would be no RISD. They are the backbone of the singular educational experience that is so transformative for our students.
By sharing their insights at RISD and beyond, RISD faculty members impact our lives in profound ways, influencing how we create art, deliver healthcare, design our public spaces and use technology. Esteemed by RISD students and alumni as well as creative leaders from around the world, our faculty produce remarkable works of art, architecture, design and research.
As dedicated as they are to pursuing their creative practices, RISD faculty are equally devoted to their teaching. They skillfully shoulder the responsibility of educating the next generation of artists and designers who are making—and remaking—our culture and our world.
Sustaining the creative learning environment our faculty makes possible requires our renewed investment. We invite you to help us make sure that highly talented and diverse faculty come to teach at RISD, that they stay at RISD and that they have the resources they need.
Learn more about available opportunities below.
Faculty support tiers
Deanships ($5 million)
Our distinguished deans provide the strategic vision necessary to advance their divisions, develop new academic programs and leverage RISD’s resources to deliver the greatest benefits to our students. By endowing a deanship of Architecture + Design, Fine Arts, Experimental and Foundation Studies, Liberal Arts, Libraries or Faculty, you will enhance the stature of the position and provide valuable resources for advancing RISD’s innovation and excellence.
Department heads ($4 million)
By investing in departmental leadership, you bolster RISD’s ability to attract and retain esteemed creative leaders, educators and administrators who possess the essential vision to steer the next generation of artists and designers. Your gift also will make strategic investments in faculty stipends, recruitment, research expenses, equipment purchases and other resources that enhance departmental excellence.
Professorships ($3 million)
In the world of art and design education, competition for talent is intense, particularly for faculty from historically underrepresented groups. By ensuring we can recruit top-flight faculty, investing in endowed professorships strengthens RISD’s position as a leader in art and design education and research. Your investment also provides faculty necessary support for pursuing new areas of creative inquiry and research, and developing new teaching methods.
Career development professorships ($2 million)
Career development professorships offer important recognition and resources to outstanding young RISD faculty as they advance their careers and grow as teachers and student mentors. Your support helps us recruit and retain art and design faculty who are emerging as dynamic educational and creative leaders in their fields.
Visiting professorships ($1 million)
Visiting faculty enrich the RISD community in many ways: they share new perspectives and creative approaches, and often assist students in developing research projects in their home countries. They also teach innovative courses, mentor students and participate in art and design collaborations. By investing in visiting professorships—such as the Vikram and Geetanjali Kirloskar Visiting Scholar in Painting program—you ensure that the RISD community continues to benefit from the presence of scholars and makers from around the world.
Get in touch
Please call toll-free 844 454-1877 or send us an email for more information about how you can support the faculty who make a RISD education so powerful.
Other opportunities to give
Provide the critical support RISD needs to continue offering students a world-class education.
Increase scholarships and fellowships and advance social equity so students with limited financial means can benefit from all that a RISD education has to offer.
Build the best environment for learning and making by investing in RISD’s studio, classroom, gathering and living spaces.