Professor Judith Mottram Announced as Dean of the School of Material

Currently research leader for the Department of Design and Visual Arts at Coventry University, Professor Mottram is also Director of the Lanchester Gallery. Before joining Coventry, she was Dean of the School of Art and Design at Nottingham Trent University (2009 to 2012), Associate Dean for Research for the College of Art, Design and the Built Environment at Nottingham (2004 to 2009), and prior to that, Director of Research at Loughborough University School of Art and Design.

Having originally trained as a fine artist, Professor Mottram gained her PhD from Manchester Polytechnic in 1988. Her own research interests include colour, drawing and pattern, and the inter-relationships between subject knowledge, creativity, research and practice. Professor Mottram spent six years working in a range of galleries in London after completing her PhD and prior to taking up her first academic post at Loughborough College of Art and Design, in 1994, as Subject Leader for the undergraduate programme in Painting.

Professor Mottram is a member of the REF 2014 sub-panel for Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory, and a Fellow of the Design Research Society. She was a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Peer Review College from 2004 to 2013. On the editorial boards of the Journal of the International Colour Association; Journal of Textile Design, Research and Practice; and the Journal of Visual Art Practice, Professor Mottram also sits on the referee panels for the annual conferences of DRS, IASDR, EKSIG, and AIC.

Professor Naren Barfield, Pro-Rector (Academic) at the Royal College of Art said: 'I am delighted that Judith has agreed to join the Royal College of Art as Dean of the School of Material. Coming with an excellent track record in both research and academic leadership, Judith's vision for the School is outstanding. Under her direction, the School will continue to build upon current strengths while at the same time embracing exciting new advances in material science and technologies along with new programmes. Professor Wendy Dagworthy, who retires as Dean at the end of this academic year, is a very hard act to follow. I’m pleased to say we’ve found a worthy successor.'

Professor Judith Mottram said: 'This is a tremendously exciting opportunity for me to work with really exceptional colleagues on shaping the School of Material for the future. I look forward to bringing our expertise together with the latest thinking in technology and the material and human sciences, for the benefit of industry, society and culture. My vision is for our understanding and use of material to contribute to making meaning, making sense of the material world, and making a difference to matters of concern to our fields and those beyond.'