Rutgers Appoints New Dean for Mason Gross School of the Arts

Jason Geary, a nationally recognized scholar in musicology, has been selected as the new dean of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Geary, who will assume his new position on July 1, 2020, comes to Rutgers from the University of Maryland, where he has been the director of the School of Music, a professor of musicology and special adviser to the dean for the arts in the College of Arts and Humanities.

“Professor Geary brings an outstanding record of leadership, scholarship and community building that will help to inspire our wonderful students, faculty and staff at Mason Gross,” said Christopher Molloy, chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick.

Geary said he was honored to be chosen as the new leader of Mason Gross, the flagship public arts conservatory of Rutgers.

“I am thrilled to be joining such a vibrant community of artists and scholars,” Geary said. “The Mason Gross School of the Arts has a rich history of both innovation and distinction, and as dean I hope to build upon that legacy by helping the school continue to increase its visibility, stature and engagement with the campus, the surrounding region and the world.”

Mason Gross is a community of artists — dancers, filmmakers, musicians, theater artists and visual artists and designers — who study, teach, create, perform and exhibit. The school’s mission is to nurture creative talent and instill the insights and skills that future generations of arts professionals need to contribute to the creative and scholarly world. The school offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, filmmaking, music, theater and art and design. In addition to its professional arts training programs, Mason Gross provides the larger community the opportunity to embrace the creative arts through the activities of its three divisions: Rutgers Arts Online, Rutgers Community Arts and Rutgers Filmmaking Center.

At the University of Maryland, Geary oversaw personnel, curriculum, operations, fundraising and management of a comprehensive performing arts school with roughly 450 students, 100 faculty, 20 staff and a $10 million operating budget. During his time there, he strengthened the school’s ties with disciplines across campus; worked closely with the director of the School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies to foster faculty and student initiatives; launched several community engagement programs; enhanced career advising and development for students, including entrepreneurship training within the School of Music; and increased gender and ethnic diversity of the faculty through proactive efforts.

Before arriving at Maryland, he was associate dean for Graduate Studies, Equity and Inclusion and a faculty member in musicology at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance. He received a Ph.D. in musicology from Yale University, an M.A. in musicology from the University of Michigan and a B.M. in piano performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Geary succeeds Interim Dean Gerry Beegan, who has led the school over the past year since longtime dean George Stauffer stepped down and returned to the faculty.