April 10, 2025 Image As Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees, we are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Gwendolyn Freed, MCAD’s 20th president of the college. Following a national search, she was selected by unanimous vote of the Board. Dr. Freed brings a deep passion for art and design, and more than two decades of senior leadership experience in higher education, the arts, and nonprofits. She will start on June 1, 2025.Dr. Freed’s higher education leadership roles have included Vice President for Marketing and Communication at Gustavus Adolphus College, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Cornish College of the Arts, and Executive Director of the college scholarship organization Wallin Education Partners. She served for two years as Interim Director of the University of Minnesota School of Music. Freed teaches in the University of Minnesota’s graduate program in Arts and Cultural Leadership, as well as at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She holds a doctorate in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota, and is an alumna of the Harvard Institute for Educational Management. Freed’s primary research interests are organizational identity and external relations in higher education. Her work has appeared in the Handbook of Higher Education Theory and Research, Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions, and Chronicle of Higher Education.We want to thank so many of you who participated in interviews with each of the candidates and provided insightful feedback that guided our decision, including Greg Hoffman ’92 who co-led the presidential search. His time and care in this process has been invaluable. We extend our deepest gratitude to President Sanjit Sethi for his visionary leadership over the past six years. His unwavering dedication, passion, and commitment to the MCAD mission have left a lasting impact on our community.Dr. Freed is eager to experience the vibrant culture of MCAD, learn more about the opportunities and challenges of the college, and get to know members and supporters of the MCAD community. Please join us in welcoming her to MCAD. Respectfully,Chris BarryM.E. Kirwan A Message from Gwendolyn FreedDear Students, Faculty, and Staff, As the incoming president of Minneapolis College of Art and Design, I am excited to meet you and join your campus community in June.I am a huge MCAD fan. Your great college fuels the arts and creative economy, enlivens museums and galleries, sparks societal change, and powers design and innovation in corporations, nonprofits, and small businesses. Your work touches, inspires, and connects us in our common humanity. It will be a pleasure to lead MCAD on its continued path of growth and sustainability. We will keep MCAD at the forefront of transformational curricula and programs. We will promote access, inclusion, wellbeing, and artistic and career fulfillment for all. Operationally, we will move forward as a thriving, agile, and resilient enterprise. My aim is always to listen, learn, and understand diverse perspectives. Upon my arrival, I will reach out to engage the campus community, and my door will be open to you. In the meantime, thank you for all you do to make MCAD such an extraordinary and vibrant place. I look forward to supporting you in all that you do! Warm regards, Learn MoreMinneapolis College of Art and Design names Gwendolyn Freed its 20th president (startribune.com—April 11, 2025)Gwendolyn Freed named president of MCAD (bizjournals.com—April 11, 2025)