Tannis Gibson Named Interim Dean of the College of Fine Arts

Tannis Gibson, Professor of Music in the Fred Fox School of Music (FFSOM) and internationally acclaimed performance pianist and educator, is serving as Dean of the College of Fine Arts for the 2017-18 academic year. Dean Gibson began her position on July 1. Her appointment follows Jory Hancock’s decision to return as Director for the School of Dance and as Associate Dean of UA Presents.
Since joining the University of Arizona in 2000, Professor Gibson has held various administrative roles on campus, including her prior appointment as Associate Director for Faculty Affairs in the Fred Fox School of Music, and co-chair of the University Advisory Committee on Promotion and Tenure. Gibson also hails from the UA’s Academic Leadership Institute, and she served recently as chair of the FFSOM Academic Program Review, and on a 5-year review committee for central administration.
“I am deeply honored to serve as Dean for the College of Fine Arts and look forward to building upon a long and rich tradition of excellence within our professional schools – Art, Dance, Music and Theatre, Film & Television,” said Gibson. “It is my privilege to work alongside our faculty, staff, directors, development team and extended Fine Arts family to ensure a productive and gratifying year ahead.”
From Provost Andrew Comrie:
Dean Gibson obtained her B.M. at the University of Regina in Canada, her M.M. at the Juilliard School, an Advanced Studies in Music Certificate at the Banff Center for the Arts, and she completed Private Studies in Brussels.
Gibson is a nationally and internationally acclaimed pianist as well as a recognized teacher of piano. Her performances as a soloist and chamber musician include Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Shanghai Concert Hall, as well as numerous national museums, international festivals and conservatories around the world.
As an educator, Prof. Gibson’s accomplishments include directing UA Musicians on Tour, a hands-on engagement experience for students to perform in outreach concert settings across southern Arizona, finalist for the Five-Star Faculty Award, and extensive studio teaching for which her piano students have received top prizes in significant international competitions.