Colleges appoint new academic chiefs

SARASOTA-BRADENTON — Two of the largest colleges in the Sarasota-Bradenton region named new officials to run their respective academic affairs departments.

The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee appointed Terry Osborn regional vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, according to a release. Osborn, dean and professor of the College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee since 2010, replaces Bonnie Jones. Ringling College of Art and Design, according to a separate release, named Jeff Bellantoni vice president for academic affairs. Bellantoni, previously the chair of the graduate Communications Design Department at the Pratt Institute in New York City, comes to Ringling after a nationwide search. He replaces David Jackson, who had been interim vice president for academic affairs since June 1.

Osborn holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. He's been a tenured professor at both USF Sarasota-Manatee and Fordham University in New York City. He has seven years of experience in senior higher education academic leadership and was recently named executive director of the Florida Association for Colleges of Teacher Education, the release states.

“Dr. Osborn's career history shows a record of working effectively in collaboration with administrators, faculty, students, staff, alumni and a host of external partners,” USF Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Arthur Guilford says in the release. “He recognizes that we are embarked on a time of significant change at USFSM, and that our academic and student affairs leader will play a key role in the shape of our future.”
 
Bellantoni, like Osborn, has an extensive background in higher education. Bellantoni was a faculty trustee at Pratt, a school that sometimes competes with Ringling for students. Bellantoni, according to a statement from Ringling, also led the creation of Pratt Press, the Graduate Design Guild and the first design-focused MFA program at Pratt.

“We are pleased to add Jeff to our creative community,” Ringling College of Art and Design President Larry Thompson says in a release. “Jeff's well-rounded background and experience as a designer and educator is the perfect fit to help us continue to innovate and enhance our academic program for the next decade and beyond.”