Keith Jackson has been named dean of the College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University. He had been serving as interim dean since 2017.
Dr. Jackson has been a member of the music faculty at the university since 1995, serving as both a professor of music and director of the School of Music. He is active in both classical and jazz styles as a performer and clinician. Previously, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra as well as the Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra.
During his time as interim dean, Dr. Jackson led the effort to launch the new interactive media design degree with the Reed College of Media, the second cross-college major at West Virginia University. Additionally, he oversaw the arts programming in 22 West Virginia counties through traveling performances, presentations, and on-campus events. He also helped create the cross-disciplinary Curiosity Series, which presents public performances and exhibitions from three academic schools and the university’s Art Museum to bring diverse ideas, aesthetics, and voices to the community.
“We have a wonderful, strong team of faculty and staff in the College of Creative Arts,” Dr. Jackson said. “Moving forward with this leadership team, I expect an exciting future for the arts on campus.”
Dr. Jackson holds a bachelor of fine arts in performance from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh as well as a master of music in performance and a doctor of music arts both from Arizona State University.
