James Haywood Rolling Jr., a professor at Syracuse University in New York, has been named president-elect of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). He will begin his six-year term on March 17, first serving as president-elect for two years, then president for another two years, and concluding as past-president for a final two years.
Professor Rolling holds many positions at Syracuse University. He is a dual professor and chair of art education and teaching and leadership in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the School of Education. He also serves as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
During his time at Syracuse, he founded the 4A Arts & Creative Literacies Academy, a college-community partnership with Syracuse University Art Education and the Dr. Edwin E. Weeks Elementary School. The program features a cross-disciplinary education instructional format exploring both the arts and science and serving more than 800 students in grade K-5 daily.
Professor Rollings has served in many roles with the NAEA including as a member of the board of directors, serving as higher education division director from 2011 to 2013; as senior editor of the association’s bimonthly journal Art Education from 2015 to 2017; and as a commissioner-at-large on the NAEA Research Commission. He was recently elected as the Research Commission’s associate chair.
Additionally, Professor Rollings is the author of several books including Swarm Intelligence: What Nature Teaches Us About Shaping Creative Leadership (St. Martin’s Press, 2013) and Arts-Based Research Primer (Peter Lang International Academic Publishers 2013).
Professor Rollings holds a bachelor of fine arts from the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City and a master of fine arts degree from Syracuse University. He earned a second master’s degree and an educational doctorate at Columbia University.
