Thomas Stubblefield has been recommended to serve as the next dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University, effective July 1, 2025. Pending approval by the MSU Board of Trustees, he will succeed Yen-Hwei Lin, who assumed the role of interim dean in June 2024 following the departure of former dean, Christopher Long.
Stubblefield currently serves as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, interim director of the Harrington School of Communication and Media, and professor of art and art history at the University of Rhode Island. In these roles, he oversees a diverse portfolio of programs spanning the arts, humanities, and communication and media studies.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Stubblefield to Michigan State University. His deep understanding of and commitment to the arts and humanities, combined with a collaborative and visionary approach, resonated strongly with our community during his campus visit,” said MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “At a pivotal moment of opportunity and transformation for the College of Arts and Letters, we are confident that Dr. Stubblefield’s inclusive and strategic approach will help strengthen our shared vision and advance interdisciplinary scholarship, creativity and research.”
Stubblefield has worked collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners at the University of Rhode Island, where he has led strategic planning initiatives, spearheaded interdisciplinary curriculum development, facilitated faculty research, worked closely with alumni and advisory councils, and built partnerships to enhance student success and institutional impact.
Among his accomplishments at the University of Rhode Island, Stubblefield created the Future of Arts and Humanities Working Group that brought together faculty from across disciplines to examine national trends, enrollment data and professional outcomes, an initiative that culminated in the development of an Environmental Arts and Humanities baccalaureate program. He secured funding to create a “stackable” online user interface/user experience, or UI/UX, master’s degree program that allows students to combine certificates into a flexible 30-credit pathway. He also led the formation of the Fine Arts Advisory Council, engaging alumni and leaders in the arts community to support advancement and visibility for the arts.
Prior to joining the University of Rhode Island, Stubblefield served as associate dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and associate professor of art history and media studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he played a key role in curriculum innovation, program expansion and community engagement. He also served as director of the Office of Faculty Development, in which he restructured the office to better support faculty at all stages of their careers, developed new interdisciplinary fellowships, and implemented campuswide assessment and feedback protocols. Other previous roles he has held at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth include interim director of the MFA Studio Art and Design Program, director of Advising and Success for the Honors Program, and director of Cluster Three of the General Education Program: “The Cultural World: Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding.”
Stubblefield earned his doctorate in visual studies from the University of California, Irvine, a master’s in art history from the University of Illinois, and dual bachelor of arts degrees in media arts and English from the University of South Carolina.
As a scholar, he has written extensively on visual culture and media studies, with a focus on the intersections of technology, critical theory and contemporary visual culture. He is the author of “Drone Art: The Everywhere War as Medium” (University of California Press, 2020) and “9/11 and the Visual Culture of Disaster” (Indiana University Press, 2014), along with numerous essays in peer-reviewed journals and edited collections.
“I am excited to join the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University and build upon its legacy of excellence in the arts, humanities and interdisciplinary initiatives,” Stubblefield said. “Together with faculty, staff and students, I look forward to advancing a vision that centers on collaboration, community engagement and public impact. By deepening interdisciplinary connections and expanding experiential learning opportunities, we will prepare students for success beyond graduation and position the college at the forefront of conversations regarding the future of our fields.”
The MSU Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet Friday, June 13, where they are expected to vote on Stubblefield’s appointment as the new dean of the College of Arts and Letters.
