Pending approval from the NIU Board of Trustees, Rich Holly will be named the new dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Holly earned his bachelor’s degree in music performance from the Crane School of Music at SUNY-Potsdam. After completing his M.M. in percussion performance from East Carolina University in 1980 and teaching at Western State University in Colorado, he came to the NIU School of Music in 1983 as an instructor. Holly became an assistant professor two years later, and then a professor in 1999. He served as assistant director of the school from 1996 to 2000. Holly has served as associate dean since 2001 and as acting dean since 2008.

“Rich knows the strong reputation of our arts programs because he helped to build that reputation,” said NIU President John Peters in a press release. “He has a tremendous vision for how it will continue.”

Holly’s top goal is to encourage a greater excursion of the arts outside of the college’s three buildings.