Peg Faimon, the inaugural dean of the new School of Art, Architecture and Design, was keenly aware that October 8 marked her hundredth day in her post when she sat down to discuss the new school a few days later.
“I’ve been really pleased at how well I’ve gotten my footing,” Faimon says, from her new office in Kirkwood Hall, while workers continue to put the finishing touches on the renovation. “One of the things that I guess I should have known,” Faimon continues, “but that pleasantly surprised me was how easily I can connect to people when they realize I’m an alum. I just don’t have an uphill battle to become part of the family. I already am.”
Faimon graduated summa cum laude from IU in 1987 with a BFA in graphic design before receiving an MFA from Yale. She was one of four finalists (and the only alumni) for the position of the dean of the new school formed by the merger of the Department of Studio Art and the Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design, including various centers. She came to IU from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she was the chair of the Department of Art.