Associate Architecture Prof. Maurice Cox was officially named the director of design for the National Endowment of the Arts, a two-year appointment that will require a leave of absence from the University.
The NEA offered Cox the position last week, and he is expected to assume his full-time responsibilities in January.
The NEA is the principal federal agency that supports the arts, and each artistic discipline has a director, according to Cox.
"I will be the director of design, which includes everything from regional design to industrial design and the funding that the federal government provides to support design," Cox said.
He added that he will be at the head of an assembly panel of design experts and academics.
Cox said he is thrilled to assume this position, for which the application was "rather rigorous."
He said his experience as mayor of Charlottesville from 2002-2004 and his work as a University professor will help him in his new role.
Dean of the Architecture School Karen Van Lengen said she was one person the NEA called for a recommendation for Cox.
"I, of course, supported it because I think he is a great candidate for this particular job," Van Lengen said. "His experience of mayor combined with his expertise in the design field makes him perfect for this job."
Cox said his responsibilities will include overseeing the Mayors' Institute on City Design, the Governors' Institute on Community Design and the Your Town programs.
The Mayors' Institute on City Design is a program in which about 50 mayors convene annually with design professionals to "reshape the case and develop a strategy for how the mayor can lead," Cox said.
Cox said the program is an urban design "boot camp" for mayors.
He said as design director, he will act as an adviser along with other design professionals to the various mayors of national regions and their cabinets. The Governors' Institute is similar to this endeavor.
"In essence, we're trying to look at how, through statewide policy, governors shape the environment of our cities and our rural landscapes," Cox said.
NEA chairman Dana Gioia said Cox's experience and achievements will make him an effective director of design.
"We are excited that Maurice Cox will join us to direct the Arts Endowment's design initiatives," Gioia said. "His wide-ranging experience, from professional practice to academic instruction to civic leadership, fits well with the NEA's mission of promoting broad public access to artistic excellence. We know he will provide invaluable guidance for our programs."
Gioia also said Cox's emphasis on the Mayors' Institute on City Design programs will make him an ideal director of design.
"Because the design decisions that shape our cities have such lasting effects on our lives and the life of a city, we view the MICD as one of our most important programs," Gioia said.
The Your Town programs help smaller, mostly rural towns preserve character and simultaneously propose economic strategies for their continued development, Cox said.
He said he will be traveling throughout the country convening six to seven of the aforementioned programs a year.
His agenda is to bring planning awareness to areas that are "traditionally undeserved," he explained, adding that he looks forward to traveling the country in an effort to encourage people to realize the value that is added to our communities when design is at the very center.
Van Lengen said Cox's appointment will certainly benefit the University's architecture program.
"We see this as a huge opportunity, not only for Maurice but for the school as well because public design is what we are all about," Van Lengen said. "I look forward to what I know will be new and interesting initiatives that he will undoubtedly set up in the next couple of years"
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