Pratt Provost Peter Barna Will Return To Teaching, Be Replaced In July

Pratt Institute Provost Peter Barna is stepping down from the position effective some time this July in order to return to presiding over the classroom instead.

Barna will be replaced by Kirk Pillow, the current interim president at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, announced the Brooklyn Daily Eagle last week. Pillow has also previously served as provost at UArts from 2011-2014 and has written about philosophy, aesthetics, and the philosophy of art. He also served as provost (and dean and interim president) at Corcoran College of Art + Design, and as an administrator and professor at Hamilton College.

“Pratt is an extraordinary hub of creative energy and excellence,” said Pillow in a statement. “It’s a dream come true to be chosen for this role, and I very much look forward to joining the Pratt community.”

Pillow’s duties at Pratt will consist of overseeing curriculum, instruction, and research, and he will “report directly to Pratt President Thomas Schutte.

Schutte described Pillow as “a true visionary. . . with the energy, enthusiasm, and experience to lead the Institute in fulfilling its academic mission [while also being] an accomplished leader who listens, moves priorities forward, and embraces the collaborative nature of collegial governance.”