The David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities announced on Jan. 1 that Chris Dickey, associate professor in the Washington State University School of Music, will serve as its director for a three-year appointment. Dickey who formerly served two years as assistant director, takes over for Trevor Bond, interim dean of libraries, who had served as director since 2021.
“I accepted this appointment because I strongly believe in the mission of the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities. The amount of high-quality work being done by arts and humanities faculty is astounding, and I am thrilled to play a small role in supporting fellow colleagues and students in their scholarly endeavors,” said Dickey.
The Center was established in 2019 and named the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities in 2023, in recognition of alumnus David Pollart’s transformational support. The Pollart Center is committed to advancing the contributions of the arts and humanities for the public good.
The amount of high-quality work being done by arts and humanities faculty is astounding, and I am thrilled to play a small role in supporting fellow colleagues and students in their scholarly endeavors.
Chris Dickey, director
David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities
Washington State University
“Under Chris’s leadership, the center will further advance visibility of our faculty, broaden student exposure to the arts and humanities outside of the classroom, and expand engagement with the WSU community and beyond,” said Interim Dean Courtney Meehan. “Chris is a tremendous asset to the Center for Arts and Humanities.”
An award-winning teacher, Dickey is an associate professor of tuba and euphonium and the graduate program coordinator in the School of Music. They are also affiliate faculty in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. They have a varied career as performer, teacher, adjudicator, composer, and speaker. As a performer, Dickey is a member of the Equinox Brass Quintet and principal tuba of the Washington-Idaho Symphony. Dickey is also a tubist in the Mirari Brass Quintet, as well as a performer in several other ensembles. Recent work has been devoted to recordings, inclusive pedagogy, and commissioning underrepresented composers.
“One of my main goals in this new role is to increase the credibility and visibility of the arts and humanities at WSU while simultaneously fostering more opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and community members to become increasingly engaged with the pressing, relevant matters being addressed by WSU’s active research enterprise,” said Dickey.
