Message from the President

Since arriving at Pratt in 1993, I have had the good fortune of working with many dedicated people to position the Institute as one of the largest and most selective colleges of art, design, architecture, and library science in the world.

When I first took office, I articulated a vision for the institution that emphasized one dominant principle: quality. We set forth with an ambitious strategy and tackled numerous fronts at once - improving educational programs, increasing enrollment while maintaining selectivity, building relationships within the community surrounding Pratt, and renovating and improving our extraordinary 25-acre campus and its many landmark buildings.

Today, our academic programs and faculty are consistently ranked among the best in the nation and -- as our professors, visiting alumni, and longtime area residents constantly remind me -- the entire area surrounding Pratt has undergone a revolutionary transformation. As a founding member, trustee, and chair of the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project, I am proud that Pratt's commitment to its neighbors has resulted in many of these positive changes.

In just the last five years, the Institute opened Prattstore, a 15,000-square-foot art supply and bookstore on Myrtle Avenue for the college and the community; a new building for Pratt's School of Architecture designed by world-renowned architect Steven Holl; and the Juliana Curran Terian Design Center, which brings all of the Institute's design disciplines under one roof to encourage collaborations among these programs.

Looking toward the future, a new academic and administrative building is under construction at 524 Myrtle Avenue. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2010, it will be the first green building in the neighborhood and aims to obtain a LEED-Gold certification, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, which ranks new buildings based on overall sustainability.

As one of the first to sign the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, I am dedicated to serving as a role model for art and design schools across the nation through Pratt's approach to the global challenge posed by climate change. We ensure that our educational programs produce graduates who understand their role as socially and environmentally responsible citizens, artists, and designers while our Center for Sustainable Design Studies supports faculty and students in developing sustainable innovation through their work. Furthermore, Pratt was among the first to accept New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's challenge in 2007 to reduce our physical plant's greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030.

Looking back, I am delighted - and in no small measure amazed - at the incredible progress that we have made so far, but there is much left to do. Our work continues.
Pratt still offers great potential for dreaming, planning, and making things happen. I can think of few endeavors more satisfying than to be intimately engaged in advancing Pratt and nurturing the outpouring of creativity, the technical expertise, and the humanizing social benefits that are generated by this incomparable institution.

Dr. Thomas F. Schutte