Laurence Kaptain, former dean of the LSU College Music & Dramatic Arts, or CMDA, moved into the position of Director for Creative Initiatives Aug. 10, 2013. This assignment builds on key accomplishments of Kaptain’s four-year tenure as dean, such as increased international activity, creative events, interdisciplinary projects among colleges, and the first LSU live-streaming of concerts and web-based social networking and crowdsourcing initiatives. Some specific metrics that reflect his success as dean, include:
- The endowment of the LSU CMDA increased 65% (in 4 years of recession and economic pessimism) – achieving a surplus in LSU Foundation scholarships, talent awards, and professorship funds;
- The diversity of the performing arts student body grew by over 35% while diversity of the faculty and professional staff doubled, and
- Faculty and student travel increased by 129%, providing opportunities for creative and scholarly trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
LSU Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost Stuart Bell appointed Senior Associate Dean Kristin Sosnowsky as Interim Dean in August, and a national search for a continuing dean has commenced. Kaptain commented on Sosnowsky's appointment, "Provost Bell made a wise choice in appointing Kristin Sosnowsky as Interim Dean. In her role as Senior Associate Dean for Finance and Operations we raised attendance (and ticket revenues), increased visibility of the performing arts at LSU, introduced valuable curricular and programmatic changes (that increased enrollments in the Department of Theatre), made numerous collaborative relationships with other college units and maintained a perfect record for never triggering end-of-year-deficits
due, in part, to our success in identifying novel sources of funding and in
fostering public-private partnerships."
Kaptain's ownership of his fiscal
responsibilities is evidenced by his recent appointment as Treasurer of the
College Music Society.
According to Bell, “One of Larry’s strengths is his ability to think ‘out of the box,’ which allows him to see potential connections for creative collaboration. Over the past four years he has helped form and shape programs, projects and alliances between CMDA and the Colleges of Engineering, Humanities & Social Sciences, Human Sciences & Education, Science, Business, Mass Communication, and Art & Design.”
Kaptain will be working closely with the Office of Research and Economic Development to enhance a broader appreciation for the contribution of all disciplines to the research plan of the university, develop communication mechanisms to promote scholarship both internally and externally, and identify funding sources that would support creative engagement. In addition, he will be involved in planning interdisciplinary events on campus that promote creativity among faculty and students.
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| LSU theatre student Amanda Schmidt awarding Vanderbilt's Steven J. Tepper an LSU hoodie at the 2012 CMDA opening Convocation. |
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| Renowned Broadway and film actress Elizabeth Ashley and Senior Associate Dean Kristin Sosnowsky at an LSU CMDA Alumni function in New York City. LSU faculty and student activity in New York City grew exponentially during Kaptain's term as Dean. |
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| Dinner with President Clinton at the Thea Foundation Banquet in Washington, DC in 2012. Kaptain made regular visits to Washington advocating for LSU, Louisiana and the arts. |
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| In Mexico City in 2012 with Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto in rehearsals and performances with Mexico's National Symphony Orchestra. |
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| LSU alum and international opera star Donnie Ray Albert, his wife and Miriam Overton on an LSU alumni trip to Dallas. |
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| CMDA Diploma Ceremony May 2013 with arts icon Liz Lerman and MFA graduate Katrina Despain. |
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| Attending "Showboat" at the Houston Grand Opera,preceded by an LSU alumni reception. Here with Lara Teeter who played Captain Andy. Teeter and Kaptain were colleagues at Shenandoah Conservatory. |
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| In Bill Conti's dressing room at Intermission of a holiday concert series (July 2013) in his new job as conductor of the San Diego Pops. Pictured with Shelby Conti. Both proud LSU grads. |