The search for a new dean for the College of Fine Arts has been narrowed to two candidates: Dr. Anne Hogan and Dr. Anne Helmreich.

Helmreich taught as an assistant professor of art history at TCU in the 1990s.

After leaving TCU, Helmreich went to teach at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. For the last few years, Helmreich has been a senior program officer at the Getty Foundation in Los Angeles

Dr. Harry Parker, theatre department chair and member of the College of Fine Arts dean search committee, said Helmreich has experienced both ends of funding in higher education by obtaining grants as well as awarding them.

“She has an incredible background in fundraising and also an impeccable academic background as well,” Parker said.

Hogan, the other candidate, is the director of education at the Royal Academy of Dance in London.

She started her career as a ballerina and danced in the Boston Ballet Company and Pacific Northwest Ballet during her twenties, Parker said.

Following her dance career, Hogan went to Harvard University where she received her bachelors in English literature and obtained her masters and doctorate in English Literature from Brown.

Most of her academic life has been spent working and teaching in administration at universities in Paris and London, Parker said.

“Anne Hogan has worked in a variety of disciplines and in Paris and London for many years, and brings a strong international perspective to her candidacy,” Parker said.

Parker said that since the college has grown quickly, several of the programs need additional facilities, which will be an important area for the new dean to address.

“We believe that the five units that are in the college of fine arts are all very strong, three of them have pretty profound facility needs,” Parker said. “Music and theatre are in desperate need of a new building and maybe the one that needs a new building the most is Interior Design and Fashion Merchandising.”

Parker said over 70 qualified applicants were reviewed for the position.

“We had 70 excellent applicants and I think that’s a clear indication that the reputation of the College of Fine Arts at TCU is very strong,” Parker said.

A high level of leadership is expected by members of the committee for the next dean, Parker said.

“We look for senior level faculty members,” Parker said. “They need to have a sense of vision and leadership in terms of leading the college into the next chapter.”

Parker said the college already has outstanding faculty and students and that the leadership of a new dean will further advance the success of the programs.

“I think we are excelling in this college mostly despite our facilities,” he said. “I’m excited to see what will happen with new leadership and new facilities because I think we are on the verge of really exploding nationally in terms of visibility.”