ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University has announced interim leadership appointments for the College of the Arts, effective July 1, 2026.
Interim Dean of the College of the Arts.
Jillian Sokso, M.F.A., has been appointed interim dean of the College of the Arts. Sokso is a visual artist, educator, and academic leader who currently serves as director of the School of Art at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì.
Since joining the university in 2022, Sokso has provided strategic leadership for one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive schools of art. Her work has focused on advancing academic excellence, supporting faculty and student success, and strengthening the school’s national profile. Prior to ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì, she served as director of the School of Communication and Design and professor of art and design at George Fox University in Oregon, where she also held the role of chair of art and design.
An accomplished artist, Sokso has exhibited nationally and internationally, with work shown at venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, FL, and the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia, PA. Her artwork is held in public and private collections, and she is a former recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Strategic Opportunity Grant. She has completed artist residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Women’s Studio Workshop and the Contemporary Arts Center at Woodside.
As interim dean, Sokso will lead the College of the Arts as the university continues planning for the proposed merger of the College of the Arts and the College of Communication and Information.
Interim Director of the School of Art.
During this interim period, Taryn McMahon, M.F.A., will serve as interim director of the School of Art. McMahon is a professor of studio art and an internationally exhibited artist whose work explores the relationship between humans and the environment, particularly through Northeast Ohio’s waterways.
Professor McMahon has been a member of the ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì faculty since 2013 and currently serves as the Studio Art Division coordinator, and co- area head of the print media and photography program. She has received numerous honors for her creative work, including an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Award, a Puffin Foundation grant, and multiple ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University research and teaching awards. Her work has been exhibited at institutions such as the International Print Center in New York,NY, The Print Center in Philadelphia, PA, and Ortega y Gasset Projects in Brooklyn, NY.
The university extends its appreciation to Diane Petrella, D.M.A., for her dedicated service as dean of the College of the Arts. Her leadership advanced the college’s mission and strengthened support for students, faculty and staff.
We welcome Sokso and McMahon into their new roles in the College of the Arts!