News From the Board of Governors: October 2025

Scholar, arts practitioner, and cultural strategist Ian Koebner, who for more than two decades has forged partnerships between arts and health to enhance individual and communal well-being, has been named the inaugural chair and endowed professor in Arts in Health at Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts (MGSA).

Koebner's appointment comes as a result of the largest gift in MGSA's 49-year history, $8.8 million, announced in February 2025.

In this position, Koebner will guide the development of public programming, education, and research collaborations that explore how creative engagement supports physical, emotional, and social health. His work will further connect Rutgers artists and scholars with health care institutions and community organizations across New Jersey and beyond.

"The field of arts and health sits at the crossroads of creativity and care, offering powerful ways to improve individual and collective well-being," says Koebner, a published poet who serves as strategic advisor for health and wellness programs at Carnegie Hall. As an artist himself, Koebner has delved into curation, as well as writing, performance, and exhibit design.