Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Ellen Bredehoft will assume the role of Interim Dean of Mason Gross School of the Arts, effective July 1, 2025, as Dean Jason Geary assumes the role of Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Rutgers–New Brunswick and the university continues the search for the school’s next permanent Dean.
“Ellen brings to this role a deep understanding of the school’s mission, a collaborative leadership style, and a longstanding commitment to excellence in the arts and higher education,” says Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway. “Her leadership during this transitional period will help ensure continuity and momentum across Mason Gross’s academic and creative endeavors.”
Since August 1, 2024, Bredehoft has served as the school’s associate dean for Academic Affairs for a three-year renewable term. Prior to this position, she’d served as chair of the Theater Department since August 2020, first in an interim capacity and then as permanent chair. Bredehoft has established an international career in the areas of costume technology, design, and production. She has served as costume tailor and draper for dozens of productions in opera and the stage, including at Glimmerglass, Spoleto, Wolf Trap, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and other prominent venues across the country. Her work has also appeared on Broadway, most recently in the production of the Tony-nominated musical Shucked, where she served as tailor, draper, and dyer.
In addition, she has worked in television and film, as well as on international projects, including in France and Norway. She has served as head of Costume Technology at Mason Gross since 2010.
The national search for the next dean remains underway,