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 Mason Gross (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.
Koebner’s work resonates with that of the Arts in Health Research Lab, a partnership launched in 2023 involving the Mason Gross School, the Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH), and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). The lab’s mission is to marshal creativity to improve health outcomes through research, education, and community engagement. The lab conducts research and nurtures pedagogy and programming that explores the ways in which the arts contribute to measurable improvements in physical, social, and mental well-being.
Read more about Koebner’s appointment on Rutgers Today.