Alumni Spotlight: Dean Adams ’92

By MSU Alumni Foundation

August 25^th, 2025

While some students try to graduate within four years or even earlier, some students work on a different timeline.

This was the case for Dean Adams, who enrolled at MSU in the fall of 1985 and then graduated in 1992.

Adams’ collegiate journey started and ended with MSU, but in between, it consisted of switching majors—from biomedicine to art—switching universities, and even a stint working for an artist in Omaha, Nebraska.

But the journey to Adams was worth it. He built out his portfolio, learned and thrived in the communal, collaborative nature of art studios, and cultivated an appreciation for the medium he once had no interest in.

Adams has been a faculty member in the MSU College of Arts and Architecture since 2001 and in July 2023 he formally took over as dean of the college, beginning a new chapter in his decades-spanning relationship with MSU.

“I really thought that to pick art as a career choice was about having a backup plan, that there was something else that needed to be there. And MSU showed me that art was its own career, and that I could be an artist. I say that as somebody who’s been working in higher ed now, but the point still stands.

“When I think of the breadth of what art can be, I think about overcoming my fear of drawing. And that happened at MSU. Drawing is how we learn to see. It really is about training our eyes, our brain, and our hands. This is probably the most significant thing that I learned at MSU as a student: drawing is the way we learn to see and the foundation of everything we do.”

Adams chose to major in art because of its connection to any other subject or discipline imaginable. If he wanted to research the layers of the skin, he could make art about that and potentially lead to a new discovery.

“There is nothing more gratifying than seeing a student find their creative voice, community and sense of belonging."

Adams said he would have loved to be a student forever. But the next best thing was to work for a university.

Adams said he was excited to enter a service leadership role as dean. He is helping students and faculty succeed as well as meet their professional objectives.

“I have held enough positions on campus, I have worked with enough people across campus at all levels, I have looked through the lenses to understand what it means to be a part of the culture of what MSU is. I’m excited to continue that legacy in the College of Arts and Architecture and give our community what it needs to be successful."