College of Architecture and Urban Studies Dean Richard Blythe has announced that he has accepted the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.

Blythe will continue in his current role as dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies through Sept. 9.

In the coming weeks, Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke will announce an interim dean for the college prior to launching an international search for the new dean.

“I appreciate Dean Blythe’s leadership over the past four years and for his work to position the college to advance Virginia Tech’s Beyond Boundaries vision,” said Clarke. “It is important that these efforts continue as the university will benefit greatly from the college’s leadership in support of transdisciplinary programs and experiential learning. I wish him well in his new endeavor.”

Blythe, who had previously served as professor and dean of RMIT University School of Architecture and Design in Melbourne, Australia, joined Virginia Tech in 2017 and became the College of Architecture and Urban Studies’ seventh dean succeeding Jack Davis.

During his tenure at Virginia Tech, Blythe restructured his college’s leadership team to create a more inclusive leadership structure and implemented a new, more transparent budget model in support of the college’s teaching and research mission. In his four years as dean, the college’s enrollment grew by 20 percent and philanthropic support for the college increased significantly. Blythe also oversaw the relocation of School of Public and International Affairs to new facilities in Arlington, Virginia, and established a new location for the school in Richmond, Virginia.

In his new role at Curtin University, Blythe will join that university’s senior executive team which is responsible for setting strategic positioning and strategy implementation as well as providing counsel on matters that impact on the long-term direction of the university. Curtin University is Western Australia’s largest university, and enrolls more than 56,000 students.

In making its announcement, Curtin University noted, “Blythe’s proven strength in building community together with teaching and research capacity through bringing people, institutions and industry together aligns with Curtin’s own focus on providing impactful and practical learning experiences and opportunities for our students.”

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