Brian Kite, currently the dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT), has been appointed UCLA’s new dean and vice provost of graduate education. He is expected to start in the new role on or before Feb. 1, 2025.
An award-winning theater director and a UCLA professor of directing since 2015, Kite has also served as TFT’s interim dean, special academic senior associate dean and theater department chair.
Over the course of his tenure as dean, which included shepherding the school through the COVID-19 pandemic, Kite facilitated a multiyear strategic planning process, spearheaded the upgrade of the school’s administrative systems and led development efforts that raised significant funds for both infrastructure improvements and student and faculty support.
In addition, he worked closely with faculty, staff, students and alumni to introduce innovations to the school’s curriculum and to strengthen its ties to the entertainment industry and other schools and units across campus.
In a message to the campus community announcing Kite’s appointment, Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt said, “I am confident that Brian will provide outstanding leadership as dean and vice provost and will positively impact and advance graduate education at UCLA.”
Prior to joining UCLA, Kite was the producing artistic director of La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, where he helmed numerous acclaimed productions. A recipient of the Joel Hirschhorn Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and an Ovation Award for Best Direction, he also directed the first American play ever performed at China’s prestigious National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. He is a chair emeritus of the board of governors of the nonprofit LA Stage Alliance and holds an appointment as a visiting professor at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
On UCLA’s campus, Kite has been an active member of numerous committees and working groups, among them the Chancellor’s Council on the Arts, the Faculty Forward Initiative Committee, the Enrollment Planning Committee, the Professional School Deans Council and the UCLA Graduate Council, which is responsible for policies related to graduate education.
“Graduate education at UCLA is rooted in a tradition of excellence and innovation, and I am thrilled to contribute to that legacy,” Kite said. “I look forward to partnering with our brilliant faculty, dedicated staff and exceptional students to create a thriving, inclusive community that supports success at every stage of the graduate journey.”
Kite will succeed Susan Ettner, who has served as dean of graduate education since July 2021, preceded by a year as interim dean.
