Steven Lavine

Steven D. Lavine is an American academic administrator known for his long tenure as the president of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), a position he held from 1988 until his retirement in June 2017. During his nearly 29 years in this role, Lavine was instrumental in transforming CalArts into a leading institution for multidisciplinary arts education, overseeing significant growth in programs, enrollment, and financial stability.123

Early Life and Education

Born in Sparta, Wisconsin, Lavine grew up in Superior, Wisconsin. His upbringing was influenced by a family background in medicine and music, with his mother being a talented pianist. He pursued higher education at Stanford University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, followed by a Master of Arts and PhD in English and American literature from Harvard University.12

Career Highlights

Before joining CalArts, Lavine worked as an Assistant Professor of English and American Literature at the University of Michigan and served as the Associate Director for Arts and Humanities at the Rockefeller Foundation. His leadership at CalArts was marked by several key achievements, including:

• The establishment of the Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT).
• The rebuilding of the CalArts campus after the Northridge Earthquake in 1994.
• Significant diversification of the student body, with a focus on increasing representation from underrepresented communities.23

After stepping down, Lavine became President Emeritus and took on the role of Founding Director at the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles, where he focuses on fostering dialogue between scholars and thinkers from Germany and the United States.23

Personal Life

Lavine is married to writer and artist Janet Sternburg. He has also been actively involved in various cultural and educational organizations, serving on multiple boards, including the Los Angeles Review of Books and the American University in Rome.12