The Miami University Art Museum’s Director, Robert S. Wicks, retires after 21 years of museum involvement.

After undergraduate work at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wicks completed his doctorate in the history of art and archaeology at Cornell University. He was a Fulbright lecturer at Silpakorn University in Bangkok, Thailand and a visiting professor of Asian studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan.

Wicks specializes in Southeast Asian and native North American material culture. He is highly skilled in digital humanities, numismatics, history of photography and U.S. postal history. Wicks also has an ongoing commitment to First Nations culture preservation efforts, particularly the Wyandotte Nation and Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.

Wicks started working at Miami University 38 years ago as an assistant professor of art history. He later assumed the roles of assistant dean for student affairs in the School of Fine Arts, acting university director of International Programs, acting dean of the School of Fine Arts, associate dean for Program and Resource Development in the School of Fine Arts, associate professor of art history and then became a professor of art history.

In 2000, Wicks became involved with the Miami University Art Museum as interim director until 2003 when he became the director and a full professor.