Jason Schupbach

Jason Schupbach is the Dean of the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University, previously serving as Director of the Design School at ASU, where he led innovative design education initiatives. With a background in creative placemaking and public service, he has held significant roles at the NEA, Massachusetts, and various city administrations, while also contributing extensively to arts and community development writings.

Jason Schupbach is the Dean of the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University. Prior to this role, he served as the Director of the Design School at Arizona State University (ASU), the largest design school in the United States. At ASU, Schupbach initiated the ReDesign.School project, a pioneering effort to reimagine design education for the 21st century. He was also a key advisor to the university on ventures such as the Center for Creativity and Place, Roden Crater, the Creative Futures Lab, and ASU’s downtown Los Angeles hub.

Before his tenure at ASU, Schupbach was the Director of Design and Creative Placemaking Programs at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), where he led the agency’s grant-making and partnerships in design and creative placemaking. He also managed initiatives like the Our Town and Design Arts Works grants, the Mayor’s Institute on City Design, the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, and NEA’s federal collaborations with other agencies.

Schupbach also served as the Creative Economy Director under Governor Patrick of Massachusetts, where he focused on the growth of creative and tech businesses in the state. Earlier in his career, he directed ArtistLink, a Ford Foundation-funded initiative aimed at stabilizing and revitalizing communities through the creation of affordable spaces and innovative environments for creatives. His public service work also includes roles with the Mayor of Chicago and New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

An accomplished writer, Schupbach has published extensively on the role of arts and design in community development. His writings have been featured as a “Best Idea of the Day” by the Aspen Institute. Schupbach holds a B.S. in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1997) and a Master’s in City Planning with an Urban Design Certificate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003).