Ulrich Museum Executive Joins Widener Global Leaders Program Advisory Board
Oct. 21, 2024
By Barton School of Business
About the W. Frank Barton School of Business
The W. Frank Barton School of Business is the home of real and applied learning, a
place where students apply knowledge gained from faculty and business leaders while
developing professional and life skills. The Barton School is among the top 1% of
business schools worldwide due to its double AACSB accreditation in business and accounting.
The school is housed in an award-winning building, Woolsey Hall, which features remarkable
artwork, sculptures, gardens, and The Promise Bridge, a 300-foot-long pedestrian bridge
over the water in front of the building.
The Widener Global Leaders Program has announced that Vivian Zavataro, executive and
creative director of the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, has joined its advisory board. The WGLP is led by the W. Frank Barton School of
Business in collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College
of Fine Arts at Wichita State University, for students majoring in business, communication,
and fine arts. It is an interdisciplinary program designed to create the next generation
of global leaders and provide them with a transformational, multidisciplinary educational
experience to help them thrive upon graduation.
“As a Brazilian-Italian woman who has dedicated my life to the arts, I believe in
the values and mission of the Widener Global Leaders Program,” said Zavataro. “By
providing these students with an opportunity to engage with others inside and outside
of their community, they can grow personally and professionally more than they ever
thought possible.”
Before the Ulrich Museum of Art, Zavataro was the director and chief curator of the
John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art at the University of Nevada, Reno. During
her tenure, she established an operational endowment, grew the museum annual budget
and staff and led multiple large scale strategic initiatives and partnerships. She
has also worked at renowned arts organizations, such as documenta in Kassel, Germany;
the Nevada Museum of Art; SFMOMA; and the J. Paul Getty Foundation. Her exhibitions
have been funded by major national entities, such as the National Endowment for the
Arts and the Terra Foundation for American Art. She holds a master’s in heritage and
museum studies from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and a master’s
in advanced studies in curating from the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland.
Zavataro is currently pursuing her PhD in Practice in Curating at the University of
Reading, United Kingdom.
“Vivian is a leader with a wealth of knowledge and experience from around the world,”
said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School and WGLP Executive Program Director.
“As we aim to expand the global and artistic perspectives of our WGLP cohorts, Vivian
will be an invaluable asset to these efforts.”
