Michael Tick, who served as dean of the University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts, will be the new dean of Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, the university announced Tuesday.

Under Tick’s leadership at UK, the university established the first fully-online master’s program in arts administration at a public university, according to an SU News release. Within the past year, SU has also moved to make several fully-online master’s programs with almost every school and college on campus. These include the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the School of Information Studies, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Law. VPA has yet to announce an online master’s degree program.

Tick will replace Ann Clarke, who announced in September 2015 she was stepping down to do research and work on her art and her studio practice. She intends to return to VPA as a faculty member in the School of Art. Clarke served as VPA dean for eight years.

Clarke expanded the global presence of VPA under her leadership, something Tick also focused on while at UK. Specifically, Tick helped reach agreements with universities in Asia, including China and Mongolia, according to the release. The school is in the process of making similar arrangements with schools in Malaysia and South Korea.

“With outstanding faculty, staff and students, as well as a combination of rigorous scholarship, creative practice and community engagement, VPA’s scope is impressive and serves the University’s draft Academic Strategic Plan,” Tick said in the release. “The college is well-positioned to strengthen connections between and across different disciplines, support partnerships around the globe.”

At UK, the College of Fine Arts under Tick secured more than $45 million in public and private funding for programs, according to the release. Tick also oversaw the renovation of a historical building into UK’s new building for the School of Art and Visual Studies and focused on interdisciplinary projects, according to the release.

“Michael clearly stood out with a demonstrated record of administrative accomplishments in fiscal, facilities and personnel management in the arts and academia,” said Charles Morris, chair of the Communication and Rhetorical Studies Department and leader of the VPA dean search committee. “He exudes an entrepreneurial spirit, a real appreciation for diversity and a talent for facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration.”