Lucia DeRespinis

Lucia DeRespinis joined FIT in 2016 with 25 years of senior management experience at leading nonprofit cultural and educational institutions, primarily in New York City. Her work at FIT, as part of the Division of Academic Affairs, focuses on pre- and post-award grants administration support for faculty initiatives, research, special projects, and exhibitions. DeRespinis’ decades of experience in grantsmanship extends from program development and grant-writing to budgeting and serving on government and private grant-review panels. Prior to her tenure at FIT, Lucia supervised advancement and external-relations offices, raising support from foundations, government agencies, corporations, and individuals. She received her BA in art history from Sarah Lawrence College and her MS in nonprofit management from The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy; and she was a Smithsonian Institution Palmer Leadership Fellow.