Ms. Beard starts her position October 31, 2024 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has named Dena Beard, M.A., the new Executive Director of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). Recognized for her distinguished perspective and approach in the experimental media and performing arts fields, Beard joins RPI from Brooklyn College, where she was Director of the iconic Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of The Lab, the cultural landmark in San Francisco for experimental and avant-garde music.