Celine Parreñas Shimizu to become dean of School of Theater, Film and Television
Celine Parreñas Shimizu smiles for a photo. Shimizu will become the dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in July.(Courtesy of Carolyn Lagattuta)
By Akshaj Mehta
March 10, 2025 6:56 p.m.
A UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television alumnus will soon lead the school.
Celine Parreñas Shimizu, the dean of the Division of Arts at UC Santa Cruz, will begin her tenure as dean of TFT at UCLA on July 1, according to a Thursday announcement from Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt. Shimizu, who graduated from the school with a master’s degree in film directing and production in 1996, was also previously the director of the San Francisco State University School of Cinema.
Hunt said in the announcement that an advisory committee of TFT professors and administrators picked Shimizu, who also holds a doctoral degree from Stanford University. The committee also included professors from the College of Letters and Science and the School of the Arts and Architecture – including interim Arts and Architecture Dean Lionel Popkin.
Shimizu will succeed Brian Kite, who became the dean and vice provost of graduate education in February. Chon Noriega, a distinguished professor in the Department of Film, Television and Digital Media, has held the role of interim TFT dean since Feb. 1.
[Related: Chon Noriega appointed interim dean of UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television]
Kite, who was in the role in an interim – and later permanent – capacity in 2023, received $409,508 for the role that year, according to UC Office of the President pay reports.
In the announcement, Hunt thanked Kite and Noriega and expressed his confidence in Shimizu.
“Dean Shimizu’s significant academic, professional and administrative experience and achievements, coupled with her TFT roots, position her well to lead the school at this pivotal moment,” he said.
