Our Leadership

Dr. Elisa Stephens became President of Academy of Art University in 1992, representing the third generation of the Stephens family to lead the school since her grandparents founded it in 1929.

Under her leadership, the university has expanded its distinctive, career-focused art and design programs and built a state-of-the-industry campus in downtown San Francisco, supported by advanced technology and a thriving online global presence.

More than 25 years ago, Dr. Stephens pioneered the Academy’s proprietary online education platform for art and design. Today, she has expanded that vision with hybrid classes that enable students around the world to study alongside classmates on campus, using the technology and creative tools located in the Academy’s San Francisco studios.

Focused on preparing students for the future of creative work, Dr. Stephens is now leading the integration of AI into art and design education. She recently launched AI-driven BA and MA programs in Marketing and Advertising and has expanded AI teaching across the university’s schools, which now offer close to 20 courses with AI at their core.

Dr. Stephens is active in national and local organizations, including the Council on Competitiveness in Washington, D.C., Vistage International, the Rotary Club of San Francisco, Young Presidents’ Organization, and the San Francisco Opera Guild. She is also a Smithsonian National Board alumna, having served from 2014 to 2017.

She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Vassar College and her J.D. from the University of San Francisco, where she became a member of the California Bar Association. She also completed the Foundations curriculum at Academy of Art University.

The Academy of Art College was established in San Francisco in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens, a fine art painter and Creative Director for Sunset Magazine. Assisted by his wife, Mrs. Clara Stephens, he opened the new school in a rented loft at 215 Kearny St. to teach advertising art. Within a few years, a distinguished faculty of practicing art and design professionals helped formulate the school’s philosophy—hire established professionals to teach future professionals. In 1933 the curriculum was expanded to include fashion illustration, and in 1936 a fine art department was added.