Joseph G Dreiss

Joseph G. Dreiss, Professor of Art History, earned a Ph.D. (1980) in history of art from State University of New York at Binghamton, an M.A. (1974) in history of art from Rutgers University, and a B.A. (1972) in history of art from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Dreiss is the author of "Gari Melchers: His Works in the Belmont Collection" (1984), and also has published extensively in the areas of contemporary and art criticism. Dr. Dreiss also has been involved both in the production and teaching of digital media. He founded the Department of Art and Art History's digital media lab and developed and taught a summer curriculum in digital imaging, digital video and web production. Dr. Dreiss' most recent work focuses on the contemplative experience of art as traditionally understood in psychological and anagogic terms and its correlation with recent developments in neuropsychology that document the neurological impact of contemplative states of mind. The trajectory of his recent work argues for the potential of art as a tool for the augmentation and development of consciousness especially in consideration of the newly recognized neuroplasticity of the adult brain.