Panhorst, who will assume his duties at Auburn on Aug. 15, is currently director of the Chesterwood Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. Chesterwood is one of 25 historic sites of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

"I feel it is an honor and a privilege to be able to join the staff of the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, the staff of Auburn University and the many dedicated volunteers and donors who together have brought this museum into existence," Panhorst said. "The outstanding new building and important collections enable the museum to serve Auburn, the state, the region and the nation in new and innovative ways."

Panhorst, a native of Montgomery, returns to his home state with nearly three decades of experience as a director, curator, researcher, writer, editor, teacher and project manager at museums and universities throughout the eastern United States.

As director of the Chesterwood Museum, he is responsible for overseeing the museum's budget, leading fund-raising campaigns, coordinating exhibitions and managing a staff equivalent to 13 full-time employees.

"We are very excited that we were able to attract Dr. Panhorst to accept the position at our museum," said Thomas Hanley, AU provost and vice president for academic affairs. "His experience should prove extremely beneficial in our quest to grow the Jule Collins Smith Museum into one of the finest university-affiliated museums in the country."

Previously, Panhorst was the founding director of the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Mich. His accomplishments there included growing, appraising and establishing policy for the museum's collection, building its endowment from zero to $1.1 million and raising the museum's goal of $2.5 million in a capital campaign.

"I look forward to working with Dr. Panhorst as the director of the Jule Collins Smith Museum," said Rebekah Pindzola, interim dean of the AU College of Liberal Arts. "We're off to a strong start after the museum's October opening, but Dr. Panhorst's experience with both established and young museums should lead to still more growth in our museum's reputation. I'm convinced he will provide visionary leadership to challenge the minds, engage the imaginations and sharpen the perceptions of all of the visitors to the museum."

Panhorst holds a bachelor's degree in art administration from the University of Alabama and master's and doctoral degrees in art history from the University of Delaware. He is widely published, having authored or co-authored numerous art-related articles, essays, encyclopedia and dictionary entries, web sites, CDs, videos and government reports.

Panhorst has lectured extensively on sculpture, with particular emphasis on outdoor sculpture. He has been active in SOS! Save Outdoor Sculpture, a nationwide effort to inventory all publicly accessible sculpture, assess its condition and promote its proper care.

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is home to Auburn University's superb permanent collection of American and European art. It is the state's only university museum and the principal outreach arm of AU's College of Liberal Arts. The nearly 40,000-square-foot building offers all the amenities of a modern art museum to thousands of visitors every year.