Robert Brinkerhoff is Dean of Fine Arts at Rhode Island School of Design, where he also served nine years as Illustration Department Head. His teaching explores the intersection of illustration, design, writing, semiotics, social justice and narrative theory. His work has been recognised by Print, How, American Illustration, the Society of Illustrators, CASE and UCDA.
In service to the illustration profession he was Education Chair for ICON7: The Illustration Conference, and ICON8‘s Vice-President. In 2015 RISD hosted the Illustration Research Symposium: Illustrator as Public Intellectual under his co-leadership.