Voices Spring 2023

FROM LESSON PLANS TO LIBRETTOS

A TEACHER'S TRANSITION TO OPERA

CCFA | 2023

PRESIDENT Bill Hardgrave

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR

Tammy Hedges

INTERIM DEAN

Dr. Ryan Fisher

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Scott Pickey

CARNIVAL VITA S: DANCE OF THE ANIMALS

UofM Dance Students Showcase Their Skills in Unique Puppeteering Performance.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Wendy Adams

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN

University of Memphis Division for External Relations

PUBLISHED BY University of Memphis College of Communication and Fine Arts 232 CFA Building Memphis, TN 38152 901.678.2350 memphis.edu/ccfa

To submit story ideas, alumni updates or other CCFA-related inquiries, please contact Scott Pickey at CCFA@memphis.edu.

The University of Memphis is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action University. It is committed to the education of a non-racially identifiable student body. UOM517-FY2223/8C Paulsen

INTERIM

DEAN’S MESSAGE

Over the past year, the UofM has experienced a season of change. In April 2022, we welcomed our new president, Dr. Bill Hardgrave, and a new interim provost, Dr. Abby Parrill-Baker in July. Our dean of five incredible years, Dr. Anne Hogan, also announced that she would be transitioning to a new role at Ithaca College in New York to serve as the inaugural dean of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance. During Dr. Hogan’s time as dean of the UofM CCFA, we saw tremendous enrollment growth, a record-setting number of graduates from our programs and the establishment of the UofM Institute for Arts and Health. I had the honor of serving alongside Dr. Hogan as associate dean of the CCFA, and it is a tremendous honor for me to serve the college now as the interim dean. I will forever be grateful for Dr. Hogan’s leadership, mentorship, and, most importantly, friendship. Though these transitions can be difficult; our faculty, staff and students are resilient and continue to do tremendous work in the local community and throughout the nation.

Since our last issue of Voices, the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center was completed. We marked the opening of this state-of-theart facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a huge gala on February 4. It featured our UofM Symphony Orchestra, University Singers, Pep Band, inspiring words by President Bill Hardgrave and the Scheidt family, and a memorable performance by the iconic and GRAMMYaward winning Dionne Warwick who was accompanied by our string players. The event was emceed by Memphis rapper Al Kapone and the evening was capped by a performance by the Bar-Kays. On February 5, the School of Music hosted the “Honey Music Festival,” which featured all of the diverse music ensembles our School offers in all areas of the new building. Tours were provided so community members could celebrate the significance of this new building to our University and the impact this new performance venue will have on the broader Memphis area.

Ribbon cutting at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center.

DR. RYAN FISHER

Opening of Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center on February 4.

On April 1, the CCFA hosted our first “Central to the Arts Festival,” which was the idea of our previous dean, Anne Hogan. This free, indoor and outdoor event featured dance, opera, commercial music, jazz and theatre performances. Our galleries and museum presented exciting new exhibits, our new fashion program highlighted new student designs through two fashion shows, and our film area hosted film screenings. The festival concluded with the CCFA Exposé, a concert in the new SPFAC Plough Performance Hall that featured student performances from theatre, dance, musical theatre and music with videos highlighting our students’ innovative visual art and design.

In this issue of Voices, we highlight some of the amazing projects our faculty and students have led. Our Department of Communication and Film is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the highly successful and impactful Ph.D. in Communication Studies degree program by hosting various events on campus and at communication conferences. We feature the significant work associate professor of theatre Sarah Brown has been doing in Hungary over the past two years as a two-time Fulbright Scholar recipient. With longtime department of art chair Richard Lou returning to full-time faculty status, we introduce you to the new chair, Lucas Charles, who has been pivotal in developing our highly ranked graphic design program prior to entering this new administrative role. Our spotlight on students introduces you to DMA in vocal performance student Shannon Jongema, who has gone from teacher to budding opera star. Our commitment to innovative research and community engagement is on full display in our article on the historic Orange Mound community brought back to life through a virtual reality project coordinated by Marika Snyder, assistant professor of architecture. Finally, we present the impact donors like Courtney Ellett, founder and owner of Obsidian PR firm, have on our academic programs with the opening of our new Obsidian Social Media Lab.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Voices and invite you to support our college through a generous gift or by attending some of our numerous special lectures, exhibits, performances and productions.

UofM CCFA Interim Dean DR. RYAN FISHER

Honey Music Festival at Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center.

From Lesson Plans to Librettos:

A TEACHER'S TRANSITION TO OPERA

SHANNON JONGEMA thought she’d found the perfect harmony as a middle school chorus teacher. Her love for music and teaching came together in perfect sync. Plus, the excitement the 28-year-old felt molding and guiding young voices was equaled only by the sense of fulfillment she got from the stability and security of her job. It was her life's symphony — until the discordant note of change struck.

“We were on a break from school, teaching in the middle of COVID and the [Metropolitan Opera] was doing live streams for free every night,” said Jongema. “I had a subscription at one point, so I said I’m going to take this time and I’m going to do something for myself.”

She put all her grading and lesson planning on the back burner.

“I remember I was trying to cook at the same time. I was sitting there with things burning on the stove, but I was enthralled by what I was seeing,” she said. “The way that the singers in that

show threw themselves into the role and they were taking risks dramatically.”

The passion she saw on stage, she said, made her feel more alive than she had in a long time.

“I don’t want to be doing this, I want to be doing that,” she said. “And I want to do it like they do it and I want to do it at that level. After that is when I really couldn’t stop thinking about how I could change my career.”

The more she listened, the more she realized opera was her true calling. It was a difficult decision, but in a bold move, she decided to leave her teaching position to chase her dream of singing. Making that choice was the most agonizing part of her journey.

In the beginning, Jongema was determined to finish her education degree and pursue her teaching career. But during an internship with a teacher in her last semester of college in Orange County, Florida, she began to have doubts.

“I told him that I’m going to be 100% here when I’m here, but, just so you know, I’m probably not going to be teaching when I graduate,” she said. “And he said, ‘We’ll see.’ He made me think I could be really happy as a teacher because he was so happy as a teacher. His students were amazing, and the school was great, and I had a phenomenal experience.”

Jongema told herself she could make it all work.

“I’ll make my parents happy,” she said. “I’ll have a 401k and insurance, a steady paycheck and all that kind of stuff. I think there’s something here that I can enjoy. But all in all, the experience that I had was not one that was full of joy and full of life and made me excited to go to work.”

Following her operatic dream meant moving from Winter Park, Florida, to Memphis to study with Mary Wilson, UofM’s associate professor of voice.

“I’ve been hearing Mary since I was about 15 years old,” Jongema said. “I’m in awe of everything that she does. So, when I was looking for graduate programs, everyone from that part of my life said, ‘you’ve got to talk with Mary Wilson. You’ve got to go study with her.’ We just really hit it

sample lesson,” Wilson said. “I’m like, ‘great, that sounds wonderful’ and I kept going back and we would always meet every time I went down, and she would email about advice or email about ‘what do you think about this?’ or some ideas for repertoire and it just ended up that she wanted to audition for us

mother introduced her to piano lessons. However, a few years later, when she heard her sister sing in a choir concert, she decided to take a break from piano for a year and try singing. That’s when she completely fell in love with it.

Jongema went on to get a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in music, thinking she could change it all at some point if she felt like it. Back then, a performance career was only a distant dream — she never believed she was good enough to pursue it. But, as others encouraged her, she found the idea intriguing and decided to give it a shot.

off and clicked and she was a big part of the draw for me to come here.”

“Shannon and I about three years ago — just met and wanted to have a

in Memphis — and it worked! And I’m thrilled! I’m thrilled that she’s here.”

Music has always been a part of Jongema’s life. At five years old, her

While she didn't think she was anything special, she worked hard, improved and found she loved being on stage. Although it took her a while to admit she wanted to pursue a career in opera because it seemed so unrealistic, she delved deeper, fell in love with it and never looked back.

So far, Jongema has taken a very practical approach to her career change.

I’M GOING TO BE IN THIS 100% AND I’M NOT GOING TO CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS AND I’M NEVER GOING TO LET ANYONE KNOW THAT I WANT THIS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

Jongema (center) plays a nun in Opera Memphis’ performance of “Tosca”.

“It’s tricky because one of the ways people say to be successful in a career is to not have a backup plan,” she said. “I’m going to be in this 100% and I’m not going to consider other options and I’m never going to let anyone know that I want this more than anything else. Usually, the longer you can stick it out and keep showing up to auditions, eventually you get something. I fully intend to do that. But I also think it’s practical that you can want to be the next big singer as much as you can, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.”

Wilson says the toughest thing Jongema will face in her career is hearing ‘no’ a lot more than she hears ‘yes.’

“There are so many well-trained, good singers in the United States. It’s really hard to get the audition, let alone get the job,” Wilson said. “And she’s a soprano, which outweighs other voice parts at least two-to-one if not three-to-one. The odds are against professional singers at the start. I liken it to professional sports. Everybody can play high school ball, but college ball is a little more select, then you get to AA or AAA ball, and whew, they’re really good and then you get to the pros. It’s the same tiered system in opera singing and what she wants to do.”

Jongema said she’s received several performing opportunities as a UofM graduate student.

“This semester I was fortunate enough to sing in a backup ensemble for [Metropolitan Opera] star Renée Fleming, develop and perform an outreach program with the UofM opera program at local schools, cover for Mary Wilson in Mozart's “Requiem” and sing in a production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” with Memphis Light Opera,” she said. “My professors are also wonderful about setting up times for us to audition for local conductors and directors, as well as sending notices about competitions and summer programs to apply for.”

This spring, Jongema will play Mimì in the UofM’s performance of “La Bohème.”

“I am so unbelievably excited to be singing Mimì as my first role here at the UofM,” she said. “It almost feels too good to be true. Vocally, this role is a stretch for me, and I've already grown a lot in the process of learning it thanks to the guidance of my professors Mary Wilson, Ben Smith and Dr. Stephen Karr. I feel very lucky to have the chance to interpret this iconic role at this stage of my career.”

Jongema admits she’s tackling her graduate degree later than most and that her time as an opera singer will be limited after she graduates. Afterward, she’d either like to get back to teaching music full-time while singing periodically around the country or explore conducting operas.

As of now, though, Wilson thinks she’s right on track.

“She’s in a very academically rigorous program,” Wilson said. “It is a very difficult undertaking and I do believe she’s very driven. She’s very focused. She’s quite amazingly positive. It’s going to be a lot of energy, but I really think she can balance it all. She goes above and beyond. I think if we can get her into the right auditions, people are going to scoop her up.”

So far, Jongema said, taking this road less traveled has been completely fulfilling.

“If I take the time to think about it, I think about how I could be in a classroom, but I’m not,” she says. “So now, I’m always excited to go to school and rehearsal and to class. Anytime I get to sit down and practice or perform I realize how special that is.”

“We get bogged down in the day-today studying of music, and we forget that we all love it and that’s why we’re there,” Wilson said. “Shannon is able to bring that light. I really think it’s very special. She loves what she’s doing. It’s a choice that she’s made, to come back and pursue performing after she went into teaching so it’s a real conscious decision that she’s there and she’s going to work hard and she’s going to enjoy it.”

CARNIVAL VITAS: DANCE OF THE ANIMALS

CHOREOGRAPHER AND DIRECTOR NEILE MARTIN knew when she first started sketching out the Department of Theatre and Dance’s first dance performance of the 2022-23 season, it would be different than anything she’d ever staged before. The UofM graduate had just wrapped up a retelling of the ballet “Firebird” in the spring of 2022, which helped shift her interest and laser-like focus to narrative storytelling through modern dance for her next project. And this would be a performance like no other she’d ever produced, because she wanted to not only use dancers, but also wanted those dancers to be puppeteers.

“With puppets,” Martin said, “The logistics of doing something like that, you need a huge cast and you need lots and lots of support.”

People and support are the two resources Jill Guyton Nee had. The department’s head of dance knew Martin wanted to create a brand-new performance with giant puppets and had several candid conversations about making it happen. But Martin was nervous about getting dancers in Memphis to commit enough time to pulling it off. So Nee asked Martin, “What if you did it for the University?”

“I have a lot of super students who are reliable because their degree depends on it and I have rehearsal space and I have all of these designers,” Nee told Martin. That was all Martin needed to hear.

She said yes immediately. “It just took off like wildfire from there,” she said. Martin only had six weeks to get the performance written, produced and in front of audiences.

“That was definitely an interesting and amazing whirlwind,” said Martin. “I could have never done it without all the support and amazing ‘go-get’ed-ness’ of the dancers. It was a new process and a stretch. You’ve got to push yourself as an artist.”

The 13 puppets used in the show were the creation of several local middle school students and were handcrafted by local artist and sculptor Yvonne Bobo.

“The puppets were [originally] all over the place,” said Martin. “So, I was trying to create a narrative around that.”

Three of the 13 were mystical creatures, including the main character, the Cosmic Creation Rainbow Snake.

“I had to do a fair amount of research looking into different origin stories, different mythologies, original mythology and Norse mythology along with popular narratives and build it all off of that,” Martin said. “It took quite a lot to fully visualize and write the first draft.”

In Martin’s imagination, the Rainbow Snake created the entire galaxy by making mountains and rivers, shedding her scales to make the animals we know today, then slithering on. But every once in a while, the Rainbow Snake returns, and all the animals come to see and greet her.

“The first to arrive are the birds because they can fly,” said Nee. They greet the snake and dance — and every animal that comes to see her has a different dance.

“For Neile, creating a story, the way she and her daughter create imaginary plays, that’s not difficult for her,” said Nee. “They have wild imaginations and can make things up on the spot. It was challenging, but it wasn’t like something where she was totally stumped.”

Senior dance student Kennedy McCaskill said her greatest challenge was learning how to move with the puppets.

“These are life-sized puppets,” said McCaskill. “They’re bigger than us. It was interesting to move with them because you’re used to just your own body, but then adding something just as big or bigger to dance with was interesting and different.”

SEEING HOW WE MADE AN IMPACT ON THESE CHILDREN, WHETHER THEY JUST HAD A FUN TIME AWAY FROM SCHOOL, OR WE IMPACTED THEM TO WHERE THEY NOW WANT TO BECOME DANCERS — THAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF IT.

Three of the performances were staged specifically for elementary and middle school students, and two of those were open to the public. In the end, more than 400 students from Memphis-Shelby County Schools got to see the show.

“The students who created the creatures were enormously proud to see their work on stage,” said Nee. “Of course, art is tangible, but this was a different way of using their artwork – and their artwork was a part of something bigger and something other people could see.”

“I always tried to watch the show from a different place in the audience,” said Martin. “One time I sat in the middle of all the kids. One time I sat up in front so I could look back at them. One time I sat all the way in the back behind them so I could hear them witnessing it, see their responses to it. It was truly magical.”

“This is the most rewarding show we’ve ever done,” said McCaskill. “Seeing how we made an impact on these children, whether they just had a fun time away from school, or we impacted them to where they now want to become dancers — that was the most rewarding part of it.”

Both Martin and Nee say watching the children’s reactions during the performance was incredibly emotional.

“I think the kids really loved seeing the whole process of taking an idea in their heads and it literally being onstage and alive,” said Martin. “It was amazing to see that.”

“There was this kindergartener from Campus School,” said Nee. “Who came up and hugged me with tears in her eyes saying, ‘I never knew anything was this good!’.”

U of M PROFESSOR RECEIVES RARE RENEWAL OF SECOND FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR AWARD

HISTORICAL SPACES

inspire Sarah Brown to write plays. In fact, international sitespecific playwriting and directing has earned her a rare renewal of her second Fulbright Scholar award from the U.S. State Department. Fulbright Renewals are so rare that Mihai Moroiu, the director of the American Fulbright program in Romania, says it’s not even worth establishing a percentage to figure out how many are granted.

“Renewals have been indeed quite rare in the last 10 years or so,” said Moroiu. “Extensions are more common, but again they have never been in abundance.”

Brown is an associate professor of performance in the UofM’s Department of Theatre and Dance and currently lives in Romania.

In the summer of 2022, she wrote and directed a site-specific play with music featuring 27 performers called “A Secret About Joy” about the Jewish community of 1927 Sibiu,

an historically significant city in the heart of Romania’s Transylvania region. The play was performed in the 123-year-old Grand Synagogue of Sibiu, which is one of thousands of nearly abandoned or re-purposed synagogues throughout Eastern Europe.

“Before World War II, Romania’s Jewish population totaled around 700,000, and now it is closer to 3,000,” noted Brown. “Nearly 400,000 Jews were either murdered in Romania or deported from Romania to death camps under the Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu.”

Brown originally believed she would be directing student performed solo shows for Sibiu’s NATO population; however, the NATO command post was not yet fully established, and Brown saw a far more meaningful opportunity when she discovered the non-operating Grand Synagogue.

Her play was an immersive experience for the audience as the scenes took place in the aisles, in the balcony, on the central bimah and at the front of the synagogue near the Torah ark. The play was made up of intertwining stories about several families within the

Jewish community, with Brown casting a mix of professional actors and acting students pursuing their master’s degree. Her play also featured a 10-person choir and a small four-person band playing klezmer tunes as well as authentic Jewish music from the Transylvania region.

“It was important to me that non-Jewish Romanians come into the synagogue and learn that the Torah is simply the first five books of the Bible, the same Bible that Jesus studied — and that Jews come to their places of worship with the same hopes, dreams and struggles that non-Jews bring with them to their churches,” Brown said. “I wanted the audience to fall a little in love with the characters and to leave the play having had an intimate connection with this lost community — a connection they may never get otherwise.”

“ A Secret About Joy ,” , premiered in the summer of 2022 at the International Theatre Festival of Sibiu.

The Radu Stanca National Theatre of Sibiu is now supporting Brown in another site-specific theatre project: a play about the Transylvania Saxon craft guilds of the Middle Ages that will be performed this summer in the Evangelical Church of St. Mary, Sibiu’s landmark 14th century Saxon church.

“This will be a diversity and inclusion play, a kind of morality play for the 21st century couched in a Saxon-style folktale,” Brown said.

“The story’s main character is a cabinet maker whose work is phenomenally beautiful yet slightly dysfunctional. His doors don’t close correctly, his chairs wobble a bit, and his personality and parentage are always under question. Though he barely survives the unrelenting discrimination of his jealous and suspicious colleagues, everyone learns how to love themselves a little more because of his example.

“The Transylvania Saxons are another minority in Romania,” explained Brown. “They built the

medieval towns, cities and fortified churches that have made Transylvania one of the most beautiful and wellpreserved historical regions of Europe. There were Saxons here for 800 years, but due to wars and discrimination the population dwindled, and 90 percent have left.”

Brown’s play will be performed in German by the German company of actors from the National Theatre of Sibiu.

The Romania-US Fulbright Commission granted Brown a renewal of her Fulbright, giving her another nine months to realize her Saxon project and oversee, if necessary, continued performances of “ A Secret About Joy. ”

This will be Brown’s third Fulbright Scholarship. Her first Fulbright was to Israel in 2010 where she taught solo performance at the University of Haifa and wrote her own solo show that she performed in Haifa, Tel Aviv; Sao Paulo, Brazil and New York City.

The Fulbright Program is a prestigious academic exchange program established and sponsored by the U.S. government since 1946. Each year, the program grants approximately 8,000 Fulbright scholarships of which 3,000 are intended exclusively for American students and professionals, while the remaining 5,000 are for students participating in the Fulbright foreign student program.

Brown’s play being performed in the Grand Synagogue in Sibiu.

Sarah Brown associate professor of performance in the UofM’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

AS UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS ART DEPARTMENT CHAIR

When Lucas Charles first picked up a calligraphy pen in an art class at Jefferson County High School, an hour bus ride from his home in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, he couldn't have imagined it would pave the way for him to become the head of the University of Memphis Department of Art.

Reflecting on the experience, Charles says it was in that calligraphy class that his passion for art truly began to blossom.

Though the journey was not without its twists and turns, Charles always had a plan to continuously reinvent himself every decade.

He’s stayed true to his goal, first by earning a bachelor's degree in

graphic design from the University of Tennessee in the mid-90s.

But after only two years in the business, his alma mater came calling again.

“The University of Tennessee called me a few years after I graduated and asked if I would teach full-time for them without a master’s degree,” said Charles. “Ultimately that day I said yes and then I hung up the phone and realized I have to quit my job. So, I went in and quit the job that day and started teaching the next day.”

However, after two years, he came to the decision that he needed to take a step back and pursue a master's degree for a career in higher ed later down the road.

“Up to that point I had never envisioned myself teaching, and really didn’t

have an interest in it,” said Charles. “However, I did not realize that I had a dedicated interest in it. So, after those two years, I did decide to go to graduate school and I did earn my master’s in graphic design from North Carolina State University College of Design. At that time, they were the only program in the country that offered a master’s in graphic design that wasn’t an MFA.”

After graduating from NC State he began to apply for teaching positions and landed a job at a university he’d never heard of before.

“I honestly at that time did not know that the University of Memphis existed,” said Charles. “I did not know they had a graphic design program until I saw the advertisement.”

In the beginning, most of his classes were interactive, focusing on website design and development. In his off time, he did freelance website work for

companies like Onyx Medical, SouthernSun Asset Management, Hilton Worldwide and the HGTV network’s digital publications, as well as the Stax Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum.

But his 10-year alarm clock was about to go off again.

“I consider myself a generalist,” said Charles. “I say that I reinvent myself every 10 years because the second 10 years after teaching at Memphis, I became very heavily involved in our introduction classes. I really went into identity parts more than I had in the past – creating logos and brands in that area. Also, [I have] a very heavy interest in typography. And that’s where my professional development assignment focus was, developing a typeface.”

Now, 10 years later, and after 20 years teaching in the Department of Art, Charles sees himself as an administrator.

“I think my dedication to the department, to students, to the faculty, has pushed me in that direction,” said Charles.

Jillian Corley is a senior in the Department of Art and has taken note of his dedication.

“Since Lucas has become chair, I have noticed that students' concerns are being met with respect and are dealt with in a timely manner,” she said.

Senior Guy Hendree agrees. “[Charles] has met the challenge of becoming Art Department Chair head-on as we as a nation emerge from a pandemic,” he said. “As a student, I not only enjoy his leadership, but I see how my classmates have positively responded to his ability to bring out the best in all of us.”

L CLUCAS CHARLES

For Charles, the learning curve being chair of the department has been huge. Learning to become more flexible, leading 22 faculty, four staff members and 500 students has been the biggest challenge. But when you boil it down, he says this new position is just a massive design challenge – and he’s working through the solution.

“Right now…for me, it’s striving to figure out and focusing on the experience of our program,” he said. “I think that’s going to be one new thing that I’m dealing with. For me, the biggest challenge is complexity –and then I think it’s really just to increase the quality and depth of our facilities.”

Despite the challenges, Charles has never lost sight of his passion for art and design. He has always been driven by a desire to create and innovate –and is a testament to the power of passion, hard work and dedication.

“The qualities that make Lucas an outstanding professor are his passion for the arts and concern for the students, which is magnified through his character,” said art alum Kelly Hooks.

He also inspires those who are pursuing their own dreams and facing challenges along the way. His story is a reminder that with determination and a willingness to reinvent oneself, anything is possible.

“The University of Memphis would be hardpressed to find an instructor like Lucas who gives you that sense that you are welcome at this university,” Hendree said. “He makes you feel like you belong.”

The qualities that make Lucas an outstanding professor are his passion for the arts and concern for the students, which is magnified through his character.

THE DEPARTMENT’S DOCTORAL PROGRAM STANDS OUT FOR ITS DIVERSITY AND TAKES EXTRAORDINARY PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT GRADUATES ARE PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION BY BRINGING A WEALTH OF UNIQUE BACKGROUNDS AND PERSPECTIVES TO OTHER CAMPUSES.

25TH Anniversary

ugust afternoons are legendary in Memphis. One afternoon in 2000 was no different. The sun was shining, the air thick with humidity and the Pyramid was buzzing with energy. It was a big day for so many University of Memphis graduates, but even more so for graduate students Marceline Thompson-Hayes and Jerome Mahaffey. As they stepped onto the stage to receive their doctoral diplomas from the UofM, it wasn’t just a culmination of their hard work and dedication — it was also a moment of history.

While countless others had walked this same path before them, Thompson-Hayes and Mahaffey were different. They were trailblazers, cutting a

path for themselves and those to come. They were the first to ever receive a Ph.D. from the UofM’s Department of Communication and Film.

A Comm & fIlm phd

A quarter of a century later, Dr. Wendy Atkins-Sayre, current chair of the department, said it's a milestone worth celebrating.

“What we should especially be celebrating with our program is what we have accomplished in only 25 years and it’s pretty significant,” said Atkins-Sayre. “We have 88 graduates so far and more than 25 of those 88 graduates come from underrepresented populations –with that percentage changing rapidly in recent years.”

Thompson-Hayes and Mahaffey were not only the first two graduates of the program, but they were also the first to be mentored by Professor John Campbell, who has since retired.

“The program had an aura of excitement about it, and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Thompson-Hayes. She had attended University of Arkansas-Little Rock for her master’s and begun her Ph.D. at Southern Miss before coming to Memphis. “I just sort of dropped Southern Miss, even though it was a great school. I had a feeling I needed to be in Memphis.”

For Mahaffey, a native of Arizona, the decision to attend the University of Memphis was a bit more circuitous. After getting his master’s degree at Syracuse University, he wanted to be a professor and was advised to try Memphis. “It’s a new program, but it should be a good one,” he thought.

The program was anything but traditional, according to Thompson-Hayes. “What kind of classes were offered? Very relaxed. No matter what, they were conducted in a seminar format. And so, you had to read, go in and understand the material, and then you would talk. Even in class, there weren’t a lot of lectures or somebody coming in with a bunch of pre-prepared PowerPoints. There was some of that, but it was very conversational with everybody.”

Thompson-Hayes also appreciated the mentorship and guidance she received from her professors. “To have that is really a wonderful thing. The attitude was, they just weren’t helping us learn the material, but it was always like beyond here. What does it mean to be a professor and I think we got some of that.”

Mahaffey echoed the sentiment. “Mentoring from different angles really helps. I appreciated the collegiality, and I went into my first interviews not intimidated by our colleagues on the other side of that table. That was helpful – feeling like peers –even though we weren’t quite peers yet with our mentors.”

For Campbell, the pride he felt when Thompson-Hayes and Mahaffey graduated was immeasurable, and he told them so during a recent Zoom meeting. “One of the proudest moments of my life was when both of you came up in your robes with everything but the hood and you both looked really dignified,” he recalled. “I was both proud of you for what you’d achieved and it’s never harmful for people in our life, in our line of work, to look the part as well as to be able to execute it with some panache.”

But Campbell is quick to point out that the program's success was a team effort. “I think this was a group endeavor from the very first,” he said. “The first generation, which you never forget being [Dr. Richard} Ranta, [Dr. John] Bakke and [Dr.] Mike Osborn who did the heavy political lifting about which we shall never know the full truth and the way in which the University of Memphis…got its foot in the door and we got this program.”

Ranta, the original Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, which encompasses the Department of Communication and Film, held the position for 39 years before retiring in 2016. At that time, he was the sole dean of the college. Bakke was instrumental in initiating the Ph.D. program and is now a professor

emeritus, while Osborn served as the Department of Communication and Film's chair until 1995 and has since retired as a professor emeritus.

“UofM doctoral graduates are not only successful in finding academic positions, but they are also receiving universitywide and nation-wide recognition,” said Atkins-Sayre.

In the past two years, two graduate students, Natonya Blackmun Listach and Lionnell Smith, were awarded the Benson-Campbell Dissertation Award at the National Communication Association meeting. The NCA has also honored two faculty members with prestigious awards in the same time period.

Two Communication and Film students were also commended by the university in 2022 with awards: Noor Ghazal Aswad won the Morton Dissertation Award and JoAnna Boudreaux was recognized with the Graduate Assistant Meritorious Teaching Award.

Six doctoral students graduated in 2022 and have gone on to put their degree to good use — ranging from teaching at the University of Alabama to becoming a lead pastor at a local church.

Atkins-Sayre said the department’s doctoral program stands out for its diversity and takes extraordinary pride in the fact that graduates are playing a significant role in shaping the future of higher education by bringing a wealth of unique backgrounds and perspectives to other campuses.

HE ORANGE MOUND NEIGHBORHOOD

in Memphis has had a tough history. Built in the 1800s, it was once a thriving community, known for being one of the largest self-sufficient Black neighborhoods in the country. However, things took a turn for the worse in the 1920s due to abandonment, disinvestment and racism. This led to a decline in development and economic growth, according to a recent report from the Mound Up! Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

The plan was developed by students and faculty from Rhodes College's Urban Studies program, in collaboration with Juice Orange Mound and residents, who, despite all the challenges, always come together to make things better.

Mary Mitchell, who's also known as “Ms. Mary” and is the unofficial historian of Orange Mound, agrees. She's lived her whole life in the historic Black community and says you can't just label Orange Mound with a general stereotype.

“Anything great about Memphis originated from Orange Mound,” Mitchell told the Commercial Appeal during an interview in 2019.

And she is confident that any future greatness will also have roots there.

“I think that the future of Memphis at large could only accelerate by embracing the past, the present and future of what Orange Mound has given to the City of Memphis,” Mitchell said.

Dr. Marika Dalley Snider, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Memphis, wants to make sure that past is protected for the future.

She and a team of graduate architecture students created an immersive 3D model of Orange Mound —

MS. MARY MITCHELL

ORANGE T

bringing the neighborhood's history to life virtually by reconstructing and projecting it onto a panorama 60 feet long. They started with a walk down Douglass Avenue, so viewers can see what the street was like in 1952 and what it looks like now. The team used historical maps, satellite imaging and current residences to build the experience.

“The project highlights the important history and infrastructure of the neighborhood,” Snider said. “It shows how it has evolved and how it’s different now versus then using maps and virtual reality to get to the importance of this place. It’s a hightech environment, but it gives the neighborhood the dignity it deserves.”

More than 100 years old, Orange Mound is America’s oldest Black

neighborhood, built solely by and for Memphis’ Black residents. By 1970, “The Mound” was thriving in the Bluff City, with a Black population second only to Harlem in New York City.

The community traces its roots back to 1825 when John George Deaderick began buying the land to build a new plantation. Tradition says the name comes from the Osage Orange hedges that lined it.

After his death, Deaderick’s widow Mattie sold the property to Elzey Eugene Meacham, a white real estate developer. According to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, she asked Meacham not to sell the land to African Americans, but he denied her request and in 1890, began developing the subdivision exclusively for

HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN FACILITATING RESEARCH AND WELCOMING US TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

MOUND

Snider stressed the importance of not letting virtual reality take away or hide the past.

“Virtual reality can represent something, but it doesn’t interfere with real life,” Snider said. “It’s not obliterating the real history of the place.”

“Ms. Mary Mitchell has been instrumental in facilitating research and welcoming us to the neighborhood,” Snider said.

“I’m happy I’m from here,” said Mitchell. “I would never want to be from any other place. We used to have so much fun here. I love this place. I love Memphis. The good memories certainly overshadow the bad memories, because the bad memories — we dealt with it.”

As the project continues to evolve, Snider plans to expand its reach to Park Avenue. This expansion will provide even more context for the neighborhood and its history, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the area.

Blacks. It provided a refuge for Black people moving to Memphis from rural areas.

Snider says she got the idea for the historic Orange Mound Immersive Experience after working in Ohio restoring state-owned homes and buildings of mostly heroic white abolitionists. “The Orange Mound project is a foray into this type of history from the Black perspective. It includes stories about

Black people themselves instead of through the eyes of white people,” she said.

The neighborhood has a wide variety of American vernacular architecture. Many of the older homes are typical of the style and were built using local materials and incorporating multiple design influences without an architect being involved — giving a glimpse into the past.

Overall, the project has sparked renewed interest in the community's past and highlighted the valuable contributions of its residents, Snider said. It’s a great reminder of how important it is to preserve and share the history of our neighborhoods, and the role they play in shaping our understanding of the world around us.

University of Memphis Department of Journalism and Strategic Media opens state-of-the-art social media listening lab thanks to alum Courtney Ellett

OURTNEY ELLETT likes to get to the bottom of things – to find solutions to questions as soon as possible.

LISTENING LAB C

“Answers are knowledge. Knowledge is power,” she once wrote for a Memphis Chamber of Commerce blog. “By having the right information from the very start, you’re in a position to make better decisions, lay a firm foundation and build something you’re proud of. Think of answers as real-time GPS for business strategy.”

Ellett has used that mindset since graduating from the University of Memphis Department of

Journalism and Strategic Media to navigate her way to the top, building her own public relations firm. She’s also been named one of the Memphis Business Journal’s 2021 Super Women in Business. One of her largest big-picture questions in 2022 was how to give back to the place that sparked the passion she has for writing, marketing and problem-solving in the first place – and to help mentor the next generation of journalism students.

The answer ended up being as significant as the question – the Obsidian Social Media lab, named after her PR firm.

“I’m just happy that maybe this contributes to another student’s experience here and really prepares them for post-graduation life,” Ellett told JRSM graduate student Haley Hale during an interview. “If there’s anything I believe in, it’s about preparing students to have a really successful transition into the profession.”

Located on the first floor of the Meeman Journalism Building, the lab offers current JRSM students and professors a resource to find information and answers with multiple social media listening tools. It’ll also be home to Meeman 901 Strategies, the department’s student-run

(Left) Courtney Ellett, owner of the public relations firm Obsidian PR.

strategic communications firm which offers practical experience in public relations, advertising, media strategy and research-driven consulting.

“Our students now are going to be able to get hands-on, real-world experience using industry-standard tools,” said Kim Marks Malone, a JRSM assistant professor of practice. “So, when they go out and apply for internships, or they apply for jobs, they can with confidence say that they know how to do social media listening.”

Social media listening – or social listening – refers to the use of online tools to track mentions of a specific keyword, typically a brand, on social media platforms. The collected data can be used for various purposes, such as enhancing customer service and identifying trends related to a specific product.

Ellett says her best advice to students is to take advantage of tools like the

social media lab, and to not be afraid of reaching out to people who can help your career. “Find a mentor early on in college and then cram valuable internships in before you graduate,” she said.

A limited number of universities and companies across the country have launched social media labs within the past five years. Marks and JRSM assistant chair Dr. Matt Haught visited examples at Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and FedEx to get ideas before launching the Obsidian Lab.

“I think having this lab is going to help us put ourselves on the map and become a resource region-wide,” said Marks. “Not just for schools, universities and programs, but for media and other agencies and non-profits who need this kind of information to do their jobs. I think it’s going to give them a leg up compared to some of their peers from other schools.”

Our students now are going to be able to get hands-on, real-world experience using industry-standard tools.

ARCHITECTURE

» Professor ANDREW PARKS had two architectural illustrations accepted at the 2022 Design Communications Association Juried Exhibition at Auburn University, both of which received Awards of Distinction. One of the images received an Award of Excellence.

» BRIAN DELFORD ANDREWS completed and published the book “Vervm Fictvm” (Culicidae Architectural Press) — a monograph of Andrews’ work that contains architectural delineations and speculative architecture from 1984-2020. Andrews also won an Award of Distinction and the Jon Soules Juror’s Choice Award from the Design Communication Association 2022 International Juried Drawing Exhibition, and Honorable Mention in the MicroHome Competition. He was also awarded the CCFA Research Seed Grant.

DEPARTMENT OF ART

» DR. BRYNA BOBICK presented research at the Art and Education for Social Justice Symposium at Florida State University.

» DR. REBECCA HOWARD , assistant professor of Art History, was invited to present new research at the Sixteenth Century Society Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minn. Her talk was titled, “Fragmented and Broken Bodies of Early Modern Italian Portraiture.” She also published two pedagogical essays for the open-access resource Smarthistory.org on works by Italian Renaissance artists Benozzo Gozzoli and Fra Filippo Lippi.

» Assistant Professor KELSEY HARRISON is working with Carpenter Art Garden to build a mosaic sculpture park near Tillman St. and Sam Cooper Blvd. She’s also working with Ford Motor Company, architecture faculty Andrew Parks and students in Art and Design to design a public work for its

new campus in Stanton, Tenn. She was also recently awarded the Crosstown Arts Residency to work on her stop-motion animation film.

» DR. MICHAEL SCHMIDT was the UofM Principal Investigator on a $473,791 grant from the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with Florida International University. The project is titled “Developing and Testing Health Warnings for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).” Schmidt was also invited by the editor of “Visible Language,” the

Andrew Parks, assistant professor of practice in the Department of Architecture.

Dr. Michael Schmidt

nation's oldest peer-reviewed design journal, to submit “Graphic design in public health research: A multiyear pictorial health warning label initiative and recommendation for sustained interdisciplinary collaboration.” Schmidt’s article, “Challenges to help-seeking among women of color exposed to intimate partner violence,” (Journal of Interpersonal Violence) was accepted for publication. He was also invited and interviewed for the podcast Between the Data regarding his research on intimate partner violence.

» Professor of Art History EARNESTINE JENKINS was featured in three publications — “Blended Identities in American Photography,” in the Victorian Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Victorian Studies; “James Little: Homecoming,” the catalog for the exhibition “James Little: Homecoming,” at the Dixon Galleries and Gardens and her book titled, “Black Artists in America: from the Great Depression to Civil Rights” (Yale University Press). She was also a guest curator for “Black Artists in America: from The Great Depression to Civil Rights,” and for “From Artisans to Artists: African American Metal Workers in Memphis” at The Metal Museum.

» JINGJING LI , an adjunct faculty member in the department, was featured in Exhibition at Marshall Arts.

» Assistant Professor COE LAPOSSY had their work ”Trap Door” included in the Memphis Brooks Museum exhibition, “Another Dimension: Digital Art In Memphis.”

» Assistant Professor YANGBIN PARK , who joined the Department of Art in 2022, was selected as one of the contributors of “Repair,” the Mid America Print Council (MAPC) Journal.

» DR. LORELEI H. CORCORAN presented an invited lecture, “The Mummy Portraits of Roman Egypt: Status, Ethnicity, and Magic,” at Harvard University. It was sponsored by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.

» DARLA LINERODE-HENSON had her own artwork shown in “The Center of Us,” an exhibition of adjunct University of Memphis professors held at Marshall Arts and curated by Hamlett Dobbins.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION & FILM

» AYO M. MORTON’S article “Lifting as We Climb: Amanda Gorman and Womanist Vernacular Discourse at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration” was published in the Journal for the History of Rhetoric Volume 25, Number 1. Morton is also a Ph.D. student.

» KRISTEN HILL’S short film “Bits and Pieces” premiered at Indie Memphis. Hill is an assistant professor of teaching/coordinator.

» DR. CRAIG STEWART published articles in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Rhetoric of Health and Medicine and Communication Quarterly, as well as the proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education. He also presented work with colleagues from UofM, CU Denver and IUPUI on the Urban STEM Collaboratory at the American Association for the Advancement of Science/National Science Foundation S-STEM Symposium in Washington, D.C.

» Professor MARTY LANG was hired by the Upper Midwest Film Office in Duluth, Minn.

» Department Chair DR. WENDY ATKINSSAYRE had her articles “Moonshine Stories: Shaping Appalachian Public Memory” and “Coping Through COVID Cooking: Nostalgia and Resilience in Online Communities,” published in the Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric

and in Popular Culture Studies Journal, respectively. She also won the T. Earle Johnson-Edwin Paget Distinguished Service Award at the Southern States Communication Association.

» Professor MARINA LEVINA was elected to the leadership of the Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies division of the National Communication Association. She will start as a 2nd-Vice Chair and will serve as the Chair of the division in 2025.

» The Department is actively pursuing sickle cell research, and two of its members, DR. AMANDA YOUNG and DR. CRAIG STEWART , have recently published an article titled “Something with a frightening reputation: 60 Minutes' accommodation of HIV in gene therapy for sickle cell disease” in the academic journal Rhetoric of Health and Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Young is involved in a project involving SCD GENE and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital that aims to create informed consent tools for gene therapy.

» ABBY MARIE ARNOLD-PATTI’S essay “The Africana Womanist Rhetoric of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper,” was publshed in the Journal for the History Rhetoric. Arnold-Patti is a Ph.D. student in the department.

Dr. Lorelei H. Corcoran

DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM & STRATEGIC MEDIA

» DR. MATT HAUGHT spoke about American media and politics at ZDF television in Mainz, Germany, in May 2022. He also published two entries in the Sage Encyclopedia of Journalism, and in August 2022 he presented on a presidential-commissioned panel reimagining the future of AEJMC.

» DR. RUOXU WANG and colleagues presented three refereed conference presentations at national and international level conferences:

“The impact of exemplars on perception gap of risk and behavioral intentions.”Paper presented at the 104th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Detroit, Michigan.

“A content analysis of user engagement in computer technology video ads.” Paper presented at the 72nd annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Paris, France. “Uses and gratifications of playing video games/esports during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison between competitive players and recreational players.” Paper presented at the 72nd annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Paris, France.

» KIM MARKS MALONE’S book, “Public Relations in the Military: The Scope, Dynamic, and Future of Military Communications,” was published in November 2022. She was named Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Memphis Professional Member of the Year for 2022. She’s the immediate past chair of PRSA’s Southeast District, president-elect/vice president of programming for PRSA Memphis and on the executive board of the PRSA Educator's Academy for 2023. She also presented a conference paper and won the top teaching paper award at AEJMC in 2022.

» Visiting Professor SHERI NEELY was featured in PRSA’s national print and

online publication “Strategies & Tactics.”

» TAYLOR ACKERMAN earned her Accreditation in Public Relations from PRSA.

» DR. TOM HRACH was awarded the D. Mike Pennington Outstanding Mentoring Award 2022 at the UofM Journalism and Strategic Media Outstanding Alumni Awards ceremony. He also published “Film Censorship’s Last Stand: The Memphis Board of Review, 1967 to 1976” in American Journalism.

» Five graduate students from the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media had their research papers accepted for the 48th annual AEJMC Southeast Colloquium at Middle Tennessee State University: AUDREY FIRRONE , ISRAEL HENRY , ILARIA PISONI , OAKLEY WEDDLE and MIKHELLE TAYLOR presented their work.

DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE

» An article entitled “Reducing Your Waste Footprint: Nontraditional Fasteners Save Money, Lumber” by Associate Professor and Technical Director MICHAEL O’NELE was published in Southern Theatre magazine. It addresses the use of composite fasteners to reduce lumber waste in scenic construction for theatre.

» JILL GUYTON NEE’S paper, “Black Memphis History through Dance and Theatre”, was selected to be presented at the National Dance Education Organization.

» MICHAEL MEDCALF, associate professor of dance, received an Ostrander Award in 2022 for his choreography of “The Wolves,” a theater production of the University of Memphis’ Department of Theatre and Dance. His work for the ensemble, “We Begin Again” premiered in April 2022. In 2023, Medcalf is set to create another new work for NBE and also a new work for the Tennessee Ballet Theater under the artistic direction of Erin Walter.

» Professor JO LENHART portrayed two widely diverse characters in 2022 — terrifying audiences in the UofM Mainstage Theatre’s demonic Die Alte in Tony Kushner's “Bright Room Called Day.” She also did a full 180º starring as the Mother Superior in the Broadway musical version of “Sister Act” for Crane River Theatre in Nebraska.

» HOLLY DERR , an assistant professor in the department, published her article “Recognition and Reversal in the Plays of Lauren Gunderson: A Dialogue with the Playwright” in the Journal

Holly Derr , assistant professor with the Department of Theatre & Dance.

Dr. Ruoxu Wang, professor with the Department of Journalism & Strategic Media.

of Dramatic Theory and Criticism. Derr also directed “Sunrise Coven” at The Know Theatre of Cincinnati, and had an article called “MeToo and the Method” reprinted in a book called HowlRound Theatre Commons: Essays and Conversations from the First Ten Years.

» Recently retired professor HOLLY LAU appeared in three publications – “Zen and the Basketball Arena” in Parabola: The Search for Meaning, “Dreaming of Debbie” in the New York Times and “Play Off” in The Porch Magazine.

» New Head of Performance/Acting

CHRISTIAN TRIPP was invited to perform with the renowned Colorado Shakespeare Festival. He played multiple roles in their productions of “Coriolanus” and “All's Well That EndsWell”.

» ANTHONY PELLECCHIA , associate professor of theatre, was the lighting designer for shows “Into the Breeches” and “The Mountaintop” at Saint Michael's Playhouse in Burlington, Vt.

» Professor BRIAN RUGGABER was the scenic designer for “Sanctuary Road,” a world premiere opera by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec and Pulitzer Prize and GRAMMY Award-winning librettist/lyricist Mark Campbell at North Carolina Opera in Raleigh, N.C. Ruggaber also designed scenery for “The Magic Flute” (Pensacola Opera, Fla.), “Why I Live at the P.O.” (UrbanArias, Washington, D.C.) and “Porgy and Bess” (Hattiloo, Tenn.). Each of these productions featured the creative work of one or more Department of Theatre & Dance alumni, including Dennis Whitehead Darling (director), Austin Conlee (costume designer), Tao Wang (lighting designer) and Nick Jackson (lighting designer).

» WAYNE M. SMITH , adjunct dance professor, was invited and served as an adjudicator and featured teaching artist for national regional college dance conference, American College Dance Association (ACDA) conference, Mid-Atlantic North region.

RUDI E. SCHEIDT SCHOOL OF MUSIC

» DR. RYAN FISHER , Professor of Music Education, published “Influences on teacher efficacy of preservice music educators” in the International Journal of Music Education (Volume 39, Issue 4) with UofM alumni NANCY SUMMITT and ELLEN KOZIEL and former faculty member, ARMAND HALL

Fisher also presented a research paper, “Effect of Koru Mindfulness Training on Professional Orchestral Musicians' Music Performance Anxiety” at the 35th International Society for Music Education World Conference and at the National Association for Music Education National Conference in Washington, D.C. Co-authors of the project were ROBYN JONES , associate professor of music, and SEAN HOLDEN , assistant director of the UofM Office of Institutional Research. Fisher also began his term (2022-24) as president of the Tennessee Music Education Association.

» Associate professor of Voice MARY WILSON won the UofM's 2022 Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award and the UofM's 2022 Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement in the Creative Arts Award.

Wilson also presented a Masterclass titled “Discovering the Drama of the Oratorio Aria, at the Classical Singer convention in Chicago. This past season, Wilson returned to professional solo singing engagements with American Bach Soloists, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Florida the Nashville Symphony, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony, the Sarasota Ballet and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

» DR. JOSEF HANSON , assistant professor of music education, was named Forum Editor of the College Music Symposium, the flagship journal of the College Music Society, and was also appointed to the editorial board of Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. He also won one of only 18 Research Grants in the Arts program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. It’s the first time the College of Communication and Fine Arts has won direct funding from the NEA.

CCFA RETIRED/ RETIRING PROFESSORS

» KATHERINE HENDRIX - professor, Department of Communication and Film, August 2022

» HOLLY LAU - professor and former chair, Department of Theatre & Dance, December 2022

» PATRICIA PODZORSKI - assistant professor of Teaching/Curator, Institute for Egyptian Art and Archeology, February 2023

» RANDAL RUSHING - professor and former director, School of Music, May 2023

» MATTHEW BURNS , new assistant professor of voice, recently participated in the world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera of “The Hours,” a modern opera by composer Kevin Puts. It was presented live in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera House and simulcast in HD worldwide in movie theaters. He also starred in and cowrote the English adaptation of the script for the “Daughter of the Regiment” as the role of Sulpice with the Utah Opera.

» LILY AFSHAR - professor, School of Music, May 2023

» OTIS SANFORD - Hardin Chair of Excellence, Department of Journalism & Strategic Media, May 2023.

Matthew Burns , new assistant professor of voice.

Dr. Josef Hanson , assistant professor of music education.