2019 College Report

College Report 2019 College of Fine Arts and Communication 4 5 letter from the dean In addition to individual and collective accolades, this year’s College Report features six stories: two alumni, two faculty, and two student groups. Tese samples show Bobcats expanding their horizons, and emerging stronger, more fulflled for their eforts. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Norma Luján earned an advertising degree that opened doors that led to a career with L’Oreal Paris and took her around the globe. Along the way, she realized that Texas State had given her the skills equal to her Ivy League colleagues. Now in a position to give back, she volunteers with Mayan women in Chiapas… see p. 26. Te daughter of a military family, Kristal Gault pursued degrees in Communication Studies to prepare for her career with the Air Force Civilian Service. Her work has taken her to 30 countries, and she has put her Texas State degrees to use at the White House, Pentagon, Andrews Air Force Base, NATO summits, and a foiled terrorist attack press conference... see p. 27. Research and teaching are intertwined, and faculty remaining active in their profession is vital to student success. While making his flm Bull , Johnny McAllister employed six theatre students as part of the production crew. On those long, hot, dusty days, no one knew the flm would become one of only 18 selected for its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival… see p. 28. While Texas State faculty go across the world to share their scholarship and art, sometimes the world comes to Texas State. Led by Jason Kwak, our International Piano Festival has welcomed participants from 40 countries over its ten-year history, with the 2019 festival also hosting NPR’s From the Top … see p. 29. Te interchange of cultures is always two-ways, impacting participants in often unexpected ways. For the past four years, select dance students have had the opportunity to teach and perform in Trinidad via the COCO Dance Festival. Crossing this horizon has been inspiring and life-changing. . . see p. 30. Expanding horizons can mean global exploration, but it can also mean learning from diferent disciplines on campus. Emerging from our annual “Hack-a-thon,” Communication Design students joined with Business and Computer Science students to address food insecurity in the San Marcos Community… see p. 31. Tese six stories represent why we are here as faculty and staf. It is through education, art, communication, and the stories we tell that we transform lives and communities. While we have created a culture where we expect success, our students face signifcant fnancial need: nationally, Texas State is the 30th largest public university, but receives the 2nd highest amount of federal fnancial aid, with 39% of undergraduates being Pell Grant recipients. In addition, 46% of undergraduates are frst generation college students. Rather than insurmountable obstacles, these facts are the challenges that our students annually surmount as they boldly expand their horizons, transforming themselves, their families, and the communities with which they engage. While these are exciting times, to maintain and increase our excellence, we need to expand and elevate our donor base. Join the Friends of Fine Arts and Communication, purchase a seat in the Performing Arts Center, support a student by sponsoring an annual scholarship, have your company sponsor one of our major events, or create an endowed scholarship. Tese are a few of the ways you can support a winning team and transform the lives of students, who in turn will transform the lives of the next generation. Won’t you join me, to see what lies on the other side of the horizon? John Fleming, Dean August 1, 2019 DR. JOHN FLEMING MICHAEL NIBLETT Dean Director College of Fine Arts School of Art and Communication and Design DR. THOMAS CLARK Director School of Music DR. ERIK TIMMERMAN Chair Department of Communication Studies DEB ALLEY Chair Department of Theatre and Dance college leadershi p MICHELLE NANCE Director Division of Dance DR. JUDY OSKAM Director School of Journalism and Mass Communication DR. LAURIE FLUKER Associate Dean College of Fine Arts and Communication KEVIN GILLEY Assistant to the Dean, Outreach College of Fine Arts and Communication DR. JOEY MARTIN Associate Dean College of Fine Arts and Communication KARL BOYSEN Director College Academic Advising Center