September_CollegeNews1

2 | September | College News COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION SEPTEMBER | FALL 2025 COVER PHOTO: LETTER FROM THE DEAN DR. JOHN FLEMING The cover features director Bryan Poyser and some of the 50+ students who worked on his film Leads , which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and which will soon screen in Hollywood (pp. 20). Awards: Sean Justice was awarded a $1.89M National Science Foundation grant (p.3). Soomin Remmler received the Colored Pencil Society of America's 5-Year Merit Award (p.5). Mark Paz was named a Regents' Teacher (p.11). Elizabeth Eger was named a Platinum Volunteer by Austin Pets Alive!, while Kellie Marin won the Surveillance Studies Network’s Early Career Research Award (pp.10-11). Paul Sanchez won 2nd place in the American Prize Charles Ives Award in Composition for a chamber music piece that was performed in ancient Egyptian (p.16). Linda Nenno Breining won a Best Actress Award, while Aaron Brown won a Best Director Award (p.19). Elizabeth (Betty) Buckley won the Austin Women in Film & Television Champion Award, which is now being re-named in her honor (p.19). Filmmakers Carlos Estrada and Jon Michael Simpson won multiple awards for their films, while Syd Rushing was named a LAMBDA Screenwriting Fellow (pp.19-20). Sachin Dheeraj’s feature film was selected for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (p.19). Scholarship: Maureen Keeley published The Good Goodbye , a book that continues her impactful research on “end of life” conversations (p.11). Tricia Burke, Stephanie Dailey, Kristen Farris, Ann Burnette, Elizabeth Eger, Rebekah Fox, and Wallace Golding published articles or book chapters (pp.10- 11). Dale Blasingame published his first book, while Nandini Bhalla and Kristen Sussman published articles, and Heidi Makady was selected for the Digital Studies Institute at the University of Michigan (pp.12-13). Hank Hehmsoth (p.14) and Deonte Warren published articles (p.20). Visual Arts: Joey Fauerso, Tommy Fitzpatrick, Sarah Hierneisen, Tammie Rubin, Bethany Johnson, Brian Johnson, Elvia Perrin, Soomin Remmler, Liz Rodda, Trey Burns, and Holly Veselka exhibited their art in state, regional, and/or national venues (pp.2-5). Bethany Johnson was a recent Joshua Tree National Park Artist in Residence, while Jason Reed earned a Tallgrass Artist Residency (pp.3-5). Performances : Ian Davidson performed at multiple summer music festivals, while Hank Hehmsoth performed on multiple television shows and was featured in the Austin Jazz Legends Series (pp.14- 15). Raul Rodriguez performed with the Victoria Bach Festival and with Andrea Bocelli, Vanguel Tangarov performed at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest, and Ron Ulen performed with the British Opera Academy (pp.15-17). Kiira Schmidt Carper choreographed for the Houston Grand Opera and the Los Angeles Opera (p.19). In various combinations, Ana Baer, Michelle Nance, Richard Hall, and Amanda McCorkle collaborated on screendances that were exhibited in a dozen countries (pp.18-19). Brandon Gonzalez performed in Germany, Jonathan Pattiwael in Finland, and Megan Moss in Denver and Chicago (pp.19-20). Students: Students with The University Star are finalists for seven Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Awards and for five College Media Association Pinnacle Awards (p.13). Twelve students, split into two teams, have begun preparing for the National Bateman Case Study Competition for public relations students (p.13). Miles Avelar performed in the Mid- Europe Festival World Youth Wind Orchestra Project, the Chronos Saxophone Quartet was selected to perform at the upcoming Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and Marie St. Clair was a national semifinalist in the NATS singing competition (p.17). Over 50 Theatre students worked professionally this summer, while Kirene Bolsen-Long won multiple honors for her film writing and directing (pp.19- 22). Janelle Lee Austin and Ky Jowers have advanced in scriptwriting competitions (pp.21-23). Alumni: Dr. Marty Lenard is one of three finalists for an appointment to the Teachers Retirement System Board of Trustees (p.17). Shelby Acosta, Jordon Cunningham, and Colin Trudell performed on Broadway (pp.24-25). Kyra Belle Johnson, Cameron Monroe Thomas, Carson Hampton Palmer, Lacey Kohn, Eric Shawn, and Tyler Wesley are performing in Broadway national tours, Ashlyn Maddox and Jake Bentely Young are in feature films, and Joann Gilliam and Anna Gassett are performing in Korea (p.25). Bryson Price’s short film won awards at multiple film festivals (p.25). My gratitude and congratulations to all, John Fleming, Dean COVER PHOTO: The cover features Bryan Poyser and some of the students who worked on his film, Leads , which will soon have its West Coast Premiere at the inaugural Film Festival at Hollywood Park in October.