UNCSA welcomes 27 new faculty members for the 2026–27 school year, including nine full-time faculty and seven alumni

UNCSA has added 27 new faculty members for the 2026–27 school year, including nine full-time and 18 adjunct and visiting faculty. Seven faculty members are alumni. Appointments have been made across the schools of Dance, Design and Production, Drama, Filmmaking and Music, as well as in the Division of Liberal Arts and the High School Program, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Patrick J. Sims has announced.

“Our newest faculty bring an extraordinary depth of artistic, scholarly and professional experience to UNCSA,” says Sims. “They are accomplished educators and innovators who bring unique perspectives shaped by their work across disciplines and in communities around the world. Their expertise will enrich our classrooms and studios while offering students new ways to think, create and engage with the ever-changing landscape of the arts. We are thrilled to welcome these talented educators to our community.”

New faculty include:

School of Dance

Adjunct/Visiting

Brett Sjoblom

Brett Sjoblom is teaching contemporary dance after serving as an instructor for the 2026 UNCSA Summer Dance Intensives. A graduate of The Boston Conservatory, Sjoblom is a company dancer with Nashville Ballet where he has performed since 2012. His work covers an extensive range of classical and contemporary repertoire, including principal roles in “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Nutcracker” and “Sleeping Beauty”, and has originated roles in numerous world premieres. He has collaborated with choreographers including Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Jiří Kylián, Cathy Marston and Jennifer Archibald, as well as artists Paul Vasterling, Nick Mullikin and Matthew Neenan.

School of Design and Production

Full-Time

Jen Gillette

D&P alumna Jen Gillette (M.F.A. ’16) is the newly appointed director of costume design, bringing extensive professional experience in theatre and opera to the program. Gillette has designed for companies across the country, including the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Manhattan School of Music and Washington Ballet. She is the author of “Digital Painting and Rendering for Theatrical Design” (Routledge, 2024), which approaches digital rendering as an artistic medium and creative practice rather than simply as a software tool. In this role, Gillette will combine her professional design experience with a commitment to preparing students for the evolving demands of theatrical design.

Adjunct/Visiting

Taylor Dankovich

D&P alumna Taylor Dankovich (M.F.A. ’19) is teaching sound design, bringing more than a decade of professional experience in theatre and audio production to the role. Dankovich has served in various sound design roles at Triad Stage since 2015 and has designed and engineered sound for productions including “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” “Wit” and a series of radio plays. Her work also includes sound design for Guilford College and Atlantic Stage, as well as audio engineering for podcasts. She is the producer and host of “Who Knows?,” a podcast she has produced since 2017 and for which she received a Student Artpreneur Grant from UNCSA in 2019.

Jason Stefansen

Jason Stefansen is teaching lighting. As an educator, he is informed by experience in theatrical electrics, lighting and live performance. His professional credits include serving as lead fellow spot for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Broadway, as a fellow spot operator for the national tour of “Aladdin” and many more. Stefansen has served as master electrician at Riverside Theatre and assistant master electrician at Barter Theatre. He holds a B.A. in theatre studies from the University of Central Florida.

School of Drama

Full-Time

Adam Marple

Adam Marple is teaching devising and directing, bringing more than 30 years of international experience as a director, designer and educator. Marple has directed more than 50 productions and interdisciplinary works across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Australia and Southeast Asia. He is the founder and artistic director of The Sustainable Theatre Project, which uses theatre to engage audiences around climate change, and founder and moderator of The Board of Directors, a global community of theatre directors. He has taught at institutions and professional organizations around the world, including LASALLE College of the Arts, the American University in Cairo, Lincoln Center Theater and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. He holds an M.F.A. in directing from Columbia University and a B.F.A. in acting from Wright State University.

Tlaloc Rivas

Tlaloc Rivas teaches acting and directing, informed by an extensive career as a director, playwright and educator. Most recently, Rivas served as a lecturer of acting at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, where he received the 2026 Distinguished Teaching Prize. He was previously the inaugural Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. His directing work has been presented across the United States and internationally, and since 2020 he has served as dramaturg and creative consultant for the award-winning Off-Broadway musical “MEXODUS.” A co-founder of the Latinx Theatre Commons and founder of Chicano TheatreWorks, Rivas’ work is rooted in the legacy of El Teatro Campesino, exploring Latinx identity, history and social justice through new plays, adaptations and translations. He holds an M.F.A. in directing from University of Washington School of Drama, a B.A. in theatre arts from University of California, Santa Cruz and an A.A. in Latino studies and drama from Cabrillo College.

Adjunct/Visiting

Joshua Morgan

Drama alumnus Joshua Morgan (B.F.A. ’09) is teaching singing and the business of acting this school year. His career includes extensive experience as a Broadway and regional theatre performer, vocal coach and career strategist. Morgan performed on Broadway in “Les Misérables” and originated the role of Shelly Berger in the Tony Award-nominated musical “Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations,” appearing with the production from its 2017 Berkeley premiere through its Broadway run. His extensive regional credits include Arena Stage, North Carolina Theatre, Folger Theatre, Olney Theatre Center and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. In 2014, Morgan founded Artist’s Strategy, which helps actors and other creative professionals develop sustainable careers in the entertainment industry.

Dominick Amendum

Dominick Amendum is teaching singing. He is an award-winning musical director, conductor, arranger and educator whose career spans Broadway, film and musical theatre. He served as production music supervisor for Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” films, and previously served as musical director, conductor and associate music supervisor for the original Broadway production of “Wicked.” A longtime educator, Amendum brings extensive professional experience to his teaching, helping students connect their vocal training to the demands and realities of today’s performing arts industry. He holds a B.M. in piano performance from University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG).

Chris Grace

Drama alumnus Chris Grace (B.F.A. ’03) is teaching stand-up comedy. Best known for his role as Jerry on NBC’s “Superstore,” Grace has also appeared in “Broad City,” “PEN15,” “Atypical” and “Stumptown,” as well as the films “That Awkward Moment” and “All the Bright Places.” A longtime stand-up and improv performer, he has performed nationally and internationally and spent a decade starring in “Baby Wants Candy” at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His solo comedy show, “Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson,” debuted to sellout audiences and critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe, and he recently appeared in Netflix’s “The Residence.”

School of Filmmaking

Full-Time

Laimir Fano

Laimir Fano is teaching cinema studies, performance, directing and screenwriting. A filmmaker and educator, his work explores national identity and cultural memory — particularly in Cuba and its exile and immigrant communities. His films have screened at the Tribeca, Shanghai International and Havana film festivals, earning honors including the Sara Gómez Prize and a Special Jury Mention at Tribeca. A former actor and acting instructor in Cuba, Fano holds a Ph.D. in film and digital media from the University of California, Santa Cruz, an M.F.A. in performing arts from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and a diploma in film directing from Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV (EICTV) in Cuba.

Shahin Gorgani

Shahin Gorgani is teaching acting, screenwriting, world cinema and creative development. An independent writer, filmmaker, musician and actor from Iran, Gorgani has taught at CalArts, served as a juror for the Guadalajara International Film Festival and participated in the 2023 Cine Qua Non-Storyline Lab. He has performed with acclaimed Iranian musicians at venues including Lincoln Center and the Library of Congress and co-founded Studio Dastan, a collaborative filmmaking studio with a global perspective. He holds an M.F.A. in film directing from the California Institute of the Arts and a B.S. in clinical nutrition from the University of California, Davis.

Adjunct/Visiting

John Ferguson

John Ferguson is teaching the grip and electric cinematography elective. A veteran gaffer and cinematographer, Ferguson has dozens of camera and electrical department credits spanning several decades. His work includes “Manhunter,” “Cat’s Eye,” “Cinderella Man” and “The Black Phone,” as well as numerous television and independent productions.

Tom Lisowski

Tom Lisowski is teaching production design. An award-winning production designer, his feature film credits include “Honest Thief” starring Liam Neeson, “The Oath” with Tiffany Haddish and “The Magic of Belle Isle,”directed by Rob Reiner. His work spans feature films, television and commercial production, with projects filmed across the U.S. and internationally. Lisowski received a Daytime Creative Arts & Lifestyle Emmy Award for the Entertainment Tonight promo “Treat Yourself” and was nominated for Best Art Director at the MTV Video Music Awards for Tyler, the Creator’s “Tamale.” He is also the author of “Art Stars: Legends of Production Design,” which has been featured on reading lists at USC and AFI film schools. He holds a B.F.A. in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

School of Music

Full-Time

Brett Deubner

Brett Deubner is teaching viola and chamber music. He is an internationally acclaimed violist, soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and educator and has performed with more than 90 orchestras in 14 countries. He has more than 50 concertos composed and dedicated to him, along with 26 critically acclaimed recordings. His honors include a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Classical CD Recording, a Global Music Award and a United States Congressional Certificate of Recognition for his contributions to music and education. Deubner previously served on the string faculties of Temple University and Queens College. He holds both an M.M. and a B.M. from Eastman School of Music.

Adjunct/Visiting

Steven Banks

Music alumnus Steven Banks (High School ’11) is teaching saxophone. An internationally acclaimed performer, Banks was the first saxophonist to win First Prize at the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and the first to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has performed with leading ensembles including The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra and has commissioned and premiered works by composers including Billy Childs, Joan Tower and Augusta Read Thomas. Banks has held teaching appointments at the Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Hartford, Ithaca College and Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. He holds an M.M. from Northwestern University and a B.M. from Indiana University.

Owen Broder

Music alumnus Owen Broder (High School ’08) is teaching saxophone. A performer, composer and bandleader, Broder is a member of the Grammy-nominated Anat Cohen Tentet and has performed at leading venues and festivals including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Newport, Monterey and Umbria jazz festivals. He has released six albums as a bandleader and composed and arranged for ensembles including WindSync, the Airmen of Note and the U.S. Air Force Band. His performance credits also include Broadway’s “Tootsie,” the U.S. premiere tour of “The Bodyguard: The Musical,” Off-Broadway’s “Lazarus” and HBO’s “The Plot Against America.” Broder is the founder of the American Roots Project — a band which explores the intersection of jazz and American roots music. He holds an M.M. from the Manhattan School of Music and a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music.

Mitchell Greco

Bio to come.

Andrew Fierova

Andrew Fierova is teaching horn. A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, he is second horn with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and has performed throughout the United States, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, England and Austria. He has also performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony and Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Fierova maintains a private studio, serves on the faculty of Davidson College and is brass coordinator for the North Carolina Youth Orchestra. He founded the Brass Challenge program, which introduces beginning musicians to all aspects of their instruments. Fierova has appeared as a featured artist for N.C. Horn Day and presented master classes at universities and music festivals across the country. He holds degrees from The Juilliard School and the University of South Carolina.

David Levy

David Levy is teaching Beethoven symphonies. A musicologist, educator and Beethoven scholar, he has decades of experience in higher education. Levy spent much of his career at Wake Forest University, where he taught music history and chaired the Department of Music. His scholarship includes the book “Beethoven: The Ninth Symphony” and published research on Berlioz and Wagner. He also serves as program annotator for the Winston-Salem Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and New Mexico Philharmonic. Levy holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Eastman School of Music.

Vivian Mayers

Vivian Mayers is teaching historical performance. A specialist in early music, Mayers has performed with ensembles including Les Arts Florissants, Juilliard Baroque, the Yale Baroque Opera Project and the Valley of the Moon Music Festival and was a founding member of the Arrow Quartet — a New York City-based ensemble specializing in early string quartet repertoire on historical instruments. She also performs as a section violinist with the Winston-Salem Symphony. Mayers holds a M.M from The Juilliard School and a B.A. from Yale University.

Rex McGee

Rex McGee is teaching American Roots Music. A seasoned multi-instrumentalist, educator and composer, his work on banjo, fiddle and guitar reflects both technical skill and musical curiosity. Descended from renowned families of fiddle and banjo players, McGee has built a reputation as a teacher and mentor known for his clarity, patience and depth of knowledge, working with students ranging from emerging musicians to national recording artists and touring professionals. His compositions blend musical tradition with thoughtful innovation, shaped by years of performing, studying, listening and teaching. McGee brings the discipline, precision and care developed during his three-decade career as a pharmacist to both his teaching and creative work, resulting in music that is technically grounded and deeply expressive.

Andrew Moenning

Bio to come.

Justin Poindexter

Music alumnus Justin Poindexter (HS ’01, BM ‘06) is teaching American roots music. A guitarist, songwriter, educator and interpreter of American roots music, his work spans jazz, folk, country, blues and the American songbook. Poindexter has performed and taught throughout the United States and abroad, including international tours through the U.S. Department of State’s American Music Abroad program with pianist and vocalist Sasha Papernik. He also works with Jazz at Lincoln Center as a performer and educator. His recent recording credits include Hilary Gardner’s “On the Trail With the Lonesome Pines” and David Amram’s “Old Souls,” produced by Nora Guthrie and featuring music associated with Woody Guthrie and Phil Ochs.

Russell Stinson

Russell Stinson is teaching instrumental music of J.S. Bach. He is a musicologist, organist and scholar who has authored many books about the life and works of Bach. An emeritus professor of music at Lyon College, he has also served as a visiting professor of Bach studies at the University of Louisville. Stinson is the director of music at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Division of Liberal Arts

Full-Time

Matt Harvey

 

Matt Harvey is teaching political and environmental philosophy. His teaching and research explore the intersection of environmental humanities and political thought, with a particular interest in the stories we tell about humanity’s place in nature and our relationship with the nonhuman world. Before joining UNCSA, Harvey served as a visiting assistant professor at Wabash College and was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. His work has been published in journals including Environmental Values, Theory & Event, Democratic Theory and Caliban. Harvey holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Colorado Boulder and previously taught at Wabash College before serving as a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University.

Monica Alfaro Rodríguez

Monica Alfaro Rodríguez is teaching humanities and political theory. Recently named to Who’s Who Among Professors in American Universities and Colleges (2025), she is a political theorist and intellectual historian. Her research explores how political ideas from the Enlightenment through the Caribbean and Atlantic world evolve, endure and remain contested over time. She has spent 15 years building discussion-driven humanities and political theory classrooms for first-generation and nontraditional students across Texas. She holds a Ph.D. in history of ideas from the University of Texas at Dallas.

High School Program

Full-Time

Janey Johnson

Janey Johnson teaches geometry and pre-calculus. Prior to joining UNCSA, she taught mathematics at multiple levels in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools for 16 years. Johnson brings an engaging, student-centered approach to the classroom, incorporating activities and games to help students build confidence and find enjoyment in mathematics. Additionally, she has dedicated time to mentoring new teachers throughout her career. She holds an M.A.Ed. in teaching from the University of South Carolina and a B.S. in secondary mathematics education from North Carolina State University.

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