Faculty & Staff Directory

This directory lists all full-time faculty and key administrative staff at ACAPA for the 2024–2025 academic year. Adjunct instructors are listed separately on the Adjunct Faculty page. Office hours, room assignments, and syllabi are available via the Student Portal. To report a directory update or correction, contact the Registrar's Office.
Note: Dr. Harriet Lund (Music & Composition) is on sabbatical for Spring 2025. Studio coverage provided by Visiting Lecturer Anton Beauvais. Contact the department chair for scheduling.

Administration

Office of the Dean & Senior Leadership

Dr. Marcus Webb — Dean of Academic Affairs
 |  Elbridge Hall, Room 101
Dr. Webb joined ACAPA in 2019 after serving twelve years at the Harrington Institute of the Arts, where he was Associate Provost for Curriculum Development. He holds a D.M.A. in orchestral conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a B.Mus. from the University of Michigan. Under his leadership, ACAPA introduced the interdisciplinary Arts & Technology certificate program and expanded graduate enrollment by 22%. He is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music accreditation advisory panel.  [Full profile]
Dr. Sylvia Okonkwo — Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
 |  Elbridge Hall, Room 100
A scholar of arts policy and higher education administration, Dr. Okonkwo came to ACAPA from Williams College. She holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy from Columbia University. She oversees faculty hiring, curriculum oversight, and institutional accreditation.  [Full profile]
Mr. Gerald Fitch — Director of Finance & Operations
 |  Elbridge Hall, Room 104
Mr. Fitch has managed institutional budgets in higher education for over 20 years. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Vermont.  [Full profile]
Ms. Renata Houghton — Registrar
 |  Whitmore Building, Room 10
Ms. Houghton manages all student records, enrollment data, and degree audits. She holds a B.A. in Arts Administration from Champlain College and has been at ACAPA since 2007.  [Registrar's Office]

Department of Music & Composition

Department Chair: Prof. Eleanor Crane  |  Department page

Name Title Office Email Bio / Specialization
Prof. Eleanor Crane Professor of Music; Chair, Music & Composition Whitmore 204 Pianist and music theorist. B.Mus. Eastman School of Music; M.Mus., D.M.A. Yale School of Music. Specializes in 20th-century harmonic analysis and extended piano technique. Recording artist with Innova Recordings. ACAPA faculty since 1998.
Dr. Harriet Lund Associate Professor of Composition (on sabbatical, Sp. 2025) Whitmore 207 Composer specializing in electroacoustic and chamber works. Ph.D. composition, Columbia University. Two-time MacDowell Colony fellow. Works performed at Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood. Returns Fall 2025.
Prof. Jerome Castillo Associate Professor of Conducting & Orchestral Studies Whitmore 210 Conductor and violinist. Former assistant conductor, Vermont Symphony Orchestra. M.Mus. New England Conservatory. Leads the ACAPA Chamber Orchestra and teaches orchestration. ACAPA faculty since 2011.
Ms. Diana Kowalski Assistant Professor of Voice & Vocal Pedagogy Holbrook Studio 3 Soprano. M.Mus. vocal performance, Indiana University. Former principal artist, Glimmerglass Festival. Teaches private voice studio and Vocal Repertoire Survey. ACAPA faculty since 2018.
Dr. Thomas Ng'ang'a Assistant Professor of Music History & Ethnomusicology Whitmore 212 Ph.D. musicology, University of Chicago. Research focuses on sub-Saharan African popular music and diasporic sound cultures. Author of Rhythms Across Oceans (2021). Teaches World Music Traditions and Music History I–III.
Prof. Ruth Albanese Senior Lecturer in Piano & Keyboard Studies Holbrook Studio 1 B.Mus. and M.Mus. from the Juilliard School. Former faculty member, Hartt School of Music. Specializes in Baroque and Classical keyboard repertoire. Private studio instruction. ACAPA faculty since 2003.

Department of Theatre Arts

Department Chair: Dr. Calvin Marsh  |  Department page

Name Title Office Email Bio / Specialization
Dr. Calvin Marsh Professor of Theatre; Chair, Theatre Arts Aldrich Hall 301 Director and dramaturg. Ph.D. Theatre History, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Former resident director, Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago). Teaches Directing I & II, Theatre History, and the Senior Capstone. ACAPA faculty since 2005.
Ms. Naomi Pryce Associate Professor of Acting & Movement Aldrich Hall 305 M.F.A. Acting, American Conservatory Theater. Professional credits include Off-Broadway and regional theatre across New England. Teaches Stanislavski method, Laban Movement Analysis, and Stage Combat. ACAPA faculty since 2013.
Mr. Leo Sandhu Assistant Professor of Scenic & Costume Design Aldrich Hall 312 M.F.A. Design, Yale School of Drama. Scenic and costume design credits include productions at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Long Wharf Theatre. Teaches Design Fundamentals and Period Costume. ACAPA faculty since 2020.
Dr. Patricia Engel Associate Professor of Playwriting & Dramaturgy Aldrich Hall 308 Ph.D. Dramatic Literature, Brown University. Published playwright; two works produced Off-Broadway. Former literary manager, Actors Theatre of Louisville. Teaches Playwriting Workshop and Script Analysis. ACAPA faculty since 2009.

Department of Dance

Department Chair: Prof. Serena Voss  |  Department page

Name Title Office Email Bio / Specialization
Prof. Serena Voss Professor of Dance; Chair, Dance Department Kendall Center 110 B.F.A. Dance, SUNY Purchase; M.F.A. Choreography, University of Illinois. Former principal dancer, Boston Ballet. Teaches Contemporary Technique, Choreography, and Ballet. Published researcher on somatic dance practices. ACAPA faculty since 2001.
Mr. André Baptiste Assistant Professor of Jazz & Commercial Dance Kendall Center 114 M.F.A. Dance, Temple University. Former performer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater touring company. Teaches Jazz Technique, Hip-Hop History, and Musical Theatre Dance. ACAPA faculty since 2016.
Dr. Mei-Ling Chen Assistant Professor of Dance History & Kinesiology Kendall Center 116 Ph.D. Dance Studies, Ohio State University. Research focuses on East Asian performance traditions and injury prevention in dancers. Teaches Dance History, Anatomy for Dancers, and Dance Pedagogy. ACAPA faculty since 2021.

Department of Visual Arts & Design

Department Chair: Prof. Ingrid Mäkinen  |  Department page

Name Title Office Email Bio / Specialization
Prof. Ingrid Mäkinen Professor of Fine Arts; Chair, Visual Arts & Design Farrow Studio 201 M.F.A. Painting & Drawing, Rhode Island School of Design. International exhibition record including shows in Helsinki, Berlin, and New York. Teaches Advanced Painting, Color Theory, and Senior Thesis. ACAPA faculty since 1995.
Mr. Derek Wainwright Associate Professor of Graphic Design & Typography Farrow Studio 208 M.F.A. Graphic Design, Cranbrook Academy of Art. Former creative director at a Boston design firm. Teaches Digital Illustration, Typography, and Brand Identity. ACAPA faculty since 2008.
Ms. Carmen Orozco Assistant Professor of Sculpture & Installation Art Farrow Studio 215 M.F.A. Sculpture, Alfred University. Her large-scale site-specific installations have been exhibited at the ICA Boston and the Brattleboro Museum. Teaches 3-D Foundations, Mixed Media, and Advanced Sculpture. ACAPA faculty since 2019.

Department of Film & Media Arts

Department Chair: Dr. Priya Mehta  |  Department page

Name Title Office Email Bio / Specialization
Dr. Priya Mehta Associate Professor of Film Studies; Chair, Film & Media Arts Ames Media Building 101 Ph.D. Cinema Studies, NYU Tisch. Author of Framing the Postcolonial Lens (2018, Duke Univ. Press). Teaches Film Theory, Documentary Practice, and Postcolonial Cinema. ACAPA faculty since 2015.
Mr. Oliver Brandt Assistant Professor of Cinematography & Production Ames Media Building 105 M.F.A. Film Production, AFI Conservatory. Independent cinematographer; work screened at Tribeca and SXSW. Teaches Camera & Lighting, Narrative Production I & II. ACAPA faculty since 2022.

Division of Liberal Arts & Humanities

Division Head: Dr. Frances Holt  |  Division page

Name Title Office Email Bio / Specialization
Dr. Frances Holt Professor of Critical Theory; Division Head, Liberal Arts Elbridge Hall 220 Ph.D. Comparative Literature, Cornell University. Specializes in aesthetics, critical theory, and arts writing. Author of two scholarly monographs. Teaches Writing for Artists, Arts Criticism, and Philosophy of Aesthetics. ACAPA faculty since 2004.
Mr. Samuel Wren Senior Lecturer in English Composition & Academic Writing Elbridge Hall 225 M.A. English, Middlebury College. Former journalist and essayist. Teaches Writing Studio I & II, Research Methods, and the Arts Seminar series. ACAPA faculty since 2012.
Dr. Yolanda Ferreira Assistant Professor of Arts Administration & Policy Elbridge Hall 228 Ph.D. Arts Administration, Florida State University. Former grants director, New England Foundation for the Arts. Teaches Nonprofit Management, Grant Writing, and Cultural Policy. ACAPA faculty since 2023.

Administrative & Student Services Staff

Name Title / Office Email Notes
Ms. Tanya Morrow Director of Student Services & Advising Academic advising, disability accommodations, student conduct. Whitmore Bldg., Room 20.
Mr. Bernard Osei Director of Admissions & Financial Aid Oversees undergraduate and graduate admissions. Admissions office. Elbridge Hall 108.
Ms. Claire Dubois Library Director & Archivist Manages the Whitmore Memorial Library and ACAPA historical archives. Library page.
Mr. Pete Hollander Facilities & Production Manager Manages performance spaces, rehearsal hall scheduling, and technical production. Facilities page.

Adjunct & Visiting Instructors: See the Adjunct Faculty directory for visiting artists, part-time lecturers, and studio instructors for 2024–25.  |  Emeritus Faculty: View emeritus faculty list.  |  Last updated: January 6, 2025.