Alumni in the News

Vincent Coleman (B.F.A., Studio Art, 1998) recently self-published a 50-page surreal, stream-of-consciousness comic book entitled Lightning Jim. The entire comic is available online.

Catherine Ann Jones (B.F.A., Drama, 1965) received the Nautilus Book Award for Heal Your Self with Writing; her latest publication is a one-woman play about H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)'s analysis and friendship with Sigmund Freud in Vienna, 1933. Jones will perform her play in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Aug. 4, and in Santa Barbara, California, on Dec. 3. The play is available on amazon and Kindle.

Brian Hunt (B.A., Studio Art, 1991) successfully self-published his second book, Convergence Healing - Healing Pain With Energetic Love. It was picked up by Enliven Books, the new all-holistic imprint from Atria Books and Simon & Schuster.

Hank Hehmsoth (B.M. 1975; M.M., Applied Music/Voice/Piano, 1976), a composer and jazz performing artist in the School of Music at Texas State University, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Senior Specialist Program grant to Santiago, Chile in music this summer. 

Adam Poncio (B.A., Drama, 1986), an attorney Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Labor and Employment and Civil Appellate Law, has been recognized by San Antonio Scene Magazine as one of the Best S.A. Lawyers of 2016 in the area of Labor and Employment Law.

Art Brownlow (D.M.A., Trumpet Performance, 1994) was selected as a recipient of the University of Texas System Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award for 2016.

Yamin Li (B.F.A., Studio Art, 2015) will present the solo exhibition "Biological Effect" at Dougherty Arts Center in Austin from June 4 to 29.

Artina McCain (D.M.A., Piano Performance, 2011) will join the faculty at the University of Memphis as Assistant Professor of Piano this fall. Photo by Claire McAdams.

Gloria Groom (M.A. 1978; Ph.D., Art History, 1989), chair of the Art Institute of Chicago’s European Painting and Sculpture department since 2015, received the distinction of the Chevalier Légion d’Honneur on April 29. The highest of the five levels of the French government’s Légion d’Honneur award, the French Ambassador to the United States, Gérard Araud presented the award during a private ceremony. The award honors Groom for her contributions to French art and culture.

Rebecka Sexton (M.F.A., Studio Art, 1995) was named director of human centered design at UnitedHealth Group's Optum Innovation, Research and Development in Minneapolis.