Alumni in the News

Flordelino Lagundino (M.F.A., Theatre, 2004) was named Artistic Director of Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Lagundino is a director, actor and producer whose performance in “VIETGONE” led to a Best Ensemble Ivey award. He is the Sir John Gielgud Classical Directing Fellow at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. 

Reema Bounajem (B.F.A., Dance, 2015) is performing in "The Lost Supper," an immersive, theatrical dinner party at the McKittrick Hotel in New York City, through Aug. 18. 

Hank Hehmsoth (M.M., Applied Music/Voice/Piano, 1976) has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for his ongoing project, Reminiscences of NEA Jazz Master Dan Morganstern. The project will capture Morgenstern’s first-hand reminiscences and decades-spanning scholarly research on Kansas City jazz and its big bands, as well as preeminent individual artists and their styles and innovations. Hehmsoth received his first NEA grant in 1979.

Alan E. Hicks (D.M.A., Music, 2009) has been appointed Director of Opera Theatre at San Diego State University in a newly created joint position with San Diego Opera. In addition to his duties at SDSU, Dr. Hicks will serve on the staff of San Diego Opera.

Claire Costin (B.F.A., Music Performance, 2004) was installed as a Board Director on the Alpha Phi Foundation 2018-2020 Board of Directors on June 23, 2018.

Angela Ahlgren (Ph.D., 2011, Theatre), an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Film at Bowling Green State University, has published a new book, "Drumming Asian America: Taiko, Performance and Cultural Politics." 

Raul De Lara (B.F.A., Studio Art, 2015) is showing his recent work, "Homecoming: How do you know your/you're home"  at Prizer Arts & Letters in Austin, Aug. 10th-12th. An opening reception will take place Aug. 10th from 7-10pm with an artist's talk Saturday, Aug. 11th at 2pm. The exhibition will include works by De Lara that play with typical household objects to subvert their associated uses, deploying dark humor to reckon with the uncertainty of a place the artist considers home.

Roberto Di Donato (B.A.,Theatre and Dance, 2016) has been named an assistant for The Commedia Company in NYC, which specializes in Commedia Dell’Arte performance and was formed out of the Clown and Commedia school.

Jacqueline Hinton (B.F.A., Dance, 2001) will perform in "Gatsby Redux" at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the Music Center’s “Moves After Dark” series July 24th, 25th, 31st and August 1st at 8:30pm. Hinton pictured second from right, photo by Barry Weiss.