Doan Named to College of Fellows of the American Theatre

Bill Doan, professor and director of the School of Theatre, has been named to the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, an honorary society of outstanding theatre educators and professional theatre practitioners. Now an independent not-for-profit organization, it was formed in 1965 as a project proposed by members of the American Theatre Association.

The primary purpose of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre is to promote and encourage the highest standards of research, writing, and creativity in educational and professional theatre through honoring distinguished service and notable accomplishment by individuals of recognized national stature. The membership includes actors, critics, designers, directors, playwrights, producers, program administrators, distinguished teachers, and scholars associated with the commercial and educational wings of the American theatre.

Doan, former associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Arts and Architecture, began a three-year term as director of the School of Theatre on July 1, 2017. He joined the college as associate dean in 2008, returning to full-time teaching in 2013. A playwright, author, and solo performer, his most recent play, Drifting, received a production at Dixon Place Theatre in New York City in March 2015 and has since been performed under a sponsorship from The Doctors Kienle Center for the Study of Humanistic Medicine, with new productions scheduled. Doan shared the earliest work from his Anxiety Project, A Brief Anatomy of My Anxiety, in the Dixon Place Lounge in November 2016, and followed up with Anxiety: A Work in Progress in December 2017 on the Dixon Place mainstage.

His co-authored book, The Story of Naomi – the Book of Ruth: From Gender to Politics, was published in 2016. His graphic narratives have been published in The Annals of Graphic Medicine/Internal Medicine. Since coming to Penn State, Doan has served as a co-principal investigator on National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health grants, integrating arts-based research methods into education on Marcellus Shale development and the education of child care workers for detecting early signs of potential child abuse. Doan served as president of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education in 2011–13.

The investiture of new members of the College of Fellows will take place on April 14, 2018, as part of the organization's annual meeting. For more information, visit thecollegeoffellows.org.