Melissa Shafer
Melissa Shafer
2010 ETSU Distinguished Faculty Award for Service
 Melissa Shafer receiving the ETSU Distinguished Faculty Award for Service during the 2010 Fall Convocation. Pictured alongside Melissa are ETSU president Paul Stanton (left) and ETSU vice president for University Advancement and the president of the ETSU Foundation, Richard Manahan (right). |
"After earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design and Production at Southern Illinois University, Professor Melissa Shafer joined the faculty at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and served as a Set and Lighting Designer and Technical Director in Theatre. She then moved to a similar faculty and Technical Theatre position at Rollins College in Florida and later to Loyola University in New Orleans. She joined ETSU’s Theatre faculty in the Department of Communication in 1999. Since that time she has served as Set and Lighting Designer and Technical Director for the ETSU Theatre program and has taught thirteen (13) separate production and design courses. In addition to her distinguished teaching and creative efforts in set construction, scenery, properties, lighting, and audio needs, Professor Shafer has established a broad, impressive, and widely acknowledged record of service to the theatre program, to the University, to the community, to her profession, and to her vision and support for the arts. Letters of support for this award were received from persons affiliated with a neighboring college, from the Tennessee Theatre Association, from the Southeastern Theatre Conference, and from the Barter Theatre. These letters carried a common theme--they all elaborate on the energy, creativity, and generosity that characterize her work, her mentoring, and the quality and helpfulness of her professional advice and service involving the scope of technical theatre tasks and projects. Of special note is a direct quote from one, “Yet it is not just the extensive range of formal service activities that cause Melissa to stand out among her colleagues. It is the behind-the-scenes activities, and her willingness to help in so many areas, whether or not her contributions are recognized or noticed.”
http://www.etsu.edu/academicaffairs/etsuawards/awards_service.aspx
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"Melissa Shafer,
an associate professor of Theatre and Dance in the Department of Communication,
received the
Distinguished Faculty Award for Service.
"Shafer’s reputation for “going above and beyond” extends well past theatre and other divisions and departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, such as broadcasting, storytelling, opera and bluegrass. Letters supporting Shafer’s nomination were submitted from her colleagues in the college and also from current and former students, and employees and representatives from Milligan College, the Tennessee Theatre Association, Barter Theatre, the City of Johnson City and the Southeastern Theatre Conference, as well as fellow members of the ETSU Faculty Senate, of which she has served as a member for seven years.
Shafer is noted for her distinguished teaching and creative efforts in set construction, scenery, properties, lighting and audio needs for ETSU Division of Theatre and Dance productions – most frequently for productions at Bud Frank Theatre. One writer noted that Shafer spends extra hours to ensure every ETSU production has a “Shafer look” of professionalism, while another frequent patron lauded her “creative genius in providing productions with interesting and provocative sets appropriate to each production.”
“Looking first at service to the discipline, I believe a strong case can be made for Ms. Shafer being the heir to the legacy of Bud Frank when it comes to theatre service to the state of Tennessee,” a colleague wrote. “Working tirelessly and without much recognition, she has been a driving force in the Tennessee Theatre Association, and it culminates this year in her being named president of the organization.”
EXCERPT FROM: Article adapted from staff
reports prepared by the Office of University Relations at East Tennessee State
University at
http://www.etsu.edu/calendar/EventList.aspx?eventidn=4545&view=EventDetails&information_id=18472.
Women's Resource Center Newsletter, September 2010 Volume 13:1