Ann Folino White, MSU associate professor of theatre studies and directing, was selected as one of three Michigan Association of State Universities Professors of the Year.
The committee selected Folino White based on her sustained commitment to undergraduate instruction through the following categories:
- Impact on and involvement with undergraduate students
- Individualized and experiential learning
- Scholarship and innovation in teaching and learning
- Contributions to undergraduate education at the institution, in the community and in the profession/discipline
“In the eight years she has been on the faculty of the Department of Theatre at Michigan State University, Dr. Ann Folino White has had a singular effect on the scope and quality of the performing arts on our campus,” said Kirk Domer, chairperson for the Department of Theatre.
Folino White said she is honored to be recognized for her contributions to undergraduate education because her passions extend far beyond theatre.
“I am proud that my work has enhanced systems of support for undergraduate students to pursue research and understanding, engage in collective endeavor and contribute positively to the social and cultural life of the university,” Folino White said.
She also reflects on the work that her former students have gone on to do.
“I am also proud of my many former students, who dedicate their lives to making theatre in efforts to create a more inclusive, thoughtful and compassionate society; as well as those who have integrated theatre's great lessons about imagination and interdependence into their work as journalists, anthropologists, lawyers, social workers and teachers,” Folino White said. “They exemplify the vital importance of the arts and humanities to a better world.”
“I am continuously impressed with Dr. Folino White’s passion and enthusiasm for employing a variety of strategies to reach diverse learners,” Domer said.r. “Michigan State University is fortunate to employ a professor of Dr. Ann Folino White’s caliber among its faculty and academic leaders.”