Shanna Waite Appointed New Head of UW Musical Theater Program

The University of Washington Musical Theater Program is announcing the appointment of Shanna Waite as its new program director. Waite will oversee the program through the end of its pilot phase in 2020. She takes over from former program head Wilson Mendieta, who departed in June to join the Dance faculty at Chapman University in Orange, California.

During the 2016 - 2017 academic year, the Musical Theater Program went through its scheduled pilot program review process. The review included a self-study, evaluation by educators both within and outside of the university, student feedback, and recommendations from faculty. Based on the findings of the review, Robert Stacey, Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Catherine Cole, Divisional Dean for the Arts, made the decision not to continue the Musical Theater Program past the end of its pilot phase.

Currently, there are 22 Musical Theater majors, and the program will continue at full force until each of these students has completed his or her course of study. As the pilot phase will end in 2020, no new students will be admitted to the major during the next three years. As the new head of Musical Theater, Waite will work with faculty and administration to ensure that each Musical Theater major has an exceptional educational experience as they are stewarded through to graduation.

The College of Arts & Sciences, founded 150 years ago, provides an education of tremendous breadth and depth to more than 21,000 students while advancing research and scholarship in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. The College has more than two dozen interdisciplinary centers and ties to many other centers, enabling scholars in diverse fields to collaborate on complex research questions in the arts, humanities, demography, labor studies, law, astrobiology and other areas.

The College faculty generate about $107 million in research funds annually, through public and private grants. The College also serves the community through the more than 280 performances, 60 exhibits and 100 public programs annually offered through the Henry Art Gallery, the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, UW World Series and MeanyCenter for the Performing Arts.