Staff and faculty from College of Fine Arts gathered for the 2026 Plenary and Breakfast on Aug. 19 at the Tucson Marriott University Park hotel to honor exceptional teaching, service and leadership from across the college’s schools and units.
The morning also welcomed new colleagues to Arizona Arts and celebrated a wave of faculty promotions and tenure decisions heading into the new academic year.
In his closing remarks, Dean Hasan Elahi thanked the room for “how much talent and expertise and commitment exists across the arts here.”
“You’re the reason our students survive and thrive and do amazing things after they graduate,” Elahi said. “You’re the reason our audiences keep coming back, again and again, for incredible shows and experiences. And you’re the reason the arts continue to grow — and we, as a university, grow through the arts.”
As Arizona Arts heads into fall semester, Elahi encouraged everyone to carry that same sense of connection and purpose forward.
“We have a lot of important work ahead of us, and we’ve got ambitious goals,” he said. “We have opportunities to serve our students, our community and one another in even better ways, and I cannot think of a better group of people to do this with.”
Below are this year’s award winners, promotions, and new faculty and staff.
College of Fine Arts Awards
Charles and Irene Putnam Excellence in Teaching Award
Considered the college’s most prestigious recognition of excellence in teaching, as demonstrated by outstanding achievement in teaching during the eligible review period.
- Chad Shoopman
School of Music
James Anthony Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching
Presented to a member of the college faculty, who has consistently demonstrated a sustained level of outstanding achievement in teaching. This is an award to recognize the longevity of excellence.
- Martina Shenal
School of Art
Roy A. & Stardust K. Johnson Faculty Mentoring Award
Presented to a faculty member in recognition of outstanding faculty-to-faculty and/or faulty-to-graduate teaching assistant mentoring.
- Stacie Widdifield
School of Art
- Matthew Williams
School of Music
Arizona Arts Awards
Donna Altenhof Award
Presented to a College of Fine Arts staff member (or one of its units), for a minimum of eight years and whose performance has been at an exemplary level of excellence for a sustained period.
- David Boulton
Fine Arts Administration
Excellence in Service – Community Engagement
- Staci Santa
Arizona Arts Live
Excellence in Service – Office & Administration
- Alyssa Gaines
School of Music
Excellence in Service – Student Services
- Matt Denney
Fine Arts Administration
Excellence in Service – Technical & Facilities
- Cy Barlow
Fine Arts Administration
Shirley J. Heafy Employee of the Year
Presented to a staff member who has worked at Arizona Arts or its presenting units for no more than three years and whose overall performance has been at an exemplary level of excellence.
- Emmy Mickevicius
Center for Creative Photography
Arizona Arts Excellence Awards
Recognizes extraordinary contributions in moving Arizona Arts forward through research, teaching, mentorship, and service. Given to one undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty member and staff member.
- Carissa DiCindio, School of Art (faculty)
- Denisse Brito, Center for Creative Photography (staff)
Excellence in Fundraising Award
Presented to a faculty or administration who makes an important contribution to fundraising endeavors. Selection is made by the development office with approval by the Dean.
- Chad Herzog
Arizona Arts Live
Excellence in Fundraising Award – Staff
Presented to staff member who makes an important contribution to fundraising endeavors. The recipient is selected by the development office, with approval by the Dean.
- Aiden Avery
Center for Creative Photography
New Staff
Arizona Arts Live
- Megan Eagon, Box Office Manager
- Austin Donaldson, Administrative Coordinator
Center for Creative Photography
- Emily Broad, Collections Archivist
- Jules Baldino, Project Archivist
- Bryanna Knotts, Arthur J. Bell Associate Conservator
- Kristen Schmidt, Registrar, Collections and Exhibitions
University of Arizona Museum of Art
- Rima Girnius, Curator
- Sarah Grabner, Registrar
- Guillermo Metzler, Security Officer
School of Art
- Jeff Beekman, Director
- Andrew Schroeder, Technician, Print, Publishing and Book Arts
School of Dance
- Tammy Dyke-Compton, Interim Co-Director
- Elizabeth George, Interim Co-Director
School of Music
- Clarissa Tracy, Coordinator, Music Operations
- Lia Uribe, Director
School of Theatre, Film & Television
- Damon Mosier, Production Services Manager
College of Fine Arts
- Nicole Dvorak, Academic Advisor II
- Pete Froslie, Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies
- Amy Kraehe, Vice Dean
Promotion and Tenure
Promotion to Full Professor
- Philip Alejo, School of Music
- Sara Fraker, School of Music
- Jennie Gubner, School of Music
- Matthew Mugmon, School of Music
- Barbara Selznick, School of Theatre, Film & Television
- Matthew Tropman, School of Music
Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure
- Nicole Antebi, School of Art
- Jason Carder, School of Music
- Christopher Compton, School of Dance
- Marcos Serafim, School of Art
Promotion to Professor of Practice
- Brian Moon, School of Music
Promotion to Associate Professor of Practice
- Yana Payusova Farbrook, School of Art
- Jamie Reed, School of Theatre, Film & Television
New Faculty
School of Art
- Andrea Allen, Assistant Professor, Art and Visual Culture Education
- Jeff Beekman, Professor
- Kerri Conlon, Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary / 3DXM
- Isabella Shey Robbins, Assistant Professor, Art History
- Lisa Evans, Assistant Professor of Practice, Head of Experiential Learning & Community Engagement
School of Music
- Elena Chernova Davis, Assistant Professor of Music, Violin
- Julie Desbourdes, Director of Orchestras and Assistant Professor
- Marcela Molina, Interim Director of Choral Activities
- Shawn Trail, Assistant Professor of Practice, Recording Studio/Sound Engineer
- Lia Uribe, Professor
School of Theatre, Film & Television
- Matt Denney, Assistant Professor of Practice, Live and Screened Performance
- Kristin Dowell, Associate Professor, Film Studies
- Lisa Evans, Assistant Professor of Practice, Head of Experiential Learning & Community Engagement
- Ashley Martin, Assistant Professor of Practice, Stage Management
- Julian Martinez, Assistant Professor of Practices, Screen, Stage Directing/Acting
- Irene Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Practice, Design Technology