Lee University’s Dr. Christine Williams has been elected to positions of leadership in the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce.
“I am honored to be taking on leadership roles in several community and academic arenas,” said Dr. Williams, associate professor of theatre. “It is a pleasure to serve and to help advance the role of the arts and theatre in our communities.”
Within the ATHE, Dr. Williams was re-elected as the research and development coordinator of the Theatre as a Liberal Art focus group. She has served in this position for several terms and has been a member of the group for 15 years.
In this role, Dr. Williams will help facilitate research and development opportunities for the group’s membership. She is currently helping the TLA focus group develop an online journal and collect data on theatre students in a liberal arts curriculum.
Earlier this year, Dr. Williams presented at ATHE on a panel focused on “Millennial Initiatives: Helping our Millennial Students.” She presented original research conducted during a semester-long collaborative program with the Lee Counseling Center, which focused on training theatre students in resilience and anxiety.
After five years of serving on the Allied Arts Council of the Chamber, Dr. Williams was elected as chair of its Arts in Education Committee. She has also been elected as vice chair of the Allied Arts Council, which means she will serve as chair in two years.
With a commitment to advocating for the arts in the community, the AIE Committee awards around $20,000 annually to local teachers to use as grants for various arts projects in their classrooms. Additionally, the committee funds visiting artists in the schools and opportunities for students to see plays, concerts, and other arts events.
“I have always felt passionately about introducing our young children to the arts early so that they can experience them later as patrons or participants,” said Dr. Williams. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work directly with our schools and educators in helping to increase arts programming in our community through the Arts in Education Committee of Allied Arts.”
Founded in 1986, the ATHE is a comprehensive non-profit professional membership organization that serves individual and organizational members. The TLA focus group serves nearly 1000 college and university professors nationwide who believe in the intrinsic value of theatre as a liberal art.
The Chamber is an organization dedicated to the business development of its members, the economic growth of its region, and the highest quality of life for its community, the Ocoee Region of Tennessee.
For more information about the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, visit http://www.athe.org/.
For more information about the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, visit http://clevelandchamber.com/.