Division and Alumni News

TWU marks 65 years of dance PhDs

6/27/22

Now in its 65th year, Texas Woman's University's PhD in dance program is the longest running in the United States, and has produced 117 graduates.

TWU alumna Ritter named dean of USC Dance

6/15/22

Julia M. Ritter, who earned her PhD from Texas Woman's University in 2016, has been named dean of the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, effective July 1.

Ritter's doctoral studies at TWU focused on immersive performance, bridging theater, dance, film and digital media. “As I’ve been studying these new ways to collaborate throughout my career, I’ve seen a real hunger from both faculty and students to build institutional and creative infrastructures that support those kinds of interactions,” Ritter said.

Ritter was a professor of dance at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, where she served as chair and artistic director of the department of dance from 2010 to 2021.

Alumna Julia M. Ritter (PhD '16) is named a Douglass Faculty Fellow

2/2/22

Ph.D. Alumni Julia Ritter has been named a Douglass Faculty Fellow for spring 2022. Douglass Residential College at Rutgers is the only residential women's college in the nation that is housed within a leading national public research university.

Alumna Julia M. Ritter (PhD '16) receives Rutgers Presidential Outstanding Faculty Scholar Award

12/14/21

TWU dance alumna Julia M. Ritter (Ph.D. '16) recently received a Presidential Outstanding Faculty Scholar Award. Ritter is a professor of dance at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. The award honors newly-promoted members of the faculty whose breadth of academic portfolios reflect outstanding research, scholarship or creative work, as well as truly outstanding contributions to teaching along with extensive service to the Rutgers community and beyond.

TWU dance alumna Wanda K.W. Ebright (PhD '17) named Columbus State University dean

12/14/21

Columbus State University has appointed Dr. Wanda K. W. Ebright as its next dean of the College of the Arts. Ebright will begin her tenure at Columbus State on Tuesday, Feb. 15. She holds a Ph.D. in dance from Texas Woman’s University and is the author of D"ance on the Historically Black College Campus: The Familiar and the Foreign."