Dean's Welcome Letter
By Dr. Anne Hogan
Welcome to the spring 2022 edition of Voices, the magazine of the College of Communication and Fine Arts.
As outlined in our strategic plan, CCFA aims to further advance an academic community
where “creativity, culture and ideas flourish and provide a fertile environment for
the artists, scholars, educators, architects, communicators and innovators of the
future.” The people and the projects that are showcased
in these pages tell the story, or at least part of the story, of a college on an upward
trajectory toward that vision; one whose future-oriented momentum is propelled by
a deep commitment to empowering our students to serve, and to thrive, as agents of
positive change.
CCFA’s recent accomplishments are even more poignant for the tumultuousness of the times during which they have unfolded. Our world has been profoundly disrupted by a global pandemic that has lasted more than two years, as well as an onslaught of socio-economic uncertainties, and the CCFA community has experienced much hardship and loss. The past four semesters – four semesters! - have been heart wrenching, and yet I continue to be awed and inspired by the ingenuity, resilience and, perhaps most importantly, the compassion of our CCFA community. It’s an honor to serve as dean for a college comprised of so many talented and highly productive faculty, staff, students and alumni. I commend the CCFA community for its wide-ranging achievements, and I also want to express my gratitude to our many supporters for their commitment to our vision and mission. And there is, indeed, much to celebrate!
For starters, the University of Memphis has achieved its goal of attaining Carnegie
›1 status and is now formally classified as a top-tier research institution. Attaining
this designation is a triumph for the University and I want to commend CCFA for the
outstanding research and high-quality teaching that have contributed to this high-profile
recognition of educational and research excellence for the UofM.
As I write, the Scheidt Family Music Center is rapidly nearing completion, and what
a stunning sight it is on Central Avenue! We are counting the days until the end of
May, when construction is anticipated to be realized, and eagerly looking forward
to celebrating the oficial opening next fall and hearing beautiful music played in
a fantastic venue.
The Scheidt Family Music Center will ofƒer a state-of-the-art performance and rehearsal space for the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. It will also make possible a wide range of creative gatherings that will serve our college, the UofM and our wider community; while honoring the legacy of Rudi and Honey Scheidt and their generous devotion to their dream of a world-class home for the outstanding Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. I am extremely grateful for the continuing support of the Scheidt family, and so many others who have contributed to this game-changing music center (see page 44).
CCFA’s increasing visibility and impact afirms the multifaceted excellence of our community. The following pages will introduce you to some extraordinary individuals, including film alumni Shannon McIntosh, one of the world’s foremost movie producers and recent recipient of a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (see page 18). On behalf of CCFA, I want to express our sadness at the passing of Robert Fogelman, an extremely knowledgeable art lover and an indefatigably generous supporter of CCFA and the University of Memphis. Mr. Fogelman is greatly missed (see page 32). I want to share with you how excited we are to integrate a new fashion program into the Department of Art. The program has already attracted many students eager to explore their passion for fashion, and I am confident that it will continue to grow and deepen its links with the burgeoning fashion scene in Memphis. Finally, I want to give you a bit of advance notice about the soon-to-be launched student radio stream, The Roar, a key component of the UofM’s partnership with Crosstown Concourse and The Daily Memphian that has already established Memphis’s new free-form radio station, WYXR. This partnership facilitates student engagement with WYXR, including opportunities for internships and special projects. The Roar will complement the radio station by giving students the opportunity to develop and produce content on a specialized stream. More news coming soon!
I hope that you enjoy the 2022 edition of Voices, and that if you have not already, you will subscribe to our Voices blog to keep abreast of CCFA events and accomplishments. I greatly appreciate your interest in our wonderful college.
Kindest regards,
Dr. Anne F. Hogan, Dean