Research
The College of Communication and Fine Arts (CCFA) is a dynamic hub of research and community engagement, where faculty and students explore new ideas, challenge perspectives, and contribute to cultural and societal change. Located in Memphis, a city shaped by creativity, history, and activism, our work is deeply connected to the people and stories around us. Through innovative scholarship and artistic inquiry, CCFA advances knowledge and creative expression. We collaborate with local arts organizations, cultural institutions, and civic initiatives to expand learning beyond the classroom and make a lasting impact. These partnerships foster meaningful connections and help bring bold ideas to life. Whether contributing to Memphis’s creative landscape or inspiring change on a broader scale, CCFA is a driving force for new ways of thinking, creating, and engaging.
Celebrate Success
We love celebrating the incredible achievements of our CCFA community. From alumni making an impact in their industries to students pushing creative boundaries and faculty and staff shaping new possibilities, your success reflects the energy and spirit of Memphis. Share your awards, research, performances, exhibitions, and milestones with us. Your story is part of what makes CCFA, and the city we proudly call home, truly exceptional.
Share Your Exciting Announcements With Us >
Institutes
CCFA is home to two interdisciplinary research institutes that reflect the spirit of exploration and innovation found throughout Memphis. The Institute for Arts and Health examines how the arts support healing and wellness across communities, connecting creative practice to human well-being. The Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology, a nationally recognized center, brings global history to life through research, education, and public engagement. Both institutes contribute to a vibrant culture of inquiry that mirrors the city's deep appreciation for art, history, and impact.
The Institute for Arts and Health (IAH) is a leading center for research and community engagement at the intersection of the arts and health sciences. It brings together artists, scientists, and community stakeholders to conduct transdisciplinary research and develop innovative interventions that improve individual, family, and community well-being. The Institute takes a broad approach to health, considering physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. It explores the transformative role of the arts in prevention, healing, and public health. Through pioneering work in complementary and integrative health, neuroarts, creative and expressive arts therapies, arts in community health, and medical humanities, the IAH advances knowledge and practice to enhance quality of life, particularly for underserved populations facing disproportionate health challenges. Learn More >
The Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology (IEAA) at the University of Memphis is a leading center for research, preservation, and community engagement in Egyptology. As a Tennessee Center of Excellence, the IEAA advances scholarship through interdisciplinary research, academic instruction, and fieldwork, supporting faculty and student excavations in Egypt. It stewards an extensive Egyptology library and a collection of over 1,400 Egyptian antiquities, which is the only such collection in the Mid-South, housed in the Art Museum of the University of Memphis. Through exhibitions, guided tours, lectures, and outreach programs, the IEAA makes Egyptian art and archaeology accessible to scholars, students, and the public. Committed to education and cultural preservation, the Institute bridges academic research with community engagement and fosters a deeper understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization. Learn More >
Spotlight
UofM Dance Students Build Community Partnership with Collage Dance
When the UofM laid out the 2023-28 strategic plan, the last line of the Vision Statement
read, “And we will continue to serve our community and citizens of Tennessee as we
rise to meet the opportunities that summon us.”
While Rachael Arnwine, UofM Assistant Professor of Teaching and Head of Dance in the
College of Communication and Fine Arts, didn’t necessarily use this as an impetus
to start a collaboration with Collage Dance Collective, it certainly fell in line
with the work that she and her students are doing with the local business.
The Collage Dance Conservatory is a local studio serving more than 1,000 students
weekly in classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern and West African dance.
Arnwine is a three-time graduate of the UofM, earning her BFA in Theatre Performance
with a concentration in Dance, and a BS in Health & Human Performance, both in 2017,
and her MS in Exercise, Sport & Movement Sciences two years later.
Asked by some of her students to find them a local internship, Arnwine called up her
friend Marcellus Harper, Executive Director at Collage, and a partnership was formed.
“Both of these institutions have been in this city for a long period of time, and
it didn’t make sense that we hadn’t connected,” Arnwine said. “I thought this would
be a perfect opportunity to build a community partnership and also give some dance
science-specific internship opportunities to our students.”
To stay on the floor, dancers need to not only know the routine, but they need to
utilize self-care to keep them there. Collage’s students, which range in age from
11 to 18 in the Conservatory, wanted to learn more.
“We were really talking about pain points and dancer injuries,” Harper said. “One
of the reasons I feel like our dancers are injured has to do with a gap in their strength
and conditioning.”
This is where Arnwine’s education and training came into play. A native Memphian,
she knows what it's like to be not just a successful dancer, but a dancer that, like
everyone else, has aches and pains from the plethora of movements she teaches and
practices.
Together with Harper and the input of a handful of her students, Arnwine came up with
a plan. Her students would spend a few hours a day doing prehab with the Collage students,
coming up with their own exercises and stretches based on the type of dance they were
performing and other limitations they currently had.
“Our students – and their parents – were very happy,” Harper said. “At the top of
the year we met with many of our upper school students to do goal assessments and
a lot of what they needed really kind of touched on strength and conditioning. They
wanted to be stronger; they wanted to overcome injuries. They wanted to prevent injuries.
They wanted to get stronger and increase flexibility.”
To that end, Arnwine and her six students jumped head first, working with roughly
30 students, with all but two of the UofM students forgoing the internship credit
and instead just doing it for the experience.
“They got no credit, they were not paid, they just did it because they wanted the
experience,” Arnwine said.
The collaboration is just one semester old but has the potential to grow for years
and years thanks to the dedication and commitment of both Arnwine and Harper.
“We were building a plane while trying to fly it,” Arnwine said. “We learned a lot
this semester. I’m hoping that it can continue to grow and next year we can take the
lessons that we’ve learned and make it even stronger.”
Archive
UofM Professor Heads to the Arctic Circle for Expedition Residency
For as long as she can remember, Lisa Williamson has had a passion for two things:
water and art. Over the course of her personal and professional life, most recently
at the University of Memphis, she’s found meaningful ways to merge the two. After
earning her Master of Fine Arts from Memphis College of Art in 2015, she pursued residencies
in tropical locations like Puerto Rico. Though she didn’t grow up a strong swimmer,
she later discovered a love for open water swimming.
“That was another way to be in the water and practice my art,” Williamson said. “I’m snorkeling and trying to stay in place, drawing coral reefs and aquatic life. I most recently was watching an octopus, following it underwater for a bit.”
Williamson joined the University of Memphis in 2017 and is currently an assistant professor of practice, foundations in the Department of Art and Design within the College of Communication and Fine Arts (CCFA). Today, she sets off on a more research-driven approach to her dual passions, boarding a ship to participate in the Arctic Circle Expedition Residency near Svalbard, Norway, no snorkels needed.
Joining 28 others from across the world—scientists, architects, educators, and artists— Williamson will spend two weeks aboard an arctic class schooner, sailing in 24/7 daylight–midnight sun–halfway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. Since being accepted into this residency, Williamson has immersed herself in research, documentaries and even podcasts to prepare for the region’s extreme climate and better understand how Arctic changes affect regions like the Mid-South.
“Thinking about how fast water is melting, what that’s doing to the rising oceans, the super cells of storms that are being formed now and what happens to our coastlines as a result; even how it affects the Mississippi River,” Williamson said. “When we experienced a drought a few years ago, that’s directly linked to what’s happening in the Arctic Circle.”
With no internet or cell service during the expedition, Williamson is looking forward to a rare opportunity: uninterrupted time to reflect, create and explore. She plans to share her work and insights with her community upon returning.
She said, “The first thing that I’m going to do is immediately host an open studio where I will invite the public and, more specifically, my students.”
The Arctic Circle Expedition Residency was established in 2009, created to bring together international scholars for collaborative exploration of the region. Williamson’s exploration will run from April 16-May 2, and for her it will be more than an adventure. It will be a chance to translate scientific urgency into artistic expression, using her voice to help others see and feel the rapidly changing world around them.
