KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 9, 2020

Theatre and Performance Studies professor receives award for undergraduate mentoring

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has selected Department of Theatre & Performance Studies’ associate professor Charles (Charlie) Parrott as a 2020 Council on Undergraduate Research Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awardee. The award includes $1,000 for the recipient’s work with undergraduate researchers.

Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, said, “Dr. Parrott’s innovative work has involved undergraduate researchers in new interpretations of folktales, fairy tales, literary works, personal narratives, and other story forms, as well as empowered diverse students, faculty, and communities. His support of projects focusing on subjects such as LGBTQ representation and the situation of military veterans transitioning to civilian life shows a commitment to wide-ranging student research and better understanding of the experiences of these individuals.”

“Congratulations to Dr. Charlie Parrott on receiving this meritorious national recognition for his work with the KSU Tellers. ArtsKSU is distinguished by our community-based practices that this award recognizes,” said Ivan Pulinkala, dean of the College of the Arts.

Parrott earned BA degrees in sociology and speech communications from Hastings College, an MA in communication studies from Ball State University, and a Ph.D in speech communication from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is director of the KSU Tellers, a storytelling troupe that has appeared at nearly 100 public events and presented original solo and group performances that are rooted in research. One project involved the development of a storytelling curriculum at the Global Village Project, a school for refugee girls in Decatur, GA.

Parrott’s research focuses on storytelling, performance pedagogy, performance ethnography, history, and devised theatre. His publications include articles in Storytelling, Self, and Society, American Communication Journal, and Text & Performance Quarterly. He regularly presents his research at the National Communication Association Annual Convention.

The CUR–Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awards were established in 2018 through an endowment by 2012 CUR Fellow Joyce Kinkead (Utah State University) to nurture undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry in arts and humanities disciplines.

--Elizabeth Foxwell

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About Council on Undergraduate Research: The Council on Undergraduate Research supports faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. More than 700 institutions and more than 13,000 individuals belong to CUR. CUR believes that the best way to capture student interest and create enthusiasm for a discipline is through research in close collaboration with faculty members.

About Kennesaw State University: A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 38,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status, and one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu. For more information on the College of the Arts, visit arts.kennesaw.edu.