KENNESAW, Ga. | May 11, 2021

Charles Parrott, associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University, is being honored for his commitment to student mentorship. Recently, Parrott received the 2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, an honor bestowed by the Office of Undergraduate Research.

“It is gratifying to receive this award, but I really share it with the many outstanding students I've had the pleasure to work with during the past 10 years,” Parrot said. “They are at the center of my work, and they inspire me to keep looking forward to new projects.”

The Office of Undergraduate Research created this award in spring 2020 to recognize the dedication and commitment of the faculty and staff who have engaged their students in undergraduate research over the years.

“Dr. Parrott is the very epitome of excellence in mentoring in every possible way. The sheer number of students with whom he has worked is staggering,” said Amy Buddie, director of undergraduate research. “The students have excelled under his leadership, winning awards and presenting at prestigious conferences and festivals.”

Since his employment at KSU in 2010, Parrott has mentored hundreds of students in different contexts, ranging from research-based classwork to directing the KSU Tellers, a storytelling troupe housed within the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies.

“My work focuses on the embodied practice of storytelling as a vehicle for research,” Parrott said. “Putting original research on stage situates knowledge in the body. It changes the way students see themselves, gives them a renewed sense of what is possible, and it brings learning to life.”

Parrott’s work with the KSU Tellers alone has allowed him to participate in the creation of nearly 100 public performance events, including performances at regional, national, and international festivals and conferences. Beyond this troupe, however, Parrott has encouraged students to pursue storytelling-oriented research, with mentees attending and presenting at research conferences such as the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

“Storytelling is about helping an audience see the world the way you see it. Mentoring is like that, too. I want to show my students what and who they can be,” he said. “It is very rewarding to do that.”

Much of Parrott’s classroom teaching also integrates undergraduate research to facilitate a practical and research-oriented modality of learning.

“For example, in my TPS 3600 Performing Culture course, students create final performative autoethnographic essays that require them to research the cultural implications of an aspect of their identities,” Parrott said. “I organize their paper presentations into panels according to topic and we stage a mock autoethnography conference in class.”

Parrott’s incorporation of undergraduate research into his classes allows another avenue for students to be exposed to research. With this added element, he encourages more students to give research a chance, whether for a grade, or to participate in a larger research conference in the future.

For his mentoring efforts, Parrott was also nationally recognized, winning the 2020 Outstanding Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Award from the Council on Undergraduate Research.

—Jacob Segura