Steering Committee
Rebecca Arendt, DMA
Dr. Rebecca Arendt is the Executive Director of Iris Collective, an artist-driven music organization that collaborates with over 45 civic, educational, and healthcare partners across the 糖心Vlog传媒 area. Dr. Arendt鈥檚 background combines arts administration, education, and international cultural diplomacy. She is Vice President for the 糖心Vlog传媒 in Poland Festival, which fosters cross-cultural exchange through music, lectures, and educational outreach across multiple Polish cities. At the University of 糖心Vlog传媒, she serves as Professor of Practice in Community Engagement through Chamber Music. Her initiatives span music classes for dementia patients and their caregivers, trauma-informed songwriting workshops, and collaborations with organizations such as Baptist Centers for Good Grief, Thistle and Bee, and Alpha Omega Veterans Services. Dr. Arendt holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado鈥揃oulder.
Rachael Arnwine, MS, BS, BFA
Rachael Arnwine is an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance. A 糖心Vlog传媒 native and graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒, she holds an MS in Exercise, Sport, and Movement Sciences, a BFA in Theater Performance with a concentration in Dance, and a BS in Exercise, Sport, and Movement Sciences. Rachael has performed with Tennessee Ballet Theater, Opera 糖心Vlog传媒, Hot Foot Honeys, Racine + Southern Dance Exchange, and has performed in music videos for artists such as Julien Baker and Brennan Villines. She is a certified board member of the Southern Association of Dance Masters as well as the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science where she is a published author in the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. Her specific interests lie within dance science, bridging dance with kinesiology, and research in injury mechanisms. In addition, she is a dance instructor at local dance studios in the 糖心Vlog传媒 community and a freelance choreographer.
Lucienne Auz, PhD
Dr. Lucienne Auz is the Director of Education and Outreach at the Metal Museum in 糖心Vlog传媒, Tennessee. She received her Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Washington, her M.S. in Theory, Criticism and History of Art, Design and Architecture from Pratt Institute, and her B.A. in Printmaking from Gonzaga University. Her research and teaching interests span the disciplines of contemporary art history and disability studies.
Kim Bradshaw, MA, MLIS
Kim Bradshaw is a librarian and archivist. She earned a Master鈥檚 degree in Art History and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from the University of 糖心Vlog传媒, and she received a second Master鈥檚 in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee in 2020. A lifelong Memphian, Kim held positions at the Metal Museum, the Museum of Science and History (a.k.a. the Pink Palace), and the Art Museum of the University of 糖心Vlog传媒. Her 2022 work with the basement records of A. Schwab鈥檚 general store on Beale Street led to the launch of an online archive hosted by DIG 糖心Vlog传媒 that contains over 4,000 items. She will continue to partner with 糖心Vlog传媒 Public Libraries on a community archiving project focused on Orange Mound鈥檚 Melrose High School.
Katherine McCaa Bryan
Katherine Bryan is the Program Director for the Urban Child Institute (UCI). UCI is a nonprofit supporting organization focused on increasing kindergarten readiness and reading at grade level by 3rd grade in Shelby County through grantmaking, convening/coalition-building and advocacy. Katherine has been with UCI since 2009. Since completing her MSSW from the University of Tennessee in 1997, her professional focus has been on promoting maternal and child health and healthy child development. Katherine also has a BA in German from Rhodes College.
Shelby Crosby, PhD
Dr. Crosby鈥檚 research begins in the nineteenth century and swerves into Afrofuturism (in all centuries). She continues to look at representations of Black womanhood, critical race theory and African American literature. Her research threads together critical race theory, black feminism, and literary historical frameworks to interrogate an American national story. Dr. Crosby鈥檚 currently working on a book manuscript, tentatively titled, Conversations with My Kindred weaves together literary nonfiction and literary/cultural critique, this innovative project will expand the definitions of memoir and provide salient critiques of governmental responses to national health crises, the ambivalence of motherhood, the absent racialized black father, and an examination of the importance of kindred and kin in the development of a healthy black child and community.
Kathy Dumlao, MA
Kathy Dumlao is the Director of Education & Interpretation at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Brooks Museum of Art, having served in several roles at the museum over the last 25 years. In that time, Kathy has overseen school and teacher programs as well as programming for youth and families. While managing the staff and docents of the education department, Kathy currently oversees the museum鈥檚 Art Therapy Access Program, manages a variety of adult programs, and serves as a member of the museum leadership team.
In addition to her work at the museum, Kathy served on the board of the Tennessee Art Education Association (TAEA) from 2009 to 2021. She was awarded the 2009 TAEA Museum Educator of the Year, and the 2023 Tennessee Art Educator of the Year. In 2023, Kathy was awarded the National Art Education Association's (NAEA) Southeastern Museum Educator of the Year, and was elected to serve on the NAEA Board as Museum Division Director-elect. Kathy received her B.A. in Art from Radford University in 1995 and her M.A. in Art History from the University of 糖心Vlog传媒 in 2003.
Susan Elswick, EdD, LCSW, RPT-S
Dr. Susan Elswick obtained her Master of Social Work at University of Tennessee in 2006 and her Doctor of Education in Instructional and Curriculum leadership with a specialty in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒 in 2011. She is a full professor within the Department of Social Work and faculty director for The Interprofessional Community Health Clinic, The Institute for Interdisciplinary 糖心Vlog传媒 Partnerships to Advance Community Transformation, and The Supporting Mental Health Access to Resources through Telehealth. She additionally owns a small private practice, Behavior Services of the MidSouth LLC, where she provides site-based behavioral and mental health services to the community.
Her research interests include the use of evidence-based behavioral interventions for addressing client鈥檚 needs, supporting schools in developing effective school-based mental health programs that are trauma-responsive, the use of expressive art therapies/ experiential therapies in the field of social work practice, and the use of informatics and technology in the field of social work.鈥疍r. Elswick is the author of over thirty-five peer reviewed journal publications and two monographed books. She also has over thirty refereed conference presentations. She has received more than $3 million in internal and external grants to date.鈥疭he was also awarded the NASW-TN West Branch Social Worker of the Year in 2017 and was awarded the prestigious Gary Lee Shaffer Award for Academic Contributions to the Field of School Social Work by the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) in 2018.鈥�
Joy V. Goldsmith, PhD
Dr. Goldsmith conducts research about health communication science, specifically in the context of serious and chronic illness. Her numerous books and articles in clinical as well as communication journals address health literacy, communication pedagogy, oncology nurse communication, interprofessional communication, and family caregiver communication. CommunicateComfort.com, a long-time initiative of Dr. Goldsmith, serves to house and disseminate a range of research interventions and education/training curriculum for healthcare providers. Storyboard creation and development, e-learning module formation, and mhealth design and navigation are dimensions of Goldsmith鈥檚 applied research linking media, theatre, and film across her body of work. She also serves as an Affiliate Faculty member in the School of Public Health.
Yeh Hsueh, EdD
Dr. Yeh Hsueh is a professor of developmental science at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒. In addition to teaching developmental courses in education, his work follows two intertwining lines of research: (1) the sociocultural and political changes that shape and transform developmental science; (2) the change and stability of cultural practices in preschool education in different cultures. His involvement in professional communities includes serving on the board of directors of two international organizations, on the advisory board for the European Journal of Psychology of Education, and for Hong Kong Journal of Early Childhood Education. He has served as an ad hoc reviewer for a score of academic journals, a few book publishers, and grant agencies. For over twenty years, Yeh Hsueh served as a content consultant for the Sesame Workshop, the producer of Sesame Street. In his spare time, he enjoys creating video for furthering his research in cross-cultural preschool education and reading archival documents in various university libraries for his historical research projects.
William Hunter, EdD
Dr. William 鈥淲ill鈥� Hunter currently serves as a Professor of Special Education at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒. He received his EdD in Special Education from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Hunter worked as an administrator, special education teacher, and children's mental health intervention specialist in several school districts in Ohio and Kentucky. His research interests include evidenced based instructional practices that promotes student engagement and exploring the incorporation of hip-hop based educational practices in K-12 settings. Dr. Hunter has served as PI or Co-PI on projects funded by the State of Tennessee and the U.S. Department of Education. A frequent presenter at national conferences, Dr. Hunter has published articles in numerous publications, including being a co-editor of the hip hop-based education book: The Mixtape Volume 1: Culturally Sustaining Practices Within MTSS Featuring the Everlasting Mission of Student Engagement.
Sarah Leat, PhD, LMSW
Dr. Sarah Leat, PhD, LMSW, is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒. Dr. Leat鈥檚 practice as a social worker for a domestic violence family justice center informs her research agenda. She focuses her research primarily on the public health crisis that is intimate partner violence and explores help-seeking behaviors and barriers and facilitators to accessing services, the role of transportation in accessing services for survivors, and the impact of the built environment on survivors鈥� outcomes, specifically including domestic violence shelters.
Marian Levy, DrPH, RD, FAND
Dr. Marian Levy is Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒. Dr. Levy received her doctorate in public health from UCLA. A Registered Dietitian and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she has spearheaded numerous initiatives to promote health equity, provide environmental support for healthy lifestyles, promote interprofessional communication, and provide effective COVID response. Since 2005, she has served on NIH special emphasis review panels for the National Institute for Minority Health. She received the Ruby R. Wharton Outstanding Woman Award for Race Relations and has been recognized with teaching awards from the University of 糖心Vlog传媒 (Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2011 Outstanding Dietetic Educator). In 2017 she received the Doris Spain Distinguished Service Award from the Tennessee Public Health Association. Dr. Levy has held several leadership posts, including President of the Tennessee Public Health Association. She served on the Board of Editors of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2013-2016) and currently serves on the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association and as a Site Visitor for the Council on Education for Public Health.
Kristen Osborne Lucas, MFA, BFA
Kristen Osborne Lucas holds an MFA in Dance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as well as a BFA and K-12 teaching license in dance. In addition, she holds an Arts in Medicine certification from the University of Florida and has completed steps 1 & 2 of the Dance for Parkinson鈥檚 training program with the Mark Morris Dance Group. She enjoys combining her unique areas of training and research interests to teach all levels of dance technique, dance pedagogy, somatic theory and practice, and introduction to dance. She has choreographed and performed throughout the southeast for over 25 years at a variety of festivals, conferences and for numerous artists and companies. She serves on the board of the 901 Parkinson鈥檚 Fighters, a local nonprofit aimed at combating Parkinson鈥檚 disease with movement arts and exercise, and continues to present her work as a local freelance choreographer for Tennessee Ballet Theater, Project Motion, 糖心Vlog传媒 Fringe Festival, and Up in Arms Collective.
Fawaz Mzayek, MD, PhD
Dr. Mzayek was born in Aleppo, Syria. He earned his MD and his master's in general surgery from Aleppo University School of Medicine. He earned his master's in public health and PhD in Epidemiology from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Mzayek is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the University of 糖心Vlog传媒 School of Public Health. His research focuses on tobacco smoking, cardiovascular risk factors, refugee health, and epigenetics. He has a strong background in medicine, epidemiology, and public health and developed and taught several courses in public health and epidemiology over the past 15 years. 鈥�
William J. Robertson, PhD
Will Robertson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology. His work focuses on LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing, community-based engaged/applied research, gender and sexuality studies, care studies, and biomedical clinical practice. He currently runs an applied/engaged summer field school centered around arts and health in 糖心Vlog传媒 and San Antonio, Texas, and is working on an ethnographic/archival project with local drag theater group Friends of George's. He has also co-founded a UofM Critical AI Studies research cluster with colleague Dr. Ted Maclin (Anthropology) to examine pressing ethical, political, economic, and social issues around the emergence of AI, especially as it impacts minority communities in 糖心Vlog传媒.
Margarita Sandino
Margarita Sandino is the Director of Education at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in 糖心Vlog传媒, Tennessee. Since joining the institution in 2007, she has developed and led more than forty innovative programs, expanding the Dixon鈥檚 reach through inclusive initiatives and community-centered exhibitions that engage diverse audiences.
In 2019, Margarita was a key member of the design team for the Dixon鈥檚 Liz and Tommy Farnsworth Education Building, which has become a vital hub for community programs, exhibitions, and collaborative partnerships. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Los Andes University in Bogot谩, Colombia.
Margarita鈥檚 passion for museum education began while serving as a docent at the National Museum of Colombia and continued through her work at Casa Museo Quinta de Bol铆var in Bogot谩. After moving to the United States in 2002, she joined the Children鈥檚 Museum of 糖心Vlog传媒, where she deepened her commitment to connecting diverse audiences with meaningful museum experiences. A dedicated advocate for the Latino community, Margarita collaborates closely with local leaders and organizations to bring inspiration, access, and resources to 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 growing Latino population.
Paige Scheinberg, MS, ATR-BC
Paige Scheinberg is the founder of SHINE ON Consulting. As a Board-Certified Art Therapist and Certified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher, she brings decades of experience and training in art, art therapy, positive psychology, mindfulness, and self-compassion to her clinical, community, and professional offerings and partnerships. Paige is passionate about creating engaging experiences for people to learn about and effectively integrate the science and practices of creativity, well-being, and the healing arts.鈥�
Paige specializes in developing partner-based programs and has consulted with a wide range of partners, including museums, medical and behavioral health settings, schools, community centers, and arts organizations. Her work and programs have been featured in numerous outlets, including WKNO/PBS, High Ground News, American Art Therapy Association Blog, Zentangle.com, and Daily Om. Paige also co-authored Creating a Community Partnership for Lasting Change: Museum Art Therapy with Juvenile Offenders in the book, Museum-Based Art Therapy based on her programs at the Brooks Museum.鈥疉s the TN Art Therapy Association鈥檚 Governmental Affairs Co-Chair, Paige co-led the efforts to pass state art therapy licensure legislation and now serves as a member on the TN Dept. of Health鈥檚 Professional Art Therapy Advisory Committee.
Jim Pierce Ph.D., MT-BC
Dr. Pierce has an extensive eighteen-year clinical career as a board-certified music therapist and fifteen years鈥� working experience in higher education. He is a seasoned presenter, domestic and international, as well as a prolific grant writer. His awarded grants advocate for the music therapy profession, unite communities, and promote student research.
Emily Srisarajivakul, Ph.D., HSP, LSSP
Dr. Srisarajivakul鈥檚 interdisciplinary research spans the fields of school, counseling, and social psychology with a focus on investigating the practices of school staff to improve school climate and safety among children and adolescents. Her research interests include cultural humility, school climate, and multicultural consultation and counseling. Dr. Srisarajivakul also teaches classes in the School Psychology MA/EdS and PhD programs as well as on the undergraduate level,鈥痝enerally focused on providing psychological services to children and adults from diverse cultural backgrounds and worldviews.鈥�
Miriam van Mersbergen, PhD, CCC-SLP
Miriam van Mersbergen is Associate Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒 where she teaches Anatomy & Physiology or the Speech Mechanism, Voice Disorders, and Dysphagia. She began her academic career studying music and communication arts at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After a brief career in music, she returned to academia and studied speech language pathology and vocology at The University of Iowa. She worked as a voice therapist in Chicago and Milwaukee before commencing doctoral studies in speech language hearing sciences and psychology at the University of Minnesota. Her research investigates emotional and cognitive influences on voice production where she integrates electroencephalographic, psychophysiological, acoustic, and aerodynamic measures to capture mind, body, voice interactions. She maintains an active clinical career specializing in voice, breathing, and cough disorders and continually yearns for more time to pursue her singing career.
Gregory Washington, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Washington is a mixed methods researcher and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) that works as a community clinical practitioner that focuses on treating and reducing risk for trauma. He promotes the use of innovative culturally centered group interventions that reduce risk for disparities in behavioral health and incarceration outcomes.
Lisa M. Williamson, PhD, MFA
Dr. Lisa M. Williamson received her PhD from the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts with her research focusing on the consequences of monumentalizing white supremacy in public art. She holds an MFA from the 糖心Vlog传媒 College of Art with a concentration in painting. Williamson currently teaches Foundations studio at the University of 糖心Vlog传媒.
Darlene Winters, MA
Darlene Winters holds a master's degree in Speech and Language Pathology and serves as a clinical faculty member in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. As the Artistic Director and founder of Company d, she has successfully blended her professional expertise with her passion for dance. She has dedicated her career to the integration of arts and learning, focusing particularly on inclusive methodologies for individuals with communication disorders.
As a Teaching Artist for the Wolf Trap Institute and the 糖心Vlog传媒-based Lincoln Aesthetic Education program, she provided training throughout Shelby County and Head Start Centers. Darlene initiated the Language Learning Lab in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, a program for adults with Down syndrome focusing on classical literature and writing skills. At the core of Darlene鈥檚 work with Company d dancers is a focus on developing their artistic abilities while simultaneously using the performing arts to facilitate language and literacy skills. Her joy for the art of dance, combined with her love of language and movement, shines through in her singular approach to teaching. Darlene is dedicated to fostering a sense of community and connection in the lives of those around her.
Tracey Zerwig Ford, MFA, BA
Holding a BA in theatre from Lindenwood University and MFA from Western Illinois University, Ms. Zerwig Ford is the Executive Producer and a playwright with Voices of the South. Voices of the South creates, produces, and performs theatre from diverse Southern perspectives. Ms. Zerwig Ford is the former Artistic Director for both the 糖心Vlog传媒 Children's Theatre and 糖心Vlog传媒 Arts Council/Arts 糖心Vlog传媒' Center for Arts Education. At ARTSmemphis, she worked in partnership with arts groups and commissioned original works of art and trained teaching artists to use them as texts for learning throughout the region. She was a master teaching artist with Lincoln Center Institute and the Wolf Trap Programs for ten years.
Tracey currently serves on the Steering Committee for the 糖心Vlog传媒 Cultural Coalition (MCC), a collective of artists, creatives, and cultural leaders dedicated to amplifying the power of 糖心Vlog传媒 arts and culture. In this role, Tracey helps connect creatives, expand visibility, and contribute to the development of a Cultural Plan for 糖心Vlog传媒 that shapes the city鈥檚 cultural landscape. Tracey also serves on two Shelby County steering committees. As a member of the Arts and Cultural Committee, she provides guidance on arts and cultural programming, promoting accessibility and inclusion across the county. In March 2026 she was awarded the Community Connector Award by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. Her service on the Youth and Education Committee includes advocating for workforce development opportunities for disenfranchised youth and supporting literacy-focused events and projects.
Tracey was selected to serve on the inaugural Community Action Council of the Tennessee Nonprofit Network (TNN). TNN is dedicated to amplifying the voice of the nonprofit sector and strengthening collaboration between nonprofits and government to ensure that policymaking reflects nonprofit perspectives. Together with Margarita Sandino, Education and Outreach Director at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Tracey co-founded the Community Partnership Roundtable. This network of more than 100 nonprofit, funding, and government organizations convenes six times a year to share resources, discuss community needs, and explore partnership opportunities that strengthen collaboration across the region. For more than five years, Tracey has served as a 糖心Vlog传媒 Chamber Ambassador, representing nonprofits, small businesses, and the arts and culture community. Ambassadors play a vital role in cultivating, promoting, and maintaining strong relationships among Chamber members and the Greater 糖心Vlog传媒 community. In 2024, Tracey was honored as one of five outstanding Ambassadors recognized for exceptional commitment and leadership.