BA, Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences
Masters of Professional Studies, Cornell University, Africana Studies and Research Center
Courses Taught:
Black Theater
Community-Based Theater
Lisa Grady-Willis joins Skidmore College as a lecturer in the Theater Department following two years as Community Arts Relations Coordinator in the College of Arts & Sciences at Syracuse University. Prior to her Syracuse University appointment, she served on the faculty of Cornell University’s Africana Studies & Research Center where she taught courses in first year writing and Black Theatre, and directed student productions. Lisa’s background is in community-based arts, arts for social change, Black Theatre and Africana Studies . She is a writer and performing artist who has worked in the area of arts and civic engagement as an administrator, arts practitioner, and educator. She has contributed to the strategic planning and long -term development of local, regional and national arts organizations and coalitions such as the National Center for Creative Aging, where she served as Training Director, and Alternate ROOTS (Regional Organization of Theaters South), which she co-directed. She has served as a consultant for groups ranging from arts councils and foundations to neighborhood improvement organizations, and helped to launch initiatives ranging from “The Community Arts Partnership Project “ (which included the implementation of a grant program) to “Resources for Social Change“ (which included the creation of a multidisciplinary arts faculty and curriculum).