Meadows Welcomes Nine New Faculty Members for the 2025-26 Academic Year
Join us in welcoming nine new faculty members to Meadows, in divisions ranging from music and art to theatre and journalism, and learn more about these new members of our community.
Bailey Benson | Art History, Visiting Assistant Professor
Bailey Benson joins Meadows’ Division of Art History as a Visiting Assistant Professor. As a specialist Roman Art, she is excited to introduce Meadows students to the art and material culture of ancient Rome through a student-centered and hands-on approach.
“I love showing students how ancient objects were not just things of the past but active parts of people’s lives,” she explains. “I want students to leave my classes seeing how the ancient world connects to our own.”
With a strong emphasis on experiential learning, her classes often incorporate museum visits, archaeological materials, and collaborative projects, helping students connect antiquity with contemporary debates about monuments, celebrity culture and collective memory.
“I was drawn to Meadows because of its culture of collaboration and innovation,” Benson says. “The opportunity to be part of a community where art history is in dialogue with studio practice, arts management, education and entrepreneurship is truly exciting.”
Learn more about Bailey Benson here.
Sarah Brown | Theatre, Assistant Professor of Practice
Sarah Brown (M.F.A. ’15) returns to Meadows as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Division of Theatre, where she will draw on her wide-ranging career as a designer and technician. Brown’s professional work spans New York, Los Angeles, and Texas, with credits on productions for ABC, Disney, Warner Brothers and regional theatres.
“As an 天美传媒 alum, returning to Meadows feels like coming full circle,” she says. “The school’s deep commitment to both artistry and professional preparation—along with its strong ties to the Dallas Theater 天美传媒 and the local arts community—makes it an inspiring place to teach and collaborate.”
Brown’s teaching is rooted in collaboration and mentorship, emphasizing both technical mastery and creativity. She looks forward to guiding students in the classroom and the studio as they develop the skills, confidence and practical experience needed to succeed in professional theatre.
Learn more about Sarah Brown here.
Sara Daneshpour | Music, Assistant Professor of Practice
Internationally acclaimed pianist Sara Daneshpour joins the Division of Music as an Assistant Professor of Piano. A prizewinner of numerous international competitions and a sought-after soloist and chamber musician, she brings her passion for performance and teaching to Meadows.
“I was drawn to Meadows because of the admirable faculty and students,” she says. “To have the opportunity to teach these precocious students will be a great source of inspiration.”
Daneshpour, who has appeared in orchestra concerts and solo recitals all over the world, hopes to help students discover and embrace their artistic voices and guide them as they grow into expressive musicians.
“To illuminate the gift that students already possess and to give them courage to express themselves is my purpose as a teacher,” she explains.
Learn more about Sara Daneshpour here.
Kimberly Grigsby | Theatre, Associate Professor of Practice
Broadway music director, conductor and Meadows alum Kimberly Grigsby (B.M. ’91) joins the Division of Theatre as a Visiting Professor of Practice. Known for her work on productions such as Spring Awakening, Amélie, and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Grigsby brings decades of professional experience to the classroom as she helps launch Meadows’ new Musical Theatre program.
“I was drawn to Meadows by the unique opportunity to participate in the development of a new degree program,” she says. “I am excited for the collaboration among all the departments in Meadows as we plan for the Musical Theatre track.”
Grigsby’s teaching philosophy emphasizes active collaboration between teacher and student, creating a space where exploration is encouraged and failure is seen as part of growth. She hopes to inspire students to discover their unique talents, nurture their artistry and develop problem-solving skills that will serve them throughout their careers.
Learn more about Kimberly Grigsby here.
Chip Mahaney | Journalism, Visiting Media Executive-in-Residence
Meadows alum Chip Mahaney (B.F.A. ’86) returns to the Hilltop as Visiting Executive-in-Residence for the Division of Journalism. With nearly 40 years of experience in broadcast television, digital, and social media, Mahaney has held leadership roles across the media industry and frequently guest lectured at journalism schools nationwide.
“It’s a lifetime honor to be asked to return to my alma mater to join the faculty,” he says. “I bring a career’s wealth of journalism experience to this new role, and I can’t wait to begin sharing that knowledge with the students I’ll be honored to teach.”
Though new to full-time teaching, Mahaney’s passion for mentoring young journalists shines through in the classroom. He has been a guest-lecturer at dozens of journalism schools around the country and he looks forward to now helping Meadows students connect their studies to the realities of a fast-changing media landscape.
Learn more about Chip Mahaney here.
Andreas Mitisek | Music, Associate Professor of Practice
Opera director and conductor Andreas Mitisek joins the Division of Music as a Professor of Practice and the new director of Meadows Lyric Theatre. Known for bold and innovative productions, Mitisek’s work has redefined operatic presentation and attracted new audiences to the art form.
“When I visited campus and met the faculty and students, I could feel this buzz of creativity and ambition that was just infectious,” he says of Meadows. “The school has an amazing reputation for pushing boundaries while still respecting tradition – and that’s exactly the kind of environment where I thrive.”
Mitisek is eager to channel that energy into the classroom and onto the stage. His teaching philosophy centers on amplifying his students’ unique power, encouraging students to take risks and embrace vulnerability. “I’m not here to create cookie-cutter performers; I want to unleash authentic, fearless artists who know their craft inside and out.”
Outside of the classroom, Mitisek is passionate about programming works that challenge audiences to feel, think, and see the world differently, an approach he looks forward to sharing with the Meadows community.
Learn more about Andreas Mitisek here.
Martha Poggioli | Art, Professor of Practice
Australian artist Martha Poggioli joins Meadows as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Division of Art. Drawing on design, hacker strategies, and research-based approaches, Poggioli develops long-form projects that explore the intersections of technology, society and the body. This year, she is eager to work with students in the studio and to build new programming partnerships through the Pollock Gallery.
“I encourage students to approach their work as an ongoing investigation that is both personal to their unique experiences and responsive to the world around them,” Poggioli explains.
With her own practice investigating industrial production, material culture, and bio-technological experience through sculpture, installation, and new media, she is excited to collaborate with Meadows’ dedicated students, faculty and staff to foster an environment of exploration, creativity and critical inquiry.
Learn more about Martha Poggioli here.
Daniel Rios Rodriguez | Art, Assistant Professor
Painter Daniel Rios Rodriguez joins Meadows as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Art. His work seeks to use the canvas as a space to chart and evolve the personal history of the 21st-century Mexican American experience in relation to place. Rodriguez has exhibited widely over the last several years and will open his first mid-career survey at Ruby City Museum this October.
He was drawn to Meadows by the opportunity to connect with students and by his long-standing ties to the Dallas arts community. “Coming from San Antonio I’ve always loved visiting Dallas over the last ten years,” he says. “I’ve become friends with a handful of great Dallas-based artists and love visiting the museums. It was an easy ‘yes’ when the opportunity to apply to Meadows came up.”
As a teacher, Rodriguez emphasizes flexibility and openness, tailoring his approach to the individual needs of each artist. “At the core of what I hope to teach is the ability to remain flexible in the studio,” he explains.
Learn more about Daniel Rios Rodriguez here.
Kristina Vera-Phillips | Journalism, Assistant Professor
Kristina Vera-Phillips joins Meadows as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Journalism. With more than 14 years of experience in broadcast news and a research focus on identity and representation in media, she brings both newsroom expertise and scholarly insight to her teaching.
“I was intrigued by Meadows’ commitment to preparing students to make a difference in their communities, locally and globally,” she says. “I want to create an inclusive environment where students question assumptions and explore diverse perspectives in media.”
Her classes are designed to be engaging, interactive, and a little unexpected, like a past lesson where students debated whether Mario Kart qualifies as a competitive sport after taking on roles as players, sideline reporters and social media correspondents. With her fun, hands-on classes and dedication to a comprehensive learning environment for students, joining the Division of Journalism at Meadows was a perfect fit for Vera-Phillips.