Congratulations Spring 2016 Graduates!
The Department of Art Education would like to congratulate and commemorate our Spring 2016 graduating masters and doctoral students on their excellent achievement!
Department of Art Education Graduating Class:
Sarah Davis
Victoria Mendenhall
Corey Rowland
Alexis Toro
Marit Evans
Maghan Stone
Art Administration Doctoral Graduate:
Sitthiporn (Ta) Thongnoprua
On December 2, 2015, Sitthiporn Thongnopnua (Ta) defended her dissertation, “Art Museum Experiences of Older Adults.” Ta’s major professor was Dr. Pat Villeneuve. Her other dissertation committee members included Dr. David Gussak, Dr. Theresa Van Lith, and Dr. Anne Barrett. Ta earned a Doctorate in Art Education with a specialization in Arts Administration and Program Evaluation.
Dr. Sitthiporn Thongnopnua
In reflection of her experience at Florida State University, Dr. Sitthiporn Thongnopnua stated:
“My personal and professional interest is in how arts and creativity services play a dynamic role in building an ecosystem of leisure activities for community well-being. Thus, pursuing a PhD in Arts Administration allowed me to fuel my passion and work toward my goals of making the arts accessible to everyone at any time and any place in their lives. My journey through the PhD program at FSU was definitely a positive one. The program was structured such that I was encouraged early on to develop my own ideas and implement my own creative aging projects, but was also always supported with guidance and feedback from my advisor. The environment in the department is very collaborative. Besides students in Arts Administration, I also made friends and continue to collaborate with graduate students from other programs such as Art Education, Art Therapy, Art History, and Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.
My research has focused on how art museums and local senior-serving organizations collaborate on not only creating but also sustaining a full cycle of meaningful art experience and creativity engagement, from passive observation to active participation, for the aging population in and across communities. Despite a long process and some challenges, I was very fortunate to have met so many wonderful people along the way. I would like to thank you my committee for their dedication to my success. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Pat Villeneuve, who is my advisor, my mentor, and my role model. Her kind and constant support, insights, guidance, along with the example that she sets, have not only shaped my study, but have also deeply influenced my scholarly and professional growth. A special thank you to Dr. Antonio Cuyler for his generous mentorship. Last but not least, many thanks are extended to the Tallahassee community, the Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA), the Gadsden Arts Center, and the Art Program Director, Leslie Puckett, and all seniors at the Tallahassee Senior Center.”
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