CHICAGO: Coya Paz Brownrigg has been named the interim dean of the Theatre School at DePaul University, effective July 1. Paz Brownrigg is currently the associate dean of curricular development and chair of the Theatre Studies department.
“Coya will be an effective advocate for continuing the Theatre School’s success during this time of transition,” DePaul’s interim provost, Salma Ghanem, said in a statement. “Her creative passion and empathic leadership style will serve the school well, and I appreciate her willingness to serve as interim dean.”
A poet and director, Brownrigg joined DePaul in 2008. Her research focuses on the arts economy, particularly economic inequity in Chicago and its effect on the arts. Brownrigg is a co-founder of Teatro Luna and has been the artistic director of Free Street Theater since 2012. She earned her Ph.D. in performance studies from Northwestern University.
In November 2020, John Culbert announced that he is stepping down as dean at the end of the academic year. He has served as dean of the Theatre School for 12 years. A nationwide search for a new dean will begin in the 2021-22 academic year.
“This is a time of extraordinary transition for the Theatre School as we say goodbye to a much-loved dean and hopefully return after a year of disruption due to the pandemic,” Paz Brownrigg said in a statement. “We’re visioning and imagining what we can be, and I hope to support our community as we go through this process.”
