David Gudelunas, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Arts and Letters

Introducing the Black Studies Minor

This year, in collaboration with our wonderful colleagues in the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education, we're excited to launch a new Black Studies minor dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary research and scholarship that addresses the histories, politics, and cultures of the African Diaspora—including the Americas, Africa, Europe, and beyond. Drawing upon literature, communication and media studies, history, philosophy, art, psychology, and sociology, this program exposes students to seminal debates through critical thinking, oral and written communication, collaboration, close reading, and historical/cultural literacy.

This new program is masterfully led by Director Brenton Boyd, an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Writing. Dr. Boyd's research--including two book-length manuscripts and edited collections--encompasses queer of color critique, black feminist thought, visual and performing arts, Africana religions, literary theory, and speculative fiction. This program features an interdisciplinary steering committee with faculty from CAL and CSSME, including Arthur Hollist, Taylor Curry, Charles McGraw Groh, Edward Pompeian, Colin Anderson, Robert Apiyo, Victorio Reyes Asili, Lauren Malone, Alisha Menzies, Samantha Modder, Devon Johnson, and

Wesley Johnson.

CAL ENGAGEs with Student Career Planning

Introducing the ENGAGE with Careers program in partnership with the Office of Career Services. This program focuses on helping our student recognize, articulate, and excel in the unique skillset and knowledge they gain through our degree programs in the arts and letters, especially in light of the paradigm shifts with AI.

The ENGAGE with Careers program features a suite of scaffolded opportunities for our students, including major exploration, ATS-compliant and creative resume design, cover letter writing, networking 101, mock interviewing, and job and internship fairs.

We contend that our students are better suited than any other students to navigate an uncertain future with their unparalleled mix of talent, vision, and humanity. This program helps students realize and achieve their potential. Our calendar of events is coming soon!

Improving Graduation Rates and Resiliency

Mark your calendars for the last two weeks of October! In tandem with our new career-centered programming for students, our college also recently launched the Stay on Track series. This series of programming, led by CAL's Student Success Coordinator Erin Setelius, supports our students in their educational journey. Erin works one-on-one with our students and faculty to provide academic planning and registration support as students navigate their major and minor degrees in the CAL. Email CALadvising@ut.edu for help and information about the Stay on Track program.

Every Voice Builds Our Story: Share Yours

We no longer live in an age where we can afford not to highlight the many contributions that you and so many others in our community make to the arts, letters, and humanities in the College of Arts and Letters and beyond. Your voice matters. Tell us your story at cal@ut.edu. Include a short description and photos.

Congrats to our Spring 2025 Graduates!

CAL Faculty Honored at

Annual Academic Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to our College of Arts and Letters (CAL) faculty who were celebrated at UTampa's annual Academic Awards Ceremony in Fletcher Lounge on April 17. The award winners are pictured below with Dean David Gudelunas: Professor Jennifer Guest (part-time faculty award), Joshua Haddad (teaching award), Sarah Smith-Frigerio (service award), Stephen M. Kromka (scholarship award), and Sohana Nasrin (mentorship award; missing from the photo).

Poet and Writing Professor Wins the Guggenheim!

Dan Albergotti, UTampa Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Writing, is UTampa's first Guggenheim Fellow! Albergotti was selected as one of 198 scholars. According to the foundation, "The Guggenheim Fellowship supports individuals who have achieved notable success in their careers across the creative arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences." This opportunity "is designed for mid-career professionals whose work is well-established." Congrats to Poet Dan Albergotti on achieving this coveted award.

Dan Albergotti is the author of The Boatloads (BOA Editions, 2008), Millennial Teeth (Southern Illinois University Press, 2014), and Candy (LSU Press, 2024) as well as the chapbooks "Of Air and Earth" and "Circa MMXX" (Unicorn Press, 2019 and 2022). His poems have appeared widely in such journals as 32 Poems, The Cincinnati Review, Copper Nickel, Ecotone, The Southern Review, and The Virginia Quarterly Review. His work has also been included in The Best American Poetry, The Pushcart Prize, and other anthologies.

Professor Galbadon Premieres "mania variations" in Disco Dolls Community Performance

Amanda Galbadon, Assistant Professor of Dance, kicked off her summer with a gripping choreopoem (blend of spoken word/poetry, live music, and dance) that she choreographed, funded by the Gobioff Foundation. Galbadon's work, entitled "mania variations," premiered at Disco Dolls in Seminole Heights on May 31.

Divided into several segments, "mania variations" features of UTampa dance alumni, Alexa Clowers ('24) and Jilli Sternick ('24) as well as UTampa dance faculty including Bailey Grayson, Maddie Marcadis, and Dakota Kuharich Stevenson in an emotional exploration of bipolar disorder.

CAL Researchers Learn Wisdom and Longevity Secrets from Costa Rica Centenarians

Assistant Professor Kristen Foltz and Assistant Teaching Professor Theresa MacNeil continue to research, improve, and learn--even in the summer--to bring more knowledge and experience to their classrooms! They conducted a research project to learn about the wisdom and lived experiences of the centenarians in Costa Rica. Stay tuned for a lecture presentation of their research coming in Spring 2026!

Striking the Right Chord:

Fifty Young Musicians Shine at UTampa's

Summer Instrumental Camp

Fifty students from the Tampa Bay area joined the 2025 University of Tampa Summer Instrumental Camp! When they weren’t rehearsing, students grades 7-12 enjoyed electives, such as harp, guitar, piano, theory and composition, conducting, stretching and injury prevention, and activities like faculty lectures, discussion forums, performances, masterclasses, and mock auditions. In just five short days, these students put on a full hourlong concert including two levels of orchestra, an advanced harp ensemble, chamber music, and the beginning elective harp and guitar ensembles. Special thanks to Megan Maddaleno, John McColley, John Demas, Josh Cessna, Alex Ehredt, Maddie Kurtz Marcadis, Christian Abreu, Mikel Thomas, camp counselor Hannah Phillips, and camp coordinator, Stephen Padgett!

CAL Scholars Educate on Tampa Theatre's Stage

Associate Teaching Professor Amanda Firestone and Assistant Professor Christopher Novak provided a post-show film talk and audience Q&A for two films this summer at the Summer Classic movie series at the beautiful, historic Tampa Theatre. Associate Teaching Professor Firestone provided commentary on The Princess Bride on Sunday, June 1, and Assistant Teaching Professor Novak offered feedback and discussion on Monte Python and the Holy Grail on Sunday, July 20.

CAL Celebrates High School Scholarship Recipients at the Tampa Bay BCA IMPACT Awards

College of Arts and Letters (CAL) leaders celebrated several area high school award winners at the Tampa Bay Business Coalition of the Arts (TBBCA) IMPACT Awards on April 10 at the James Museum in St. Petersburg. This special evening coincided with the presentation of the Charlie Hounchel Arts Scholarship, creating a unique celebration of both our community leaders and emerging young talent.

Several exceptional high school students with talents in instrumental and vocal music, theater, dance, and the visual and literary arts were recognized. Associate Teaching Professor Shane Hinton presented the literary arts award winner. He is pictured with Dean David Gudelunas, Associate Dean Aimee Whiteside, Associate Professor Taylor Curry, and Assistant Professor Samantha Modder.

UTampa Symphony Orchestra

Showcases "American Voices"

UTampa Symphony Orchestra presented "American Voices," led by Assistant Professor Megan Maddaleno on May 1 in the David Falk Theater. This incredible evening of music featured UTampa and area student musical performances and celebrated the diverse genres and traditions of American composers. The full performance is available here.

CAL-A-PALOOZA 2025: In Review

ICYMI! The College of Arts and Letters hosted the annual CAL-A-PALOOZA student and faculty showcase event. From April 4-12, our college hosted a multitude of events, including the Student Scholar Poster Showcase, Reckon and Riddle Art Exhibition, Always Welcome Art Exhibition, Legacies Art Exhibition, Spring Dance Arts Continuum, Faculty Recital, Spring Dance Concert, Opera Ball, The Play: Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, and Synergy Performance.

The Department of Theatre and Dance presented Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, directed by Rosemary Orlando, on April 10-13 in the Blackbox Theatre. In this play, what begins as a tribute to James Dean becomes an unmasking of the lies that connect a small town together. Behind the dusty shelves of a Texas five-and-dime, fans reunite, they are shaped by a shared past and the truth that refuses to remain hidden.

Florida Supreme Court Judge and Alumni Visit CAL

The Master of Arts in Professional Communication (MAPC) program, directed by Professor Kristen Foltz, hosted two events near the end of Spring 2025.



One featured a Q&A with Florida Supreme Court Justice Renatha Francis on April 30 and the other featured UTampa alumni Allen Lopez and Sophia Gullo on April 29.

Music Technology's Synergy Showcase

 Rocks Gordon Theater

The Department of Music's Music Technology program showcased a contemporary student performance, directed by Director and Professor Bradford Blackburn, entitled, "Synergy Spring 2025: Ai, Ai Captain!," on April 12 in the Gordon Theater.

Assistant Professor of Communication Robert Apiyo addressed his research lecture, "The Role of Podcasts and their Influence in Shaping African Diaspora Relationships in the United States" on April 16 in the Charlene Gordon Theater. This lecture was part of the Controversies in Communication Lecture series in collaboration with Osher Lifelong Learning at University of South Florida (OLLI-USF) and UTampa's African Student Association.

Congratulations to our College of Arts and Letters (CAL) students who were celebrated at our annual Academic Awards Ceremony. Our department chairs, directors, and faculty presented over 70 awards across eight departments, several programs, the Saunders Writing Center, and the Center for Public Speaking.

Special thanks to Mrs. Charlene A. Gordon for presenting awards to seven students who continuously exemplify excellence in art, dance, film, music, voice, theatre, and media. Many congrats to our students. You continue to make us proud!

Congrats to our six student finalists: Annie Edwards, Kyle Gianni, Jared Mindek, Nicholas Moore, Anthony Pappas, and Holly Rushing who competed in the Spartan Story Slam was on April 17 in the Charlene Gordon Theater. These six finalists taking SPE 300 Storytelling: Voice, Script and Movement compete in our annual story slam. This including event was led by Center for Public Speaking Director and Associate Teaching Professor, Dr. Lacey Corey Brown

Our students not only represent the College of Arts and Letters as actors, dancers, film makers, writers, musicians, philosophers, and communicators, but also as talented, burgeoning scholars.

This year's Student Scholar Poster Showcase featured numerous studies in various galleries in the Ferman Center for the Arts in April 2025. Pictured here are just two of the many research studies conducted by the talented scholars in our college.

The Department of Languages and Linguistics conducted the induction ceremony for Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (La Sociedad Nacional Honoraría Hispánica), in the Music Room on April 9. 

Eight new members inducted into the Pi Sigma chapter at the University of Tampa. Sigma Delta Pi’s mission is to honor students who excel in the study of the Spanish language, literature, and culture and to foster an understanding, appreciation, and respect for the peoples, cultures and societies of the Spanish-speaking world. The faculty adviser for the organization at UTampa is Dr. Lola Hidalgo-Calle. All of the faculty from the Languages and Linguistics Department participated in the induction ceremony.  

FMX Showcases Blackbox Film Festival

and Senior Thesis Showcase

The Department of Film, Animation and New Media presented the two incredible events at the end of the Spring 2025 terms. First, from animation to experimental, documentary, and narrative film--and even music videos, the Blackbox Film Festival featured the notable student films from the school year. Additionally, the Film & Media Arts Senior Thesis Showcase was on May 5 in the Charlene Gordon Theater. Incredible work! Congrats to our seniors!

BFA in Art and Graphic Design Celebration

Showcases Student Creativity and Innovation

The Department of Art + Design proudly hosted the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Art and Graphic Design Spring Celebration in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery in the R. K. Bailey Art Studio on May 9.

The University of Tampa's Department of English and Writing and the NEON Literary Magazine student organization as they unveiled and released volume 47 on April 25 in the Grand Center's Mezzanine area! Students accepted into Neon volume 47 were invited to participate in the Open Mic session. Special thanks to Assistant Teaching Professor Steven Berry for his support and direction as faculty advisor this year. Congrats to him as he transitions into a new role as Co-Director of the University of Tampa Press and as Fiction Editor of the Tampa Review!

Communication Student Earns Research Fellowship to Examine Tough Love

Communication and Speech Studies major Holly Rushing ’26 earned a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Dr. Colter Ray. Her research project is titled “Hurtful or Helpful: Who Can Effectively Communicate Tough Love and Who Is Best Able to Receive It?”

Using survey data from a nationally representative sample of 743 U.S. adults, Holly is analyzing the conditions under which messages that fail to recognize or validate the support recipient’s experiences are perceived to be effective and/or appropriate. This research is significant, as it contributes to a better understanding of how people can effectively offer emotional support to loved ones in times of need.

Dr. Colton Ray was recently featured on Bay 9 News, which you can see here.

CAL Students Attend the Opera

Thanks to the generosity of Charlene and Mardy Gordon, over 30 UTampa students attended La Bohème at the Straz Theatre on April 11. Many CAL students attended the opera for the very first time, including English major, Lena Malpeli '25 and Art + Design major Hawi Regassa '25 pictured below with Associate Dean Aimee Whiteside. The Gordons donate hundreds of tickets each year for events at the Straz Center for students in the college.

Art Foundations Students Excel in Exhibitions

The Department of Art + Design Foundations Program had a banner year for the inaugural launch of their new curriculum, including nine entirely new courses, a trip to Art Basel Miami, eleven exhibitions, and a strong cohort of emerging artists and designers. Students' work was featured in the Ferman Center of the Arts in Spring 2025.

Bradford Blackburn, Professor of Music, composed a new work, Tetrachoric Variations, for the Galan Trio, a professional new music ensemble from Athens Greece. The piano trio performed the work at universities including Florida Atlantic University, University of Florida, Florida State University, Jacksonville University, and Georgia Southern University, as well performing the work at UTampa for the Charlene A. Gordon Chamber Music Series, during their March 2025 tour.

Dana Corrigan, Assistant Professor of Film, directed an animated short film, "Chorus to Dero." Most recently, this film received the Grand Jury Award in Animation at the Orlando International Film Festival in June 2025.

Joshua Haddad, Assistant Teaching Professor in Art + Design, and Samantha Modder, Assistant Teaching Professor in Art + Design, had their work features in a duo exhibition entitled, "Grids and Stripes: The Power of Pattern" at the SPAACES Gallery in Sarasota, Florida in Spring 2025.

"Grids and Stripes: The Power of Pattern" pairs the work of Haddad and Modder who use pattern as a primary visual language to explore themes of identity, power, and liberation.

Rajpreet Heir, Assistant Professor of English and Writing, published a profile on Syracuse.com and Central New York Magazine entitled, "After losing sister in Buffalo Tops shooting, Syracuse woman finds purpose in repairing Power Wheels cars." 

These profiles feature the story of Amanda Drury and some of the Power Wheels cars she has repaired at her property in Kirkville, New York. Drury started giving away the ride-on toys after her sister was killed in a May 2022 mass shooting at a grocery store in Kirkville, New York.

James Lopez, Professor of Languages and Linguistics and co-director for Center for José Martí Studies Affiliate (CJMSA), together with La Gaceta's Spanish language editor and historian Gabriel Cartaya and CJMSA co-director Dennis Ray (CSSME), recently returned from the Cuban National Archives in La Habana, where they recovered the surviving press of the late 19th century Cuban émigré communities of Tampa and beyond.

These newspapers, unavailable anywhere else in the world, are in lamentable condition, but through the efforts of the CJMSA and our partners at the Recovering the Hispanic Literary Heritage project at the University of Houston, and thanks to a UTampa RISE grant, the surviving issues will be digitized and rendered searchable for historians and scholars to consult in perpetuity.

In addition to important 1890s, Tampa publications such as "Cuba" and "El Patriota," they recovered newspapers from 19th century Cuban émigré communities in México, Venezuela, Panamá, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Colombia!

Megan Maddaleno, Assistant Professor of Music and UTampa Orchestra Conductor, is a finalist in four different categories for The American Prize in the disciplines of conducting, performance, and orchestral programming.

In addition to advancing her scholarship, Dr. Maddaleno selected in the top 12 of 120 applicants to conduct at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music selected by Cristian Mǎcelaru. She was also renewed as a Principal Guest Conductor with The Edwardsville Symphony (Illinois) and was selected in a highly competitive masterclass with

Carl Topilow in October.

Dana Plays, Professor in the Department of Film, Animation and New Media, presented her film Across the Border at the Ethnografilm Paris, held at the Club De L'Etoile in Paris France April 13-20. Additionally, Plays’ film Demise of Sugar was screened on April 19 both in-person and virtually online via Filmocracy during the Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Natalie Tombasco, Assistant Teaching Professor of English and Writing, read from her recent book, Milk for Gall, at the Dali Museum's Poetry at the Dali series in Spring 2025. Poetry at The Dalí is an ongoing series hosted by former poet laureate of St. Petersburg, Helen Pruitt Wallace, featuring select poets on the second Thursday of each month. You can view Tombasco's reading here. Professor Tombasco's recent work can be found in Best New Poets, Verse Daily, Gulf Coast, Black Warrior Review, Diode Poetry Journal, Copper Nickel and The Cincinnati Review, among others. Her debut collection Milk for Gall has been selected as the winner of the 2023 Michael Waters Poetry Prize and was published by Southern Indiana Review in 2024.

We will have dozen of concerts, showcases, lectures, magazine/book launches, performances, and events just waiting for you. Please refer to the Arts and Ideas Calendar for current dates, times, and locations.

We look forward to seeing you there!

All events are free and open to the community!