Research Statement
Areas of Specialization: Theatre & Gender Studies; Women in American Theatre (20th-21st centuries); Applied Theatre; STEAM Education; Theatre & Higher Education; Community-Engagement; Public Engagement and Outreach; New Play Development
In my research, I seek to understand the experiences of women theatre faculty; celebrate the contributions and incorporation of women’s voices (both new and established) to theatre education; document the usefulness of theatre as a pedagogical tool both on the stage and outside of the discipline of theatre; engage with theatre as a method for outreach, engagement, and community-engaged scholarship; and utilize the interdisciplinary relationship between the arts/creativity and STEM fields (i.e. STEAM approaches to education).
Publications
Ferris M. Pfeiffer, Suzanne Burgoyne, Heather K. Hunt, J. Sobel, Rachel E. Bauer, Jennie Pardoe Simona Simkins, Lainie Vansant, Joshua Saboorizadeh, Kate Busselle, William Palmer. “Creativity and Action in Bioengineering Class.” In Suzanne Burgoyne (Ed.), Creativity in Theatre: Creativity Theory and Action in Drama and Theatre Education. Springer, 2018.
Ferris M. Pfeiffer, Rachel E. Bauer, Steve Borgelt, Suzanne Burgoyne, Sheila Grant, Heather K. Hunt, Jennie J. Pardoe, and David C. Schmidt. “When Theatre Comes To Engineering Design: Oh How Creative They Can Be” Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 139:7 (2017).
Bauer, Rachel E., Book Review of Judith Pascoe’s The Sarah Siddons Audio Files: Romanticism and the Lost Voice. Theatre Annual 65 (2012).
Conference
Presentations*
“Increasing the STEAM: (Re)Inventing an Introductory Acting Course to Foster the Transferable Skills of Theatre” Association of Theatre in Higher Education, August 2019. Orlando, FL. (Presenter; Session Coordinator)
“Cultivating Skills through Unlikely Connections: Theatre and Creativity for the Scientist” National Alliance for Broader Impacts, April 2018. Providence, RI. (Invited Session)
“Reaching Across Campus: Using Theatre in the Engineering Classroom" with Jennie Pardoe. Association of Theatre in Higher Education, August 2017. Las Vegas, NV. (Presenter; Session Coordinator)
“The Influence of Gender on the Experiences of Women Theatre Faculty: A Qualitative Investigation” Mid-America Theatre Conference, March 2017. Houston, TX.
“Stuck in the Middle: Feminist Directing as a Graduate Student and the Academic Institution” Women and Theatre Program, ATHE Pre-Conference, August 2016. Chicago, IL.
“Women without Tenure” Association of Theatre in Higher Education, August 2016. Chicago, IL. (Roundtable)
“Active Teaching and Learning in Bioengineering” with Suzanne Burgoyne and Ferris Pfeiffer. Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference, June 2016. National Harbor, MD. (Full Session)
“Challenges to Women in Leadership: An Image Theater Workshop” with Suzanne Burgoyne. Women in Leadership Conference, June 2016. Columbia, MO. (Full Session)
“Leadership in Graduate School” with Jaqueline Gamboa Varela, Hallie Thompson, Katie Steen, and Evonnia Woods. Women in Leadership Conference, June 2016. Columbia, MO. (Roundtable)
“Graduate Students and their Future in the Professoriate: The Similar Struggles of Women Graduate Students and Non-Tenure Faculty in Higher Education” Mid-America Theatre Conference, March 2016. Chicago, IL.
“Stuck in the Middle: Feminist Directing as a Graduate Student and the Academic Institution” Mid America Theatre Conference, March 2016. Minneapolis, MN.
“Challenges to Women in Leadership: An Image Theater Workshop” with Suzanne Burgoyne. Women in Leadership Conference, June 2015. Columbia, MO. (Full Session)
“In[fat]uations: A 'Big’ Girl’s Guide to Navigating the Theatre Through the Autobiographical Performance of More Than Fat” Association of Theatre in Higher Education, July 2015. Montreal, QC. (Presenter; Session Coordinator)
“Body Images: The Implications of Casting in Educational Theatre” Association of Theatre in Higher Education, July 2015. Montreal, QC.
“Fostering Social Justice and Feminist Activism through Theatre Pedagogy” Mid-America Theatre Conference, March 2015. Kansas City, MO. (Presenter; Session Coordinator)
“Combating Intersecting Oppressions through a Feminist Theatre of the Oppressed” with Selena Van Horn. Women and Gender Studies Conference, University of Missouri, February 2015. Columbia, MO.
“@MU5thofJuly: Interacting with Social Media to Enhance the Role of the Dramaturg” Mid-America Theatre Conference, March 2014. Cleveland, OH. (Presenter; Session Coordinator)
“Staging Research.” Presidential Engagement Fellows Training, June 2019. University of Missouri System.
“Communicating Research.” Office of Graduate Studies Professional Development Series, May 2019. University of Missouri.
“Reaching the Public: Using Applied Theatre to Improve Communication Skills”. School of Veterinary Medicine. April 2019. University of Missouri.
“Using Theatre to Enhance Science Communication.” Office of Graduate Studies Professional Development Series, March 2019. University of Missouri.
“Choosing a Postdoc.” Office of Graduate Studies Professional Development Series, March 2019. University of Missouri.
“Public Engagement and Broader Impacts 101” Office of Graduate Studies Postdoc Development Week, October 2018. University of Missouri.
“Stretching Your Creativity Muscles!” National Alliance for Broader Impacts Steering Committee and Advisory Board Meeting, April 2015. Providence, RI.
Workshops &
Guest
Lectures*
* For a full list of my conference presentations, workshops, and scholarship, please go to the CV tab.