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B. Manuel Simons, Ph.D.
447 Broadway | New York, NY 10013
917.330.6435 | [email protected]
Curriculum Vitae
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Collaborative, dynamic, and equity-focused theatre artist, educator, and scholar with a strong combination of
practice, teaching, and research experience in theatre and performance.
• Distinguished academic background with two degrees from New York University and multiple honors for
scholarship excellence with Ph.D. from Fordham University.
• Experienced in teaching acting and directing via local and global perspectives across multiple educational
levels, including undergraduate and graduate.
• Culturally competent artist and educator with a distinct history of facilitating the artistic development and
academic success of students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in higher education
including learners who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ as well as
low-income and first-generation college students and learners with special needs.
• Accomplished actor and director with extensive success in bringing plays and productions to fruition with
student, emerging, and seasoned artists across a wide range of educational and professional settings.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Ph.D. in Contemporary Learning and Interdisciplinary Research Specializing in Theatre, 2020
Fordham University, New York, NY (4.00 GPA)
Academic Focus: Anti-Racist, Culturally Responsive Acting and Directing Pedagogy
Graduate Coursework in Theatre, 2012–2015
City University of New York (CUNY), The Graduate Center, New York, NY (3.86 GPA)
Academic Focus: Performance Studies; Black, Latinx, and Queer Theatre
M.A. in Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities, 2008 (with honors)
New York University, New York, NY (4.00 GPA)
Academic Focus: The Teaching of Acting and Directing; Theatre for Social Justice
B.F.A. in Acting, 1991 (with honors)
New York University, New York, NY (3.77 GPA)
Academic Focus: Acting Technique; Theatre Education
Dissertation:
In Search of Critical Theatre Pedagogy: Teaching Artists’ Practice with Students of Color
Dissertation Committee: Professors Jane Bolgatz (advisor), Fordham University; Rhonda Bondie, Harvard University;
Jonathan Jones, New York University.
Honors and Awards:
American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) Distinguished Dissertation Award, 2021
Phi Kappa Phi National Multidisciplinary Collegiate Honor Society, 2017
Fordham University Graduate School of Education Scholarship, 2015
CUNY Graduate Center University Fellowship, 2012
Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, 2008