About Our Faculty
Distinguished professors –
dedicated mentors
Directors. Graphic Designers. Performers. Historians. Scenic and Costume Designers. Conductors.
Our world-class and highly active faculty of artists and scholars are dedicated to helping you pursue your passions, develop your talents, and succeed in your educational and professional endeavors.
Working artists and researchers at the top of their fields
As a student in Cliffe College, you’ll learn from renowned faculty who will empower you with the vital skills essential for success in your chosen areas. Our faculty have garnered numerous honors for their creative and scholarly endeavors, including YSU Excellence in Scholarship Awards. Their experiences and knowledge will motivate and inspire you—you’ll learn from the best.
Dragana Crnjak, M.F.A.
DEPARTMENT OF ART
“. . . these works have a sense of perspective and color that while subtle and often airy, has an intricacy that is nothing short of dazzling . . .”
—Art Critic Anderson Turner
Paul Louth, Ph.D.
DANA SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Professor of music Paul Louth, who specializes in jazz, brass, and wind band pedagogy, was named a recipient of the 2024 YSU Distinguished Professorship Award.
“My days at Dana were shaped by the performing artists and educators I admired most, including students and professors alike. Music brought us together in the classroom and on stage and created friendships that I value most of all.”
- Sergeant First Class Aaron D. Scott
Member of the United States Army Band "Pershing's Own"
An unwavering commitment to teaching
Our faculty have earned many accolades in their areas of speciality. But their first priority is educating and mentoring our students, and many have been awarded YSU Distinguished Professorship Awards.
So although they are acclaimed scholars, artists, and researchers, they are caring and approachable teachers and are dedicated to helping you make the most of your time at YSU. Find out more about our exceptional faculty.
Dave Morgan, D.M.A.
DANA SCHOOL OF MUSIC
“Blue is More Than a Color [is] way too cool for jazz . . . [it] keeps you rapt throughout; a highly creative and inventive work . . . Smart stuff throughout."
— Chris Spector, Editor & Publisher, Midwest Record
Michelle Nelson, M.F.A.
DEPARTMENT OF ART
"The entire world is typography's gallery . . . we're walking past it every day, interacting with it, absorbing it wherever we go . . . we don't think about those letter forms that communicate so much."
— Nelson, Typographic Discourse,PBS 39 WFMA DT (2013)