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Arts and Letters Professor to be Honored by Dance Teacher Magazine

Wed, 07/17/2013 - 09:02am | By: Ashlea Maddox

Stacy Reischman Fletcher, left, will be honored by Dance Teacher Magazine in August with its 2013 Award in Higher Education.
Stacy Reischman Fletcher, left, will be honored by Dance Teacher Magazine in August with its 2013 Award in Higher Education.

Stacy Reischman Fletcher is having a busy summer and it is only going to get busier.  The chair of the Department of Dance at The University of Southern Mississippi was recently featured in a national publication and will be honored at Dance Teacher Magazine's 2013 Dance Teacher Summit in August. 

Recognized for her work in higher education, Reischman Fletcher will attend the three-day event in New York City next month, which will host dance instructors from across the nation to participate in workshops, seminars and an awards ceremony, where Reischman Fletcher will receive the 2013 Award in Higher Education. 

“This summit and awards presentation provides unique networking, classes, lectures and seminars for instructors at all levels.  There are many opportunities to teach and learn at this event,” said Reischman Fletcher.  

Always taking advantage of opportunities to teach, Reischman Fletcher will be accompanied to the Big Apple by a former student and two current students of dance.  She feels the Summit is a great way to engage the students in this professional setting, which is much different than the classroom environment. 

“Providing students with real world experiences teaches them to use the skills learned in a protected environment. This opportunity will force them to step out of their comfort zone and from that point, it's more about self-discovery and defining who they are as artists.”

From her junior year of college at The Ohio State University, Reischman Fletcher knew she wanted nothing more than to be a dancer, choreographer and a teacher of dance in higher education.  It was this determination and focus that brought her to Southern Miss in 2000, where she has grown the dance department and continues to raise the arts profile of the College of Arts and Letters. 

The establishment of a stand-alone dance department in 2012 can certainly be credited to her leadership and vision. She believes this could be her legacy, but others strongly feel she has only just begun.

"This recognition for Dr. Reischman Fletcher comes as no surprise as we have long recognized her outstanding contribution to the profession,” said Dr. Steven R. Moser, dean of The College of Arts and Letters.

“She is committed to the education of our students and she is respected, by them, faculty and staff in A&L.”

The article from Dance Teacher Magazine can be viewed on the College of Arts and Letter's Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/USMArtsandLetters.

“Receiving this award is truly an honor that I hope will bring much-deserved attention to our outstanding dance program here at Southern Miss,” said Reischman Fletcher

For more information about the Department of Dance at Southern Miss, visit www.usm.edu/dance.