Aronson Earns Lessac Training and Research Institutes Highest Honor

The Lessac Training and Research Institute (LTRI) has recognized University of Southern Mississippi faculty member Robin Aronson with the highest honor it bestows to one of its members.

Aronson, professor of voice and acting in the USM Department of Theatre and a Lessac Certified Trainer, recently earned the institute's Leadership Award for outstanding leadership contributions to the Institute. Lessac Kinesensics Voice and Body Training is a respected and established system for individuals seeking vocal clarity and physical flexibility.

Criteria for the award includes demonstration of outstanding leadership to the Institute over a period of several years, usually in more than one area of expertise; be nominated to the Lessac Training and Research Institute Board of Directors by a member; and approved by a majority of the Board.

“I have enjoyed working with Robin on and off the Board, she always has the interests of the Institute in mind as she works to promote the Institute and Arthur Lessac's (institute's namesake) work and research,” said Lessac Institute President Steve Housley. “She has contributed much and it greatly appreciated. This award is greatly deserved.”

Aronson is the only certified Lessac Certified Trainer in Mississippi. She is immediate past president of the Institute, and has served it in a variety of other capacities, including as board member and social media director. In her two years as president, she chaired annual conferences in Memphis and Denver.

At USM, Aronson established a one-year Lessac voice and training curriculum as a part of the Department of Theatre's MFA in Performance program. After the training is completed, students are eligible to achieve practitioner status toward Lessac certification. This move made USM the first graduate program in the world to establish the curriculum through the Institute, and established the University's reputation as a global leader in voice and body training.

“Robin is truly a leader in increasing the outreach of the Lessac Kinesensic Training nationally and internationally,” said Deborah Kinghorn, a master teacher in Lessac Kinesensics. “During her tenure as president of the Institute, she expanded the training to Ireland and the Philippines, as well as establishing a core training base at the University of Southern Mississippi. There is no doubt in my mind that she will continue to excite others about the training, which will in turn bring recognition both to the LTRI and to USM.”

For information about the Lessac Training and Research Institute, visit www.lessacinstitute.org. To learn more about Aronson and her work at USM, as well as the USM Department of Theatre, visit https://www.usm.edu/theatre/faculty/robin-aronson.