Professor Jim Symons of the University of Colorado at Boulder department of theater and dance will receive a national award from the Association for Theater in Higher Education on July 29 in Toronto, Canada.
Symons is the winner of the association's "Outstanding Teacher of Theater in Higher Education" award, given once a year. With a membership of 2,000, the ATHE is the principal professional organization for theater professors in American colleges and universities.
CU-Boulder department chair Bud Coleman said Symons' excellence as a mentor is what students and colleagues most appreciate about him. Symons was chair of the department 11 years ago when Coleman began working at CU-Boulder.
"I remember feeling so fortunate that I had a department chair in Jim Symons who I knew was not only intelligent but also a true leader of the department," Coleman said. "I consider him to be the epitome of a great teacher and theater director," Coleman said.
Symons came to CU-Boulder in 1984 as the new chair of theater and dance and served in that capacity for 15 years. He teaches theater history, dramatic literature and directing at both graduate and undergraduate levels and frequently directs productions of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. He was designated a President's Teaching Scholar in 2001-2002.
Symons was president of ATHE from 1989 to 1991 and served on the organization's board of governors from 1987 to 1993. His award will be presented July 29 in Toronto, at ATHE's annual convention.
For more information about ATHE, visit . For more information about Jim Symons' work, visit .