Faculty: Who We Are

An extensive number of distinguished faculty teach Arts for Children students in art, dance, music and theatre classes. The primary Arts for Children faculty present a noteworthy range in scholarship, service and research activities.

Mr. Christian Carson earned an MFA in painting from SUNY Albany. Last year, he taught visual art experience and painting at SUNY Brockport. His research interests include the influence of Giorgio Morandi and Italian Metaphysical painting on contemporary painters and the aesthetics of collage. His teaching interests are the intersection of figurative painting with collage techniques, experimental animation, and teaching metaphor in K-6 arts education.

Dr. Oh Kon Cho holds an MFA in drama and a PhD in theatre. He is a puppeteer, creative drama and children's theatre instructor, and notable theatre historian. Currently he is working on a book entitled "History of Korean Theatre: From Rituals to Eclectic Approaches". Dr. Cho is a long-standing member of the SUNY Brockport faculty and is a professor in the Department of Theatre.

Dr. Natalie Sarrazin is the music faculty teaching courses for Arts for Children and the Department of Theatre. Most recently, Natalie hails from the International School of Monterey, California, where she taught K-8 vocal music classes and was Visiting Scholar at Stanford University for the Departments of Music and Asian Cultures and Languages. Dr. Sarrazin has a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland, an MMEd. in Music Education from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and BM and BA degrees in
Piano, Liberal Arts, and Arts Management from Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford.  She has expertise in Orff-Schulwerk, the Kodály Method, and Western and Eastern vocal techniques. She has experience as a Study Abroad Program Director for the University of Virginia and has led trips to India and taught courses on Indian culture. She is sought Her extensive scholarship includes teaching Indian music in the classroom and the music of Bollywood.

Dr. Juanita Suarez is a founding member of the Latina Dance Project. She regularly tours with this performing group featuring the work of contemporary Latin women. Dr. Suarez received her doctorate from Texas Women's University with a specialization in dance education history and a minor emphasis in women and minority studies. She is interested in interdisciplinary approaches to learning, experiences of the Chicana culture and modern dance. Dr. Suarez currently serves on the NCATE (National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Educators) committee. She is an associate professor in the Department of Dance.