Bex Ferrell, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Arts Management and Director of Student Success and Retention for the Department of Theatre and Dance

Dr. Rebecca (Bex) Ferrell (they/she) is a scholar, educator, and arts leader whose work advances cultural policy, arts advocacy, and sustainable careers in dance. They hold a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MFA in Dance from Arizona State University, and a PhD in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky, home to the nation's first doctoral program solely in arts administration.

Bex's work connects scholarship, leadership, and advocacy to strengthen the dance ecosystem through research on arts policy, the creative workforce, and dance labor practices. They are an Assistant Professor of Arts Management and the Director of Student Success and Retention in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the College of Charleston, where they also chair the Faculty Welfare Committee and serve on the Faculty Advisory Council to the President.

Bex has served on advisory and grant panels across the United States, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, United States Artists, the Arts Education Partnership Council, and Virginians for the Arts, where they served on the Legislative Committee. They are currently a member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Arts Alliance, the state's arts advocacy organization.

Before joining the College of Charleston, Bex held academic appointments at American University, Arizona State University, Shenandoah Conservatory, the University of Illinois, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Their professional leadership experience includes Director and Curator of the Flatlands Dance Film Festival, Executive Director of Dance Metro DC, and Director of Programs for Dance/USA, the national service organization for the professional dance field.

Education

Ph.D., Arts Administration
University of Kentucky

MFA, Dance
Arizona State University

BFA, Dance and Choreography
Virginia Commonwealth University

Courses Taught

ARTM 225: The Art of Creativity
ARTM 350: Fundraising and Grantwriting in the Arts
ARTM 420: Policy in the Arts
ARTM 499: Bachelor's Essay