The UMKC Conservatory is pleased to welcome Kenneth Martin as the Patricia McIlrath Endowed Professor of Theatre and Chair of the Theatre Division, beginning Fally 2019. Professor Martin is currently Professor of Scenic Design and Chair of the Theater Department at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina. His twenty-six-year career in academia has included nearly eighteen years serving as chair of the theater departments at both Coastal Carolina and Ashland University in Ohio. Professor Martin has been tremendously successful as an administrator at both institutions. He has navigated curricular revisions and development, managed resources effectively and efficiently, successfully supervised personnel, created innovative collaborations, cultivated significant enrollment growth, authored self-studies for NAST accreditation, and forged international partnerships. Professor Martin’s strong record as an administrator will be key in leading the UMKC theatre program through essential changes in the coming years. As a member of United Scenic Artists, Professor Martin’s design work has been seen at The Sacramento Theatre Company, Cleveland Ensemble Theatre, Contemporary American Theatre Company, Actor's Summit Theatre, Weathervane Playhouse, Ocean State Theatre Company, Surflight Theatre, Theatre by the Sea, Florida Repertory Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros, Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, GEVA Theatre, among others. He has also designed shows for many colleges and universities including Marquette University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Coastal Carolina University, Cuyahoga Community College and The Ohio State University.
Professor Martin has actively served his profession as a respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festivals, as a consultant for several regional theaters and through active participation in organizations like the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the South Carolina Theatre Association. He has clearly served as a valued colleague at both Ashland University and Coastal Carolina University—chairing and participating in numerous unit-level and university-level committees on academic affairs, core curriculum, academic review, technology, professional development, academic planning, institutional growth, budgeting and promotion and tenure.
Welcome Professor Martin!