Dr. Doug Risner

Dr. Doug Risner is Distinguished Faculty Fellow and Professor of Dance at Wayne State University in midtown Detroit’s cultural district, where he is Director of Graduate Studies and Program Director of the Master of Arts in Theatre & Dance Teaching Artistry, the only program of its kind in the nation. Distinguished Professor Risner received his BFA in Performance and Choreography, MFA in Dance from UNCG’s Department of Dance, and his PhD in Curriculum and Teaching.  Dr. Risner conducts research on the sociology of dance training and education, curriculum theory and policy, social foundations of dance pedagogy, gender in dance and postsecondary leadership, and online learning and web-based curriculum design. Dr. Risner has choreographed over 50 works which have been funded in part by the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, Iowa Arts Council, North Carolina Department of Education, the George T. and Jutta F. Anderson Foundation and numerous universities across the United States; his choreographic work has been honored by the Seven States Choreography Competition, the American College Dance Festival and his alma mater, UNCG.

Dr. Risner has published over 100 journal articles, conference papers and book chapters. His four books include Stigma and Perseverance in the Lives of Boys Who Dance (2009); Hybrid Lives of Teaching Artists in Dance & Theatre Arts (2014); Sexuality, Gender & Identity: Critical Issues in Dance Education (2015); and Dance and Gender: An Evidence-Based Approach. He is the recipient of numerous awards, among them the Board of Governors Distinguished Faculty Fellowship (WSU), President’s Excellence in Teaching Award (WSU), Outstanding Dance Education Researcher Award and Visionary Award in Dance Education, both from National Dance Education Organization. UNCG has previously honored Dr. Risner with the Ethel Martus Lawther Alumni Award for the School of Health and Human Performance, Hester Doctoral Fellowship, Luther Self Dissertation Fellowship from Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations, and the Virginia Mumaw Award for Outstanding Contributions to Dance.

Professor Risner is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the Journal of Dance Education, and as Associate Editor of the international journal, Research in Dance Education, he serves as managing editor for annual special topic issues. The Doug Risner Prize for Emerging Dance Researchers was established in 2016 by the Journal of Dance Education to honor Risner’s commitment to excellence in dance research and research education. His most recent book project, Case Studies in Dance Education: Ethical Dimensions of Humanizing Dance Pedagogy (McFarland) with Professor Karen Schupp (Arizona State University), brings together 25 nationally recognized scholars and practitioners investigating ethical decision making and pedagogical challenges of dance educators and those who prepare today.