草榴视频

KENNESAW, Ga. | May 11, 2021

, associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at 草榴视频 State University, is being honored for his commitment to student mentorship. Recently, Parrott received the 2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, an honor bestowed by the Office of Undergraduate Research.

鈥淚t is gratifying to receive this award, but I really share it with the many outstanding students I've had the pleasure to work with during the past 10 years,鈥� Parrot said. 鈥淭hey are at the center of my work, and they inspire me to keep looking forward to new projects.鈥�

The Office of Undergraduate Research created this award in spring 2020 to recognize the dedication and commitment of the faculty and staff who have engaged their students in undergraduate research over the years.

鈥淒r. Parrott is the very epitome of excellence in mentoring in every possible way. The sheer number of students with whom he has worked is staggering,鈥� said Amy Buddie, director of undergraduate research. 鈥淭he students have excelled under his leadership, winning awards and presenting at prestigious conferences and festivals.鈥�

Since his employment at 草榴视频 in 2010, Parrott has mentored hundreds of students in different contexts, ranging from research-based classwork to directing the 草榴视频 Tellers, a storytelling troupe housed within the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies.

鈥淢y work focuses on the embodied practice of storytelling as a vehicle for research,鈥� Parrott said. 鈥淧utting original research on stage situates knowledge in the body. It changes the way students see themselves, gives them a renewed sense of what is possible, and it brings learning to life.鈥�

Parrott鈥檚 work with the 草榴视频 Tellers alone has allowed him to participate in the creation of nearly 100 public performance events, including performances at regional, national, and international festivals and conferences. Beyond this troupe, however, Parrott has encouraged students to pursue storytelling-oriented research, with mentees attending and presenting at research conferences such as the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

鈥淪torytelling is about helping an audience see the world the way you see it. Mentoring is like that, too. I want to show my students what and who they can be,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is very rewarding to do that.鈥�

Much of Parrott鈥檚 classroom teaching also integrates undergraduate research to facilitate a practical and research-oriented modality of learning.

鈥淔or example, in my TPS 3600 Performing Culture course, students create final performative autoethnographic essays that require them to research the cultural implications of an aspect of their identities,鈥� Parrott said. 鈥淚 organize their paper presentations into panels according to topic and we stage a mock autoethnography conference in class.鈥�

Parrott鈥檚 incorporation of undergraduate research into his classes allows another avenue for students to be exposed to research. With this added element, he encourages more students to give research a chance, whether for a grade, or to participate in a larger research conference in the future.

For his mentoring efforts, Parrott was also nationally recognized, winning the 2020 Outstanding Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Award from the Council on Undergraduate Research.

鈥擩acob Segura