Libby Ricardo Wins Statewide Arts Integration Award
Libby Ricardo, Associate Professor of Theater and Interdisciplinary Studies, has been awarded the 2024 Ray Doughty Arts Integration Award by Palmetto State Arts Education (PSAE). She received this prestigious statewide award for her commitment to integrating arts education across disciplines.
At USCB, Ricardo partners with colleagues across multiple departments to help their students master non-arts subjects through the incorporation of theater techniques and teaching strategies.
The award is given annually to honor an individual, group, or organization that embodies the true spirit of arts integration through the successful utilization of community partnerships and resources. It was established to create a greater awareness and encourage the growth of arts integration programs in the Palmetto State. The Ray Doughty Arts Integration Award celebrates educators who go beyond traditional arts instruction, merging artistic disciplines with broader educational practices to enhance students’ overall learning experience.
Ricardo was honored at the PSAE Conference held in Summerville on October 22. At this awards ceremony, Ray Doughty congratulated Ricardo on her extraordinary work bringing arts integration to higher education. A music educator, Doughty helped found some of South Carolina’s preeminent arts education organizations, such as the Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Institute and Palmetto State Arts Education.
“Libby Ricardo’s work is a perfect example of how the arts can enrich lives far beyond the classroom,” said Jenny Kabool, Executive Director of Palmetto State Arts Education (PSAE). “ She understands the power of arts integration and absolutely embodies the spirit of the Ray Doughty Arts Integration Award.”
Ricardo is an award-winning actress, director, and teacher who has appeared in stage, television, and film productions throughout the country. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2008, and a Master of Fine Arts in Performance at the University of Georgia in 2012. Her emphasis in teaching and research is the promotion of theater skills as life skills, including extensive work with simulated patient programs. Her professional expertise includes acting, directing, simulation, ensemble-based pedagogy and interdisciplinary pedagogy.
She is program coordinator for USCB’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program and teaches a range of courses including Fundamentals of Acting, Interdisciplinary Studies Internship and Performance of Caring. In addition, she is faculty advisor for the Track & Field team and a member of the university’s 20th Anniversary Committee.
- USCB -
LM 11/11/2024