Matt Omasta Utah State University, USA

Matt Omasta is Associate Professor and Theatre Education Program Director at Utah State University. He received his BA from Ithaca College, his MA from Emerson College, and his PhD from Arizona State University. He is the author of Play, Performance, and Identity: How Institutions Structure Ludic Spaces (Routledge), Playwriting and Young Audiences (Intellect), and numerous articles in journals including Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, Youth Theatre Journal, Theatre for Young Audiences Today, Theatre Topics, and the International Journal of Education and the Arts among others. Omasta's work has been recognized by honors including the Founders' Award from the Educational Theatre Association, the Lin Wright Special Recognition Award and the Research Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, and the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group (A & L SIG) Dissertation Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA).