The 2012 Ross M. Lence Award in Performing and Visual Arts

Jackie deMontmollin
Assistant Professor
Associate Director of Theatre Education
School of Theatre & Dance

Within the college and the university, we all work hard to improve our programs, and most important, to help our students achieve excellence in their academic endeavors, leading toward their professional pursuits. No matter how effectively some of us teach, serve our programs, or help our students toward excellence, there always seem to be those among us that set the curve really high.

Jackie deMontmollin is one of those teachers.

Her signature achievement in the School of Theatre & Dance is the creation of a Masters in Theatre Education for secondary teachers, a program she designed from the ground up and currently heads.  Every summer, experienced high school theatre teachers from around the country come to UH to work with Jackie and several other master teachers in order to improve their own knowledge base and teaching skills.

Among the subjects she teaches for the summer MA program is a course called The Teaching of Acting, a truly innovative course based on her decades of expertise as an acting teacher.  Through this program, Jackie has had an enormous positive impact on the quality of theatre education in the state of Texas and beyond.

Jackie is an exceptional faculty member who consistently works at the highest levels of commitment, caring, and giving. Our BFA in Theatre with concentrations in Acting, Playwriting/Dramaturgy, Production, Theatre Education, and Stage Management would not be where it is today without Jackie.

Since she began at the University, Jackie has been our undergraduate recruitment coordinator at statewide events as well as onsite Open House Auditions/Interviews for prospective students.  For these events, Jackie brings an intense amount of focus, attention to detail, and commitment to attracting and recruiting better and better students each year.

We are currently recruiting students for our BFA in Theatre - Concentration in Theatre Education in which Jackie will serve as the Head of that four-year curriculum, which also has “Quest” courses within the College of Education.

Jackie has proven herself to be an incredibly valuable and respected colleague within the School of Theatre & Dance.  Jackie’s excellence as a teacher, as well as her commitment as a colleague, infuses every vein of our undergraduate and graduate programs. 

Simply put, there is no one else who can do what she does.  Jackie demonstrates excellence each and every day and has done so since her arrival.

~Brian Byrnes, Associate Professor, and Robert B. Shimko, Assistant Professor
School of Theatre & Dance