Dr. JoAnn Staten, Otis College of Art and Design

Dr. JoAnn Staten is the Acting Assistant Chair in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Department at Otis College of Art and Design.  She is a researcher and grant writer focusing on women’s issues, identity narratives, and health disparities.

JoAnn spent over two years living in Suriname, South America learning about the role that art and personal narrative play in the development and acceptance of public health HIV/AIDS interventions. During that time, she worked collaboratively with local activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop and produce several awareness projects. JoAnn is particularly interested in developing classes that give students the opportunity to practice using their creative skills to solve real-world problems.

We will be talking about the program partnerships Otis has including the Jacaranda School and Foundation for orphans in Malawi located in southeast Africa, surrounded by Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania.