Megan Carney will join the University of Illinois at Chicago as the new Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center on January 18, 2011.
Carney was Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Chicago’s About Face Youth Theatre from 1998-2002, where she designed and implemented innovative theatre education and leadership development programs with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and ally youth, adults, and their allies. She then continued for three years as Associate Artistic Director. Most recently, she has been a program designer, educator, and writer, partnering with a variety of non-profit organizations such as the University of Michigan, The Goodman Theatre, About Face Theatre, and Carlow University. Carney uses multiple methods to approach issues of identity and inclusion, methods that increase educational dialogue through storytelling and interactive forums.
In recognition of the excellence of her work, Carney has been inducted into the City of Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame and she has received the GLSEN Pathfinder Award, Cook County’s State’s Attorney’s Office Community Empowerment Award, the Arts of Citizenship Award, and an American Psychological Association Presidential Citation.