Dr. Amanda Graham has been named the inaugural Creative Director of the Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice (JTCCP) at UNC Greensboro. In this new leadership role, Dr. Graham will shape and bring to life a bold vision for the center, positioning it as a dynamic catalyst for creativity, collaboration, and innovation on campus and in the community. Dr. Graham will begin work on July 14, 2025, and will hold a joint appointment as adjunct associate professor of dance at the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Amanda Graham comes to UNCG from Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) where she was the Associate Director of Engagement for seven years. She also held adjunct appointments in the Departments of American Studies and Communication. In her role at CPA, Dr. Graham provided opportunities for visiting artists and their UNC-CH faculty, student, and community interlocutors to engage in long term, sustainable research and relationships.
Dr. Graham remarks, “I am honored to join UNCG as the inaugural Creative Director of the Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice. The Center’s goal of supporting innovative, transdisciplinary collaborations through experimentation and dialogue is necessary for cultivating new approaches to research and communal problem solving in the Greensboro community and beyond. I look forward to serving the people and projects that make UNCG and Greensboro regionally and nationally distinctive.”
Graham brings deep experience in fostering interdisciplinary partnerships beyond the arts, having collaborated with units including the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, the UNC School of Medicine Planning Office, and various community-based organizations. Her work has led to long-term collaborations and published economic policy recommendations.
As Creative Director, Graham will lead the development of the JTCCP’s inaugural slate of programs—launching in fall 2026—and initiate meaningful collaborations with community leaders, local organizations, and campus partners. She will lay the foundation for a vibrant ecosystem of community-engaged creative practice, supporting opportunities for teaching, research, and artistic exploration that connect people through making, learning, and shared experience.
“Dr. Graham is the right leader to bring the Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice to life,” notes Juliette Bianco, Associate Vice Chancellor for Museums and Creative Practice. “Her track record of building deep, reciprocal partnerships across disciplines and communities aligns beautifully with the Center’s mission. We are thrilled to welcome her to UNCG and look forward to the ways she will help us realize a bold, inclusive vision for creative practice—one that connects people, ideas, and purpose in powerful new ways.”
The JTCCP will be an innovative interdisciplinary center for creative innovation and exchange. Enabled by a transformational gift from alumna Jeanne Tannenbaum, the Center aspires to be a vibrant hub where students, faculty, visiting creatives, industry leaders, and Greensboro residents converge to imagine, create, and innovate.
Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. remarks, “The Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice exemplifies what makes UNC Greensboro exceptional—a commitment to access, innovation, and community-rooted impact. As we continue to prepare our students for a rapidly changing world, the Center will serve as a launchpad for creative solutions and important conversations around some of society’s most pressing challenges. Dr. Amanda Graham’s appointment signals our dedication to building a center that connects creativity in all its forms, industry, and community in transformative ways.”
Dr. Graham holds a B.A. is anthropology from Bard College, M.A. in communication and culture from York University, M.S. in education from Brooklyn College, M.A. in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester, and Ph.D. in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester. She has organized campus and community master classes and workshops in dance with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Martha Graham Company, and a DJ “Turntable” with Kid Koala and Triangle DJs, among others. At CPA, she notably supported the production of Eclipse (2022) by arts and community laboratory Culture Mill, based in Saxapahaw, NC; Affordable Housing: The Musical (2019); and programs on topics related to storytelling and community, including artist residencies with Rhiannon Giddens and Nina Chanel Abney.
Before arriving at UNC-Chapel Hill, Graham served as director of the Hartnett Gallery, University of Rochester, visiting assistant professor of Media and Society at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and as the Andrew Mellon postdoctoral fellow in dance studies at Northwestern University. Dr. Graham has published and lectured widely on topics related to dance and society.
