Elisa Gargarella

Title: Associate Professor, Art Education Area Coordinator
Dept/Program: Art Education
Office: Folk Hall 105
Phone: 330–972–8325
Email: gelisa@uakron.edu

Biography

 Elisa Gargarella has been the only full time art education faculty member within the Art Department at the University of Akron for fourteen years.  She developed five outreach arts-based programs for the community, and has helped to place over 75% of her students in full time art teaching positions.

Dr. Gargarella’s research is based on community based art education, eco-justice and social justice education through the arts, pre-service teacher engagement, and urban revitalization through public and school arts partnerships.

Dr. Gargarella is faculty and coordinator of the Art Education program at The University of Akron.  She is creator and director of the award winning Arts LIFT program, a summer arts residency for inner city high school students that has produced 8 major public art installations throughout Summit County.  As director of this program, Elisa has created a model for community-based and ecology-based art education that has received local and national attention.  Elisa has won multiple grants and awards for her outstanding faculty engagement for her work and research on such programming.

Education

Ph.D. University of Akron, MA Chatham College, BA Denison University