Campus Life

Penn State Laureate to present 'The Anxiety Project' at Lehigh Valley campus

William J. Doan, Penn State Laureate for the 2019–20 academic year, is coming to Penn State Lehigh Valley on Feb. 18. Credit: William J. DoanAll Rights Reserved.

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — William J. Doan, Penn State Laureate for the 2019-20 academic year, will present “The Anxiety Project” from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Penn State Lehigh Valley. This event is free and open to the public.

An annual honor established in 2008, the Penn State Laureate is a faculty member who travels the commonwealth to bring greater visibility to the arts, humanities and the University, as well as to his or her own work. As laureate, Doan, who is a professor of theatre in the College of Arts and Architecture and the artist-in-residence in the College of Nursing, will explore the intersections of art, science and health through interactive experiences — including performances, workshops and discussions — that address issues of living with anxiety and depression. “The Anxiety Project” is a collection of Doan’s original drawings, along with personal stories, research and lessons learned from a life lived with anxiety and depression.

“‘The Anxiety Project’ explores what it’s like to live with anxiety and depression, using a combination of personal experience and research into the complex world of mental health,” said Doan. “The intersections of art, science and health are where I make creative work informed by research and scholarship. For me, it is in these spaces where important questions of aesthetics, ethics and representation lead to sustained collaborations with other artists, scientists, health care professionals and audiences.”

“As the campus counselor, I know how important discussions about anxiety and mental health are to destigmatize the issue for not only our students, but the entire campus community. This issue is rampant nationwide — we know nearly 3 out of 4 college students have experienced a sense of overwhelming anxiety at some point,” said Tammy Yocum-Cwienkala, counselor at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Doan is a past president of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and was recently inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. In addition to articles in scholarly journals, Doan has co-authored three books and several plays. Doan earned a bachelor of arts from Gannon University, a master of fine arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctorate of philosophy from Case Western Reserve University.

Last Updated September 4, 2020

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