BIOGRAPHY

Rayna Middleton Dexter is an instructional associate professor and academic program director of Theatre in the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts at Texas A&M University. She earned her M.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology from Kent State University and her B.A. in Theatre from Mount Union College. Dexter’s creative work explores dress as cultural performance, and her teaching spans costume design, performance design and theatre studies. She has led courses on topics such as collaborative performance design, history of dress and stagecraft.

Her recent honors include the Open Education Champion Award (2023) from the Texas A&M Student Government Association for advancing affordable learning resources, and the Excellence in Teaching Award (2024) from the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts.

Dexter’s professional contributions extend internationally, including workshops at the International Festival of Theatre Schools in India, and nationally through presentations at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. She is an advocate for inclusive, innovative pedagogy and interdisciplinary collaboration, supported by multiple grant-funded projects.