Amanda J. Nelson

Amanda J. Nelson is an Associate Professor of Theatre and Primary Advisor for the MFA in Theatre: Arts Leadership program at Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts. She holds a PhD in Drama from Tufts University (2000), an MA from San Francisco State (1995), and a BA from UC Irvine (1991). Her dual roles as educator, researcher, and arts advocate bridge academia and professional practice through immersive theatre projects and strategic arts leadership initiatives.

Her research focuses on arts leadership strategy, immersive multimedia theatre, and 19th/20th century theatre history with a gender studies lens. Notable projects include Shakespeare’s Garden (immersive sound installation) and Poe’s Shadows (augmented reality theatre), which won IDA and ADDY awards. She has served on boards for Mill Mountain Theatre and Lyric Theatre, and currently holds senior fellowships at the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) and the Women’s and Gender Studies program.

As a scholar-practitioner, Nelson pioneered Virginia Tech’s MFA in Arts Leadership program (AAAE-accredited), emphasizing experiential learning through pro bono consulting, field projects, and industry partnerships. Her teaching spans undergraduate acting, arts marketing, and graduate seminars in strategic management and arts fundraising. Recent invited lectures include keynote addresses on membership program strategies for European cultural institutions and fundraising webinars for international arts organizations.

Her creative work blends historical dramaturgy with cutting-edge technology, exemplified by collaborations with composer Tiffany Skidmore on Unseen, Unbodièd, Unknown: The William Blake Cycle. Nelson’s work has been featured at the Smithsonian Institution, Moss Arts Center, and the Taubman Museum of Art, reaching audiences exceeding 60,000.