Shannon Rose Riley

Shannon Rose Riley is a Professor of Creative Arts & Humanities at San José State University, where she serves as Director of Dance and Coordinator of the Creative Arts Program. She holds dual appointments across the Humanities Department and the Department of Film, Theatre, and Dance. Riley is an elected member of the Academic Senate, currently serving as Chair of the Professional Standards Committee, and has previously served two terms as Chair of the Department of Humanities (2015-2023).

• PhD in Performance Studies with Critical Theory emphasis, UC Davis (2006)
• MFA in Studio Art and Critical Theory, Tufts University & School of Museum of Fine Arts (1998)
• BFA in Sculpture with Art History minor, Maine College of Art (1995)
• Registered Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist (ISMETA, 2021)

Riley's research interests span performance studies, critical race theory, somatics, and ecosomatics. Her work explores the intersections of embodiment, ecology, and social justice, with particular attention to Cuban and Haitian cultural histories. She examines how performance can illuminate racial formations and historical erasure while developing new models for ecological awareness through somatic practices.

Her recent publications demonstrate a clear evolution from early work on race, Cuba, and Haiti toward contemporary explorations of ecosomatics and embodied ecological awareness. The 2024 edited volume Geographies of Us: Ecosomatic Essays and Practice Pages represents a significant contribution to the emerging field of ecosomatics, bringing together diverse scholarly and creative approaches to embodiment and ecology.

• Public Voices Fellow with the Op-Ed Project and SJSU (2022-23)
• Contributor to The Hill Reporter (2022)
• Active core member of experimental music/performance group ONO since 1980
• ONO's album Red Summer (2020) reviewed on grammy.com and streamed on The Wire

Riley's academic service includes significant leadership roles within SJSU's governance structure. She has served on the Academic Senate since 2011, including as Associate Vice Chair and Chair of the Committee on Committees. Her community engagement extends to somatic practices related to healing and social justice. She is currently working on creative nonfiction and fiction related to her research in Cuba and Haiti, with ONO's next album Sacrifice|Sacrificial scheduled for release in August 2024.