Schmidt awarded KCACTF Gold Medallion

Southwest Minnesota State University Theater Professor Nadine Purvis Schmidt has been awarded the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Gold Medallion Recognition, the most prestigious award given by KCACTF.

There are eight KCACTF regions in the United States. SMSU is in Region 5, which includes college theatre programs in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, North and South Dakota. Medallions honor individuals or organizations “that have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theater and who have significantly dedicated their time, artistry and enthusiasm to the development of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival,” according to the KCACTF website.

“It means so much to me to receive this award. Region 5 is so special to me. I think about the thousands of students and hundreds of faculty I’ve interacted with. We get to go to the festival and see people who were once our students and now are faculty in the region,” said Schmidt.

She received her medallion at the KCACTF Region 5 festival held in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 22-28.

Schmidt is in her 19th year with the Theatre Program at SMSU where she is a professor of theater, producer, and program Coordinator. She directs shows and teaches various acting and other theater courses. Her acting credits include Prospero in “The Tempest,” Titania in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” First Witch in “Macbeth,” and Gertrude in Hamlet, all with Bare Bodkins Theatre; Barbara in TheatreMidwest’s virtual rehearsed reading of “Nickel and Dimed”; and Lady in TheatreSquared’s production of “Superior Donuts.” For Region 5, she has served as Faculty Acting Showcase coordinator since 2007 and showcase performer since 2005, a production respondent since 2005, including as a member of the selection team since 2018, and a preliminary round respondent for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Audition from 2008 to 2022. In 2020, she was recognized with the Road Warrior award from KCACTF.

Schmidt has an MFA in acting from the University of Arkansas and a certificate in Shakespeare performance from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Schmidt lives in Estelline, S.D., with her husband, Karl, and their two teenagers.

Sherman named to dean’s list

Logan Sherman of Balaton has been selected to the University of Jamestown’s fall 2022 dean’s list for maintaining a semester GPA of 3.50 or better.

Ariasola named to University of Iowa dean’s list

Taylor Ariasola of Marshall, was among the more than 7,500 undergraduate students at the University of Iowa named to the dean’s list for the 2022 fall semester.

Ariasola is a second year student in Iowa’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is majoring in exercise science.

Landrus named to the fall 2022 dean’s list

Katie Landrus, of Ivanhoe was named to the fall 2022 dean’s list at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. She is majoring in English.

Dean’s list members have achieved a 3.75 grade- point average or above on a 4.0 scale.

Three MN West students nominated for All-Minnesota Academic Team to compete

Three students were nominated and selected to represent Minnesota West Community & Technical College on the All-Minnesota Academic Team. Minnesota West Faculty nominated the students and they were selected based on the responses they provided on the Phi Theta Kappa Fall Scholarship application.

The awards recognize students in both transfer and workforce programs.

The three selected students are: Jose Jimenez (Workforce Pathway)

Lilly Mahlberg (Transfer Pathway | Worthington)

Sarah Kraft (Workforce Pathway | Granite Falls)

The 2023 All-Minnesota Academic Team consists of outstanding students throughout the state of Minnesota representing a Minnesota Community and Technical College. Being nominated for the All-Minnesota Academic Team allows eligibility to compete for awards of over $41 million in addition to national and statewide recognition. Members of the All-Minnesota Team selected as All-USA Team members and/or New Century scholars will be notified separately at a future date.

As a member of the All-Minnesota Academic Team, the nominees are invited to the All-Minnesota Academic Team Recognition Luncheon held in the Rainforest Auditorium at Como Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul on March 24.