Friends University is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Nathanael May as the new Tim and Gail Buchanan Endowed Chair of the Fine Arts Division. He begins his new role in early July.
“Fine Arts is an integral part of Friends University and has been for many years,” said Dr. Ken Stoltzfus, vice president of Academic Affairs. “We are thrilled for Dr. May to be able to build on the Division of Fine Arts’ tradition of excellence while leading us into the next era. His academic and musical expertise, along with his Christian faith, fit very well with the needs of the Division of Fine Arts and the Friends University community.”
The Fine Arts division at Friends University encompasses various mediums including bands, choral, orchestra, jazz, opera, music theatre, music education, theatre, dance, theatre education, visual communications, media studies, graphic design, studio art and art education.
The Tim and Gail Buchanan Endowment Chair was established in 2017 and is the first funded endowed chair in the history of the university.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve as the Tim and Gail Buchanan Endowed Chair of the Fine Arts Division,” said Dr. Nathanael May. “I look forward to collaborating with our inspirational faculty and talented students in authoring the next chapter of the Fine Arts legacy at Friends University.”
Dr. May holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and Literature from the University of Kansas, a Master of Music in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, N.Y., and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Most recently, Dr. May served as the Chairperson for the School of Fine Arts at Missouri Western State University. He previously held the positions of Chairperson for the Department of Music and Professor of Piano at Missouri Western State University; Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of the Piano Days Festival and International Competition; Co-Founder of Besparmak International Piano Festival and Competition; Artistic Director and Founder of soundSCAPE Composition and Performance Exchange; Lecturer at the University of Kansas, and Senior Instructor for the Department of Music at Eastern Mediterranean University.
Friends University, a Christian University of Quaker heritage, equips students to honor God and serve others by integrating their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives.