NEWS RELEASE                      

For Immediate Release

 
Contact: 
 
 Eric Davis, Marketing & Communications Director
505.424.2351, or [email protected] 
  
Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Appoints Roanna Shebala as
Alumni Relations Officer


SANTA FE: December 18, 2019

IAIA Director of Institutional Advancement  Danyelle Means (Oglala Lakota) has announced the appointment of Roanna Shebala (Diné/Zuni) as Alumni Relations Officer.  In this role she will focus on engaging with Alumni through the IAIA Alumni Association and with the IAIA Alumni Council. Her work will include connecting with IAIA Alumni via newsletter, email updates, and social media and will be an integral part of the annual Scholarship Dinner and Auction as well as the Alumni Luncheon held during Indian Market. Shebla, currently an Admissions counselor for the school, will transition to her new role in January.
 



Rowanna Shebala



Shebala is from Fort Defiance, AZ. She earned her BS in Theater at Northern Arizona University and is a current MFA in Creative Writing student at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She's a Spoken Word artist who has been featured on four National Poetry Slam teams, a five-time representative on the Women of the World Poetry Slam, and a two-time representative for the Individual World Poetry Slam. Her work has been featured in Button Poetry, Indian Country Today, in various zines and magazines such as Annick Press, Red Ink, Wicked Banshee Press, and Suspect Press. Shebala has performed her spoken word poetry at the Lincoln Center for the Out of Doors Project and other venues in the United States. She is also a member of Saad Bee Hozho: Dine Writiers' Collective.
 
Shebala has been working in higher education for 5 years. Her background provides her with a strong passion for the arts and she encourages students to pursue a higher education in the fine arts to express their creativity. She has worked with students from preschool to college students, and  she "...is excited to complete the spectrum of education working with the IAIA Alumni."
  
Means remarked: "W e are very eager to begin working with Roanna. She has
been a real asset to IAIA already with her work in Admissions and brings with her a background rooted in education."
 
To arrange an interview with Roanna please contact Eric Davis at 505.424.2351, or [email protected] .
 

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Offering undergraduate degrees in Studio Arts, Creative Writing, Cinematic Arts and Technology, Indigenous Liberal Studies, Museum Studies, and Performing Arts -- an MFA in Creative Writing -- along with certificates in Business and Entrepreneurship,  Museum Studies, and Native American Art History -- IAIA is the only college in the nation dedicated to the study of contemporary Native arts. The school serves 505 full time equivalent (FTE) Native and non-Native American college students from across the globe.  IAIA is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission -- and is the only college in New Mexico accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. 

About IAIA -- For over 50 years, the Institute of American Indian Arts has played a key role in the direction and shape of Native expression. With an internationally acclaimed college, museum, and tribal support resource through our Land Grant Programs, IAIA is dedicated to the study and advancement of Native arts and cultures -- and committed to student achievement and the preservation and progress of their communities.  Learn more about IAIA and our mission at   www.iaia.edu .

The Institute of American Indian Arts Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.  To make a donation on-line, please click here -- or call toll free: 1.800.804.6423.