Biography

Dr. Tiza Garland
Director, School of Theatre & Dance, University of Florida

Dr. Tiza Garland was appointed Director of the School of Theatre & Dance at the University of Florida in 2024.  She has over two decades of dedicated service to the College of the Arts. In this leadership role, she oversees the school’s vision, academic and fiscal operations, strategic alignment with university goals, and efforts to enhance visibility, recruitment, accreditation, and external partnerships. 

A distinguished educator, Dr. Garland is a Professor of Theatre, teaching across the MFA, BFA, and BA programs. Her core instructional areas include Movement for the Actor, Stage Combat, and Period Styles Movement.

Her robust training in movement and physical theatre encompasses work with the Dah Theatre in Belgrade on Grotowski-based methods; Meyerhold’s Biomechanics under Gennadi Bogdanov; aerial movement at the Aerial Dance Festival in Boulder; and stunt training with the United Stuntmen’s Association in Seattle. She holds multiple certifications: Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) in Laban Movement Analysis; Certified Teacher with the National Michael Chekhov Association; Certified Teacher with both the Society of American Fight Directors and the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat; and Senior Teacher with Dueling Arts International. 

In professional service, Dr. Garland served as President of the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) from 2015 to 2018, following roles as Vice-President of Programming, Secretary of the Executive Committee, and chair of several key committees. Her leadership earned recognition as only the second person in SETC’s 60‑year history to serve three consecutive presidential terms. 

Her leadership style is grounded in a values-based approach and a regenerative mindset. She believes that leadership is most effective when rooted in clearly articulated values, which serve as a foundation for engagement, ethical decision-making, and long-term cultural change.

Tiza has a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University, an MFA in Theatre Pedagogy with emphasis on Movement and Fight Direction from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a BA in Theatre, Spanish, and Asian Studies from Western Michigan University.