College welcomes new faculty

The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts welcomes the following new faculty. For more on our new faculty, visit go.unl.edu/xqze.

BRYCE ALLEN

Assistant Professor of Theatre in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film

Allen joined the faculty as technical director/production manager. He comes to us from Weber State University where he was technical director/production manager since 2014. Allen worked as technical director, carpenter or designer at Utah Festival Opera, Insight Theatre, Stages St. Louis and The Black Rep, among others.

He received his M.F.A. in theatre from Southern Illinois University/ Carbondale, with an emphasis in technical direction and a second emphasis in sound design. Allen received a B.F.A. in theatre arts from Utah State University with emphases in stage management and theatre technology.

SUNA GUNTHER

Assistant Professor of Music in Voice in the Glenn Korff School of Music

Gunther previously served as assistant professor and coordinator of voice at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. Gunther received her Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University as a double major in voice and opera performance and instrumental music education with an emphasis in alto saxophone. She received her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in vocal performance, with minors in music history and literature.

Gunther has spent the past decade as a “cultural ambassador” of the U.S. State Department. On the behalf of embassies and consulates, she has performed concerts representing the past century of American music and given workshops to local musicians.

PAULA CLARE HARPER

Assistant Professor of Musicology in the Glenn Korff School of Music

Harper was formerly a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. She will teach courses in music history, ethnomusicology and popular music, as well as special topics courses. Harper completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and music from the University of Chicago in 2010, followed by a Master of Arts in music history from the University of Washington. In 2019, she completed her Ph.D. at Columbia University. Harper has produced scholarship on pop stars Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, the video platform TikTok and various internet musical genres. She recently co-organized the 2021 virtual Taylor Swift Study Day.