Education
M.F.A., Florida State University
B.F.A. in Dance and minor in Psychology, Florida International University
Diploma, Ballet Etudes of South Florida, 1995
Biography
Catherine Horta-Hayden is Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs at Towson University, the 2nd largest university in the State of Maryland, enrolling more than 21,000 students. The Division of Academic Affairs has more than 1,025 FTE faculty, 300 staff and administrators and eight colleges. In this capacity, Mrs. Horta-Hayden is responsible for the administration of internal and external academic proposals for the institution, represents the Division of Academic Affairs in institutional initiatives and oversees all aspects of Towson University off campus programs and articulation agreements with Community Colleges, including programs at four satellite locations. She is leading the partnership to create the first Towson University Harford Campus, which will provide students in Harford and Cecil Counties, as well as military and their families affected by the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC), the opportunity to obtain four-year college degrees from Towson University in Harford County.
Mrs. Horta-Hayden works very closely with Towson University’s Student Affairs Division in the assessment and improvement of student experiences, in particular those of freshmen and transfer students and serves on a task force charged with collecting data and examining ways to close the achievement gap among minority, first generation, and low income students. Mrs. Horta-Hayden is also leading the efforts to create and implement a University wide General Education Assessment plan. She is responsible for the coordination of the University’s eight yearly Commencement ceremonies and, with the Associate Provost, she assists in the supervision of the Academic Advising and the Academic Achievement Departments. Through her outreach efforts and commitment to the Hispanic Community she has been instrumental in creating and strengthening partnerships with the Hispanic College Fund and the U.S Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education (USHYEE). Mrs. Horta-Hayden played a significant role in bringing the 2008 Maryland’s Hispanic Youth Symposium to Towson University. She is committed to creating opportunities for Hispanic youth in higher education and serving as an advocate for the Hispanic community.
Mrs. Horta-Hayden received her Master in Fine Arts from Florida State University. She came to Towson University in 2000 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dance teaching all levels of the Ballet technique, pointe, variations, Ballet Repertory, and Modern technique. She was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in 2006. Mrs. Horta-Hayden also served as the Artistic Director of the Towson University Dance Company coordinating residencies by renowned International Artists during her time as faculty in the Department of Dance.
Mrs. Horta-Hayden currently serves as a Board Member for the International Council of Researchers in Pedagogical Studies of Ballet in Higher Education (CORPS), the only professional organization of its kind, dedicated to the development, exploration, and advancement of ballet in higher education. Statewide, Mrs. Horta-Hayden has served on the Maryland State Arts in Communities Advisory Council, Maryland State Arts Council Local Host Committee for the 2006 National Performing Arts Exchange Conference and Maryland State Arts Council Local Host Committee for the 2007 National Assembly of State Art Agencies. She has also served as a panelist on the Ohio Arts Council's Individual Excellence Awards Choreography panel.
Mrs. Horta-Hayden has engaged in extensive performing in Florida, Maryland, Washington D.C and Boston. She was invited to research the pedagogy of the National Ballet School of Cuba and taught at the Lizt Alfonso Cuban Dance Company while in Havana. She has created and restaged numerous works and has taught Master classes throughout Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
In addition, she authored the project “Cuban Dance; Enhancing the Cultural Fabric of Baltimore”. This project brought 600 Baltimore County middle school youth and teachers to Towson University to expose them to Afro Cuban history, culture, music and dance. She received numerous grants in support of this project.
Mrs. Horta-Hayden was approved by the National Endowment for the Arts to serve as an external evaluator for Morton Street Summer Dance Program in Baltimore City and was appointed by Baltimore County Executive, James Smith, as a Commissioner on the Baltimore County Commission for Women in 2006. She most recently has been invited to serve on the Board of Trustees for WYPR 88.1 Maryland’s NPR news station. She is also the proud wife of Eduardo Hayden and mother of Alessandra and Jonathan Hayden.
|
