Professor Peggy Shannon is Associate Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement and a faculty member at the University of California, Davis. She works with Vice Provost Lacy on outreach and continuing education programs and activities, including UC Davis Extension, and campus initiatives involving government, business, and communities in addressing societal needs.
Professor Shannon holds a professorial appointment in the Department of Theatre and Dance. She is also Artistic Director of the Sacramento Theatre Company, where she has served since 1998 and has raised over $500,000 annually in Sacramento grants and corporate sponsorships. In addition, Professor Shannon served as Artistic Director of A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) in Seattle and the University of Southern California, Theatre Department. She received her B.A. from UC Riverside and her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1985.
Her extensive theatrical accomplishments include professional directing of over 100 plays, program partnerships with National Public Radio and Los Angeles Theatre Works, and numerous artist-in-residence productions. Professor Shannon has provided academic consulting and program reviews to a series of universities, and has produced dozens of performance publications. She is also co-founder and director of "Playing To The Gods," an annual UC Davis summer program in Greece, which was designed for theatre professionals, university students and scholars from the United States. She recently launched a pilot literacy program with and for the North Sacramento School District (10,000 students) called Kids Write Plays.
Professor Shannon's professional activities include membership on the Wells Fargo Advisory Board for the Northern California Region. She is also a member of the Comstocks Club, a regional forum for public affairs.