UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Aquila Kikora Franklin, professor of theatre/dance and associate director of equity, diversity and inclusion in Penn State's School of Theatre, has been appointed interim director of the school, effective July 1, 2024. Franklin replaces school director Rick Lombardo, who will step down in July and be on administrative leave in fall 2024, returning to the faculty in spring 2025.
Franklin is an award-winning educator, dancer-choreographer, and community-engaged artist who has been on the School of Theatre faculty since 2003. Her training and professional career spans more than 25 years of national and international performing and teaching in cities and venues that include Linz, Austria; Grahamstown, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; and Minas Gerais, Brazil; and tours throughout China, Europe and the United States.
According to B. Stephen Carpenter II, Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Dean in the College of Arts and Architecture, Franklin is a longtime respected faculty member well-prepared to lead the School of Theatre.
“Kikora is known by colleagues inside and outside the school for her leadership, innovation and dedication to cultural and community collaborations. She has long balanced research and creative work with teaching and administrative responsibilities, which has prepared her well to direct the School of Theatre during a time of transition and growth. I look forward to working with Kikora in her new role.”
At Penn State, Franklin has developed and taught multiple new courses, including "Hip-Hop Theatre," which was originally taught as a general education course in 2013. In 2018, she was awarded a Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence Teaching Transformation and Innovation Grant, which supported its further development. She also teaches "Intro to African Dance," a required course for students majoring in acting and musical theatre and open to students across the University.
“I am excited about working with the entire School of Theatre community, students, faculty, staff and others to continue the amazing work we all do,” said Franklin. “I look forward to honoring the School of Theatre’s longstanding commitment to excellence in craft and artistry while exploring the creative possibilities that lie ahead through new works and collaborations across our college and the University.”
A part of Franklin’s research and creative work centers on developing, preserving and sharing the Mojah dance technique. An original dance form developed by her mother, dancer/choreographer Terrie Ajile Axam, Mojah fuses elements of modern, jazz, West African and Hip-Hop dance into one form.
In addition to her work with Mojah, Franklin has choreographed and performed for the Atlanta Hawks Dance Team, Grammy-winning group Arrested Development and poet Sonia Sanchez. As a community artist, Franklin engages with students of all ages using dance and interrelated arts as a means of human development. She is the co-founder and artistic director of Roots of Life Performing Arts Ensemble, an arts-education program housed in the State College Area School District.
Franklin said she believes quality arts experiences and education should be accessible to all.
“Through my work in the School of Theatre, the surrounding community and beyond, I have been intentional about fostering inclusive spaces that prioritize values of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and access. I intend to uphold and deepen this commitment by continuing to uplift and celebrate individual and collective identities.”
Franklin is the 2012 recipient of Penn State’s George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2022 recipient of the National Dance Education Organization’s (NDEO) Outstanding Leadership Award in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She received her juris doctorate and master's of public administration from the Georgia State University School of Law and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in Atlanta, Georgia, and her bachelor of arts in communications from Howard University in Washington, D.C.