Professor Misti Bradford awarded coveted Gold Medallion Award from Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival
Kenosha, Wis.- UW-Parkside’s Theatre Arts Professor Misti Bradford is the recipient of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Gold Medallion Award. The Medallion is considered one of the great honors in theatre education.
Bradford chairs the Theatre Arts Department and works professionally as a costume designer. She also serves as the National Chair of Design, Technology, and Management for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF).
The Medallion honors individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of collegiate theatre. It also recognizes those who have dedicated significant time, artistry, and enthusiasm to the development of the KCACTF organization. Most importantly, honorees have demonstrated a strong commitment to the values and goals of KCACTF. They have demonstrated excellence in educational theatre.
“Professor Bradford’s dedication to the craft of theatre and to her students exemplifies the very best of UW-Parkside’s College of Arts and Humanities,” said Dean Dr. Lesley H. Walker. “Her receipt of the Kennedy Center’s Gold Medallion Award is not only a well-deserved recognition of her artistry and leadership but also a reflection of the transformative impact she has had on educational theatre nationally. We are proud to have Misti as an integral part of our faculty, inspiring students with her creativity, mentorship, and commitment.”
In her 15-year tenure at Parkside, Bradford has mentored numerous student designers, technicians, and stage managers while designing over 30 productions for the Theatre Arts Department. Professor Bradford was selected to represent the university as the campus Teaching and Learning Scholar across the UW System in 2021. She has also filled the role of department production manager and recently served as the interim Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Humanities in the spring 2024 semester.
Bradford has been deeply involved with KCACTF for over 12 years, starting as the Region 3 coordinator of the Costume Parade, then being invited to serve as the Vice Chair and eventually Co-Chair of Design, Technology, and Management. Bradford currently serves as the National Chair for DTM. She supports students across the region and nationwide by continuing to collaborate and connect with professionals in the industry while fostering growth and success within her home institution.
Bradford’s selected regional design credits include Frankenstein the Musical (spring 2025) and Spring Awakening, Skylight Music Theatre; Boswell, MHK Productions, Off-Broadway, 59E59 Theatres, 2022 and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2019; Happy Days, and Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven (world premiere) Renaissance Theatre Works (Milwaukee, WI); and many more. Bradford produced five seasons as a Resident Costume Designer and three seasons as a Costume Crafts Supervisor and Wig Stylist with PCPA Theaterfest (Santa Maria, CA) and has worked several seasons as a Costume Crafts Artisan for the American Players Theatre. Read Bradford’s full professional bio here.
Since its founding in 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been a trusted partner for the region’s higher educational needs, empowering students to thrive, advancing applied knowledge, and developing talent for the future. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates and pre-professional programs, designed to foster personal and professional growth through real-world and impactful learning experiences. Located in the dynamic Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, UW-Parkside offers unmatched access to world-class internships, professional networks, and endless career-building opportunities, placing students at the center of it all.
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