ODU College of Arts & Letters

Excited to see Old Dominion University students and their art celebrated The Library of Virginia!!!

John Bush says it's never too late to turn your passion into your profession. With some help from Old Dominion University and a new major called general studies, Bush is using technology to blaze his own trail.

General Studies Opens Path to Success: John Bush Meet John Bush, a 2026 Old Dominion University graduate who majored...

It's relatively quiet on campus these days, so we've been looking back at some of the meaningful events presented last semester. In one, art therapy students tried out practices and methods in a community event at the ODU Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries

Community Art Therapy Pop-Up at Gordon Art Galleries In conjunction with the exhibition "Samuel Kahn, Ph.D. & Friends" a...

Ladies and gentlemen … a standing ovation for Chris Hanna!

A major creative force the region’s theatre community for decades, he was celebrated by friends, collaborators, colleagues and former students on Saturday, May 30, during a retirement celebration held at Goode Theatre.

Hanna retired from Old Dominion University during the 2025-2026 academic year after teaching at the University for more than three decades. Part of that time, he led the school’s theatre program. A production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” from Spring 2025 was his final turn as a director for ODURep.

Hanna also served as artistic director for Virginia Stage Company from 2005 to 2015.

He influenced generations of area theatre professionals.

Many who sharpened their theatrical skills under Hanna’s direction expressed gratitude on Saturday. Admirers from Push Comedy Theater offered some improv in tribute, but there was no shortage of serious expressions of emotion.

“I’ve gotten to go do a career in comedy and I do owe a lot to you, Chris Hanna,” said Brad McMurran, a University alumnus and co-creator of Norfolk’s Push Comedy Theater. “I know there are all these faces right here that feel the same way. I just want to say, thank you.”

Photos by Sam McDonald

Old Dominion University Department of Communication and Theatre Arts Old Dominion University

While tech may imitate human storytelling, it can never replace it. The future's in good hands thanks to people like Jerome Newsome, who recently earned his master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Old Dominion University. ODU English Department

Class of 2026: Graduate Student Finds Voice, Passion in Creative Writing By Joy Vann A fascination with orcas first drew Portsmouth native Jerome Newsome toward zoology. But, during college, he realized his true passion was not studying animals; it was writing about them. That realization set him on a new path, one that will culminate this month when he earns a Master of...

Your education, your timetable. Case in point is history major George Degaraff, who returned to college years after earning his GED. His studies led to an internship at public radio station WHRO.

Monarch Student Plays Key Role in American Revolution Project By Robyn Sidersky Twenty years after earning his GED, George Degaraff decided it was finally time to bet on himself. After years of physically demanding jobs – from construction sites to delivery routes – too many moments that left him feeling underestimated, George found new motivation watching...

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 from Old Dominion University's College of Arts and Letters! We can't wait to see you make your Monarch's mark on the world!