Associate Professor
Acting, Voice, and Speech
Program Director for the BFA in Acting
Professional Website (https://www.dericmcnish.com)
Dr. Deric McNish earned his his PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder and his MFA in Acting from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Play House. Deric is a Senior Editor of the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA) and a Certified Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork. He is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association.
Deric’s work focuses on the scholarship of interdisciplinary teaching and learning. He develops performance-based approaches to English language learning and works to advance accessibility in the creative process. Recent publications include his co-authored book, Teaching With Drama (University of Michigan Press), “Drama Techniques for Teaching Oral Academic Communication” in Pedagogical Innovations in Oral Academic Communication (University of Michigan Press), “Training Actors with Disabilities” in New Directions in Teaching Theatre Arts (Palgrave Macmillan), “Stanislavski in the Voice Studio” in Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics in Practice (Routledge), and “Performance of Fluency” in the Voice and Speech Review.
Deric has narrated several audiobooks and performed in national tours and at theatres including the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Porthouse Theatre, the Cleveland Play House, and the Metropolitan Opera. On camera work includes Guiding Light (CBS), Third Watch (NBC), and several films. Deric has worked as a dialect coach and has directed several productions at Michigan State and The Summer Circle Theatre, including multiple devised and world premieres. Deric received the 2019 All-University Teacher-Scholar Award, the 2018 AT&T Award for Innovation in Instructional Technology, the 2017 Innovation and Leadership Award for Faculty, the 2017 Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts and Humanities, and the 2016 Dudley Knight Award for Outstanding Vocal Scholarship. He received fellowships for the 2019-20 Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology, the 2019-20 CAL Leadership Fellowship, and the 2018-19 Adams Academy for Instructional Excellence and Innovation.