The Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at The University of Texas at Dallas welcomed four new members to its Dean’s Advisory Council.
Dr. Claire Burrows MA’06, Jin-Ya Huang ’95, Dr. Alex Garcia Topete PhD’21 and Nathan Wicker join a group of outstanding professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to further the achievement and success of the Bass School and its students.
“We’re thrilled to welcome these individuals to our advisory council,” said Bass School Dean Nils Roemer. “Their diverse expertise promises to enrich our school’s trajectory, fostering growth in enrollment and deeper community engagement.”
The Dean’s Advisory Council serves as a liaison between the Bass School and the community. Council members, who generally meet two to three times annually, individually and collectively assist the dean in matters involving community outreach and fundraising support.
Dr. Alex Garcia Topete is a writer and filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience working in the creative industries in Mexico and the United States. He has been the managing partner and chief creative officer of the Dallas-based media production company Nowadays Orange Productions since its establishment in 2011. In addition, Dr. Alex Garcia Topete is a researcher and entrepreneur with a doctorate in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communications (’21) and a master’s degree in Innovation & Entrepreneurship (’20) from The University of Texas at Dallas.
Dr. Claire Burrows earned her Master of Arts in Aesthetic Studies from UT Dallas in 2006 and PhD in Comparative Literature at Stony Brook University in 2012. She served as the director of the Texas Book Festival and is currently the Director of Development at UT Libraries at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Burrows has extensive experience in strategy and operational leadership, with a proven track record in project management within the civic and social organization sector.
Jin-Ya Huang graduated from UT Dallas’ School of Arts and Humanities in 1995. She founded Break Bread, Break Borders, a “food for good” company that empowers women in war-torn countries. Huang is also an accomplished published writer, public speaker, and artist.
Nathan Wicker, an executive, investor, and consultant, boasts a diverse career spanning various industries. Before his tenure as Managing Director at Zelva Capital, he led Alcor Petrolab, a renowned petroleum quality testing laboratory, and held key positions at NCH Corporation. Wicker brings a wealth of experience to his roles, complemented by an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
About the Bass School
The Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at UT Dallas inspires a community of artists and scholars committed to courageous creativity and disruptive discovery. The Bass School offers academic programs in animation and games, communication studies, critical media studies, emerging media arts, history and philosophy, humanities, Latin American studies, literature and languages and visual and performing arts.