Message from the Dean

Dear Friends, Families, Students, and Colleagues,

Welcome to the Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC)! All of our programming and coursework aim to prepare our graduates to lead, change and inspire their communities and chosen professions in the fields of: Theatre, Music, Dance, Art, Film, Media Arts, Journalism, Advertising/PR and Communication. Our college is situated in the heart of campus in two prime locations: The Center for the Arts and the TU Media Center. Faculty offices, galleries and classrooms are located throughout the campus, and we await the 2027 completion of the new Smith Hall Center for Communication, Media and Teaching Excellence. 

Our faculty are world-class artists and scholars who infuse creativity and rigor in our classrooms, labs and performance spaces. COFAC faculty are, by nature, interdisciplinary, collaborative and student-centered. Our students come from schools across the region and the nation bringing differing viewpoints, life experiences and educational backgrounds to our programs. This fusion of the best teachers and curious and driven students is what makes Towson University special. 

We have a strong network of highly successful graduates who find work in classrooms, museums, film sets, courtrooms, non-profits, corporate offices, opera houses, jazz clubs, theatre and dance companies all over the world. Our talented alumni love coming back to campus to engage with our students through masterclasses, presentations, performances, mentoring and scholarship programs, and many alumni have supported our students through generous philanthropy and bequests. 

I hope to see you here on campus at an upcoming performance, art opening, public debate, TEDx talk, concert or recital. We host nearly 400 events each year, including throughout the summer, so I’m sure you’ll find something that interests you. I’m so proud of what our students, faculty and staff do here at TU, and I can’t wait for you to see them in action. 

Sincerely,

Regina Carlow, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communication

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About Regina Carlow

Regina Carlow has been Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) since 2020. She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, College Park, an M.Ed. in Music Education from The Catholic University and a B. Mus in Music Education from Westminster Choir College. Prior to her time at Towson, she was Professor of Music and Interim Dean in the College of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico where she was faculty in music education and choral music. At Towson, Dr. Carlow serves as an ex officio member of the TU Foundation Board, the University Assessment Council; the Faculty Compensation Review Committee and has served on numerous university executive searches.

For most of her teaching career, Dean Carlow’s work centered around choral music focused on two areas: sociology and folk music. As an academic, her research centered around the experiences of immigrant students in the K-12 music classroom and their trajectory in higher education. She also spent many years studying the work and pedagogy of the Hungarian Composer Zoltan Kodaly. As a conductor, she specialized in the changing voice and children’s choirs. She was the founding artistic director of the University of New Mexico Children’s Chorus where in 2010 she co-commissioned a children’s opera “Shoes for the Santo Nino” by Stephen Paulus. In 2018, she also commissioned Bailen Bailen Parajitos: Young Voices Sing the Music of New Mexico, a series of eleven New Mexico Folk songs arranged for children’s choirs.

While Dean Carlow misses being in the spotlight as a teacher and conductor, she was thrilled to accept the job of Dean at Towson. Carlow finds the world class research and teaching at Towson inspirational and is a strong advocate for bringing TU Alumni back to campus to share their real-world experiences with current students. In 2024, she started the Summer at the Center program – a 15-day Arts Festival that celebrates the work of TU alumni who are making a difference in the performing and visual arts. Dean Carlow also works with faculty to create outreach and partnerships that bring students and community together. Recent community collaborations with St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra. Dean Carlow serves on the Maryland Film and Industry Coalition and is a member of the Little Italy Lodge 2286, order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America.