David Janowiak is a Professor of Theatre, Chair of the Division of Creative Arts, and the Artistic Director of Valley Shakespeare Company (VSC), the professional affiliate theatre at Western Oregon University. Professor Janowiak was also a professor of theatre at UW-Manitowoc and Lakeland College in Wisconsin. His twenty-five-year career in academia has included nearly 20 years serving as head of theatre departments at several institutions, including WOU. Professor Janowiak has been successful as an administrator. He has orchestrated curricular revisions and development to keep departments and divisions dynamic and responsive to changing times and circumstances. He has managed resources efficiently and effectively, successfully supervised personnel, sought out and created innovative collaborations locally and nationally, cultivated significant enrollment increases, written self-studies for regional accreditation, and authored several successful regional and national grants, including the Nation Endowment for the Arts Grant in 2022 to bring Spanish-language classical productions to the stage of VSC. Professor Janowiak served as artistic director of the Spotlight Theatre Company in Milwaukee, WI for five seasons and was a founding member and artistic director of Salem Repertory Theatre, where he produced over twenty shows and directed and acted seasonally. As a member of Actors’ Equity Association, he has worked at professional and regional theatres across the country and abroad, including The Northern Stage Company, Actors Repertory Theatre, The Little Sandwich Theatre, Salem Repertory Theatre, CoHo Theatre, Public Playhouse, Theatre Hebertot (Paris), Dallas Shakespeare Festival and six seasons with the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival. On camera, David has done numerous films and industrials, as well print ads. He continues to work as a professional voice actor in films, commercials, and industrials. He has won numerous awards and accolades for his acting and directing, including Best of 1990 in Theatre Week Magazine for his performance in the title role of Dr. Faustus.
He has served as a valued collaborative colleague at both UW-Manitowoc and Western Oregon University—chairing and participating in numerous department, division and university-wide level committees, including academic affairs and restructure; curriculum; sustainability; academic review; professional development; strategic planning; institutional growth; budgeting and promotion and tenure.
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