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Daniel Mathews, a sophomore theatre major with a concentration in design and technology, was selected as this year's recipient of the CCFA Dean's Creative Achievement Award. "Daniel is the first sophomore ever to receive this prestigious award," says Janice Benning Lacek, assistant professor of costume design and technology.

Although Mathews thought he would pursue theatre performance when he first came to the U of M, it was clear that he had tremendous technical and design potential when he worked in the U of M costume shop his freshman year.

"At the time we were producing Cyrano in partnership with Theatre Memphis," Lacek remembers. "We were fortunate to have Kathie Brookfield, an expert in 17th century period costumes with more than 35 years of experience in pattern-making, draping, tailoring, and millinery, as artist-in-residence costume design technician for the production, which was an amazing experience for Daniel."

Brookfield was so impressed with Mathews that she urged him to apply for a summer job at the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival. Mathews did work at the Festival last summer and will return again this year to work as a stitcher and dresser. He has worked at other theatre companies, including The Nashville Shakespeare Festival, The Tennessee Shakespeare Company, Theatre Memphis, and Playhouse on the Square. His most visible on-campus costume design credits include the department's 2009/10 production of August Wilson's Fences.  In addition to costume design and technology, Mathews sings, acts, and plays piano. His most recent onstage roles were in the U of M productions of Brighton Beach Memoirs and Hay Fever.