2026 Student Ambassadors Announced

Congratulations to Student Ambassadors Selected for the 2026 Conference in Long Beach!

The Student Ambassador Program is co-sponsored by the Fellows and the International Activities Committee. The program pairs student members with our international presenters at the Annual Conference & Stage Expo. They then have the opportunity for individual conversations about understanding and working in theatre abroad. This year’s winners will be able to meet the international guests in-person for discussion about theatre design, training, and opportunities in Czech Republic, Taiwan, and Mexico.

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Megan Campbell

Megan Campbell is a junior studying for a BFA in Stage Management at Utah State University with skills in lighting design. She serves as the VP and President-Elect of her university's Theatre Student Association, and is a member of the USU Arts Council. Her most recent credits include The Merry Wives of Windsor (Assistant Stage Manager), Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Lighting Designer/Head Electrician), and Dracula, A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really (Assistant Head Electrician). Her contributions toward Great Comet assisted in earning this production the award of Best Overall Production in Cache Valley in 2025 (Cache Valley Daily). Currently, she is working as an Assistant Lighting Designer for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through USU Theatre and the Lyric Repertory Company.

"Thank you to my amazing mentors at my university for pushing me to develop my skills, and thank you to my parents for encouraging me to shoot for the stars!

Being selected to be a USITT Student Ambassador is an amazing step towards expanding my network and learning about the world of theatre technology from new perspectives. This opportunity will allow me to dive deeper into the magic of this career, and I am very excited to see what it brings!"

Megan will be talking with Stanislav Callas, a Russian born mixed media and AI artist working in the Czech Republic. He has created a “plug and play” design for a touring production of King John where locations only need a projector and sound capabilities.

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Melina Huckelberry

Melina is a jack of all trades with experience in lighting, costuming, and scenic design. She has done the lighting for several dance concerts, creating unique and beautiful worlds for the dancers to move through.

"I would like to thank my parents for helping me get here, to this place in my career, and to the conference, literally. I would also like to thank James Wulfsong for encouraging me and working to shape me into the designer I am today, as a great mentor.

It means that all my hard work was worth it and recognized. As designers, we may never escape the question "are we good enough," but being supported by other professionals can offer a world of confidence. This award means I belong."

Melina will be meeting Alita Escobedo, a lighting designer from Mexico who creates Lighting Pop-up experiences as a free and safe space surrounded by light.

Website

Instagram: @mhuckeldesign

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Adrian Ossenkop

Adrian Ossenkop is a BA candidate at University of Nebraska Omaha. He has extensive credits in lighting design both on and off-campus and as an Electrics Intern at the Des Moines Metro Opera.

"I would like to thank Adam Whittredge, Jenn Sheshko Wood, and Steven L Williams for their unwavering support and dedication to student growth and professional development opportunities.

The mentorship program offers students like me the opportunity to build meaningful professional connections across a range of industries. Through one-on-one engagement with some of the field’s leading changemakers, it fosters dynamic interactions and open conversations that push the future of theatre forward."

Adrian will meet with Tung-Yen Chou from Taiwan, the founder and artistic Director of the Very Mainstream Studio & Very Theatre Company which reflects contemporary culture using new media and XR-extended reality.

Website

Instagram: @Ossenkopld

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The Student Ambassador Program is held at the Annual Conference & Stage Expo. Applications are typically due in January of each Conference year. All Student Members are invited to enter an application with statement, resume, examples of their work, and a recommendation from a mentor. Students selected receive complimentary Conference registration.

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WE WELCOME OUR THREE GUESTS FOR USITT26:

Stanislav Callas was born in the USSR and is working in Czech Republic. He studied acting at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts, as well as working as a photographer, videographer, and editor. Using mixed media of generative AI, live cameras, and projections, he developed the vision for the tour of Prague Shakespeare Company’s production of King John. Created to tour in a “plug and play” set, the host theatres were only required to have a projector and sound capabilities.

Tung-Yen Chou is the founder and artistic director of Very Mainstream Studio & Very Theatre Company. His productions focus on reflecting contemporary culture and using new media as a basis to create interdisciplinary theatrical works that merge reality and virtuality in XR- Extended Reality. His productions, including films and documentaries, have been performed and viewed internationally and have received many awards. He is currently a lecturer at Taipei National University of the Arts.

Alita Escobedo received her BA in Stage Design from Mexico’s National School of Performing Arts (Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura INBAL). She has been practicing lighting design for ten years with a range of notable directors and choreographers. Her designs have appeared in different states in Mexico and around the world in Israel, Cuba, Spain, Argentina, Costa Rica, Czech Republic and the US. Her distinctive creation is a Lighting Pop-up experiences as a free and safe space surrounded by light. She received the First Place Award in the Perfect Light contest in Japan.

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