Jennifer Cleary began serving as Brandeis's Faculty Athletics Representative in March of 2020. A senior lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, she has been at Brandeis University for almost two decades. Cleary teaches courses in stage management, creative pedagogy, public speaking, small group communication, and theatre for social change. She started her professional theatre career as the assistant stage manager for New Repertory Theatre’s 1997-98 Season. Since then, she has worked on productions with the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Worcester Foothills Theatre, Fredericksburg Theatre Company, Encompass New Opera Theatre, Gloucester Stage, New Rep, and Brandeis University. She has stage-managed numerous special events and fundraisers and has served as a PSM for Paulette’s Ballet Studio, a local dance company, for over a decade. As an educator and advisor, Jen mentors student stage managers, supports students in achieving skill and confidence in public and professional speaking, and offers one-to-one coaching for speakers at Brandeis and beyond. She earned her Ed.M. in Arts-in-Education from Harvard University. She earned her B.A. from the University of Mary Washington, where she played softball for four years.