Denise J. Hart, a Professor at Howard University, currently serves as the area coordinator of playwriting advising playwriting and TV/film students. Her most recent scholarly research is the digital humanities archive project, Howard Players Theatre History a Collegiate Theatrical Production research archives spanning 1909-2019. She's the founder of the Play Development Lab, providing play development opportunities for BIPOC women. She's previously held academic positions at St. Mary's College as the 2019 Visiting Professor, where she taught in the Department of Theatre, Film and Media Studies. She's also taught at American University and Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Her specialties include Playwriting, African American Theatre, TV Scriptwriting, Dramaturgy, Contemporary Trends in Theatre, Acting, Play Analysis, Directing, Aesthetics of Black Television Drama and Theatre Criticism. Proud recipient of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts 2023/2024 Outstanding Full Professor Creative & Scholarly Research. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Provost's Distinguished Service Award and the 2018 Outstanding Associate Professor at Howard University, Denise holds an MFA in Playwriting from Sarah Lawrence College where she was awarded the Lipkin Prize for Playwriting. She acquired her BFA in Acting from Howard University where she was the president (95/96) of the historic Howard Players drama organization. In 2021 & 2022 she served as the Howard Entertainment Faculty Externship recipient at Amazon Studios where she worked in Drama Development and Limited Series Drama Development and contributed to some of America's favorite TV shows! Her training in TV scriptwriting was completed at Script Anatomy in Los Angeles CA; and comedy writing at Second City Chicago and Upright Citizens Brigade NYC.