Meet the Team
Kathryn Bentley
Director, IMPACT Academy
Kathryn Bentley is an associate professor of theater performance and artistic director of SIUE’s Black Theatre Workshop. A theater professional with extensive experience as an actor, director and teaching artist, she holds a Master of Fine Arts in theater directing, and professional training in community arts and social justice. She is a 2002 St. Louis Regional Arts Commission Community Arts Institute Fellow, and she now serves as a Curriculum Development consultant for the institute. In 2021, Kathryn was awarded the St. Louis Visionary Outstanding Working Artist Award. She is a National Conference for Community and Justice St. Louis Certified Diversity Facilitrainer and a Certified Lessac Kinesensic Voice and Movement Practitioner.
Taylor Cross
Program Coordinator, IMPACT Academy
Taylor Cross, a two-time SIUE alumna, received her Master of Public Administration in May 2021 and joined SIUE's IMPACT Academy soon after as its program coordinator. In 2021-2022, Taylor participated in SIUE's first FaciliTrainer Certification Program (FTCP) cohort with NCCJ St. Louis. She is involved with SIUE’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center and SIUE’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute team (HHMI).
