Webinar 2: INGENUITY

Elizabeth Stuart Whitehead

Visual Art Supervisor, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland

Dr. Elizabeth Stuart received a Bachelor of Science degree in art education from the University of Maryland, College Park, a Master of Arts degree in education from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and her certificate in supervision and administration and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a Superintendent’s Certification from the University of Maryland, College Park. Stuart taught elementary art for nine years and was the content specialist for art, theater, and dance for Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Maryland, for seven years.

Elizabeth has co-authored two books—Using Art to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies (Klein & Stuart, 2013) and Using Art to Teach Writing Traits (Klein & Stuart Whitehead, 2018)—along with other articles published by the Arts Education Partnership and SchoolArts magazine. Elizabeth received the NAEA National Art Educator of the Year Award in 2024 and the NAEA Gilbert A. Clark and Enid Zimmerman Leadership Award in 2023. In 2021, she received the University of Maryland Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award, and in 2020, she received two major awards from NAEA: the National Supervision and Administration Award and the Marion Quin Dix Leadership Award. She has presented at museums, as well as numerous state and national conferences, on various topics concerning literacy, curriculum, assessment, and instruction.

Andrew Watson

Coordinator of Visual Arts, Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia

As an educator and administrator supporting innovation through the arts, STEAM, and technology, Andrew co-developed a district-wide STEAM program in over one hundred schools. He reorganized and reinvigorated a struggling fine arts program serving 16,000 students and established a strategic plan for instruction centered on inclusion, personal exploration, and higher-order thinking skills.

Andrew has served in a variety of leadership roles including facilitating the revision of the visual art standards for the 1.3 million students of Virginia and chairing a national conference for over 5,000 teachers. In addition, he has developed educational programs for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the National Art Education Association. Andrew regularly speaks at the Americans for the Arts, the Arts Education Partnership, and National Art Education Association events. He has been an invited speaker by the US Department of Education, the Congressional STEAM Caucus, the Ronald Regan Foundation and Institute, the National Parent Teacher Association, and multiple universities. His peer-reviewed articles on STEAM education, design thinking, and workforce development appear in the Art Education Journal, Principal, Journal for Quality and Participation, and the American Society for Quality’s 2015 Future Report.

Michael Bell

Fine Arts Supervisor, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools, Maryland

Michael Bell is a nationally renowned artist, TED speaker, and award-winning arts educator. Named the 2022 NAEA Eastern Region and 2024 NAEA National Supervisor of the Year, Bell has transformed Queen Anne’s County Public Schools as Fine Arts Supervisor, establishing NAHS Chapters, AP Art courses, K–12 ArtScene exhibitions, and ArtScene | The Podcast. Under his leadership, the district has celebrated National Scholastic Art Medalists, NAEA National award winners, and four out of the last five QACPS Teachers of the Year. A National Board-Certified Teacher (NBCT) and selected member of the Maryland State Department of Education Superintendent’s Fine Arts Advisory Panel, Bell was also honored with the 2024 QACPS Outstanding Leadership Award. He holds a BFA from Lycoming College, an M.Ed from Towson University, and a Post Baccalaureate in Administration & Supervision from McDaniel College.

Gino Molfino

Coordinator of Fine Arts, Howard County Public School System, Maryland

Gino Molfino has served as an artist, teacher, advocate, and educational leader in Maryland for the Howard County Public School System for over twenty-five years. He has collaborated to develop state/national/district fine arts policies and practices that cultivated innovation in public education programming, curriculum development, and professional learning for educators that honor the teacher as an artist and promote contemporary practices in artmaking. As the current Coordinator of Fine Arts for the Howard County Public School System, he is responsible for the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of the fine arts curricula, assessment materials, professional learning, and instructional support for over two hundred preK–12 fine arts (art, dance, theatre) educators.