John C. Tibbetts is an associate professor in the department of film & media studies at the University of Kansas, where he teaches courses in film history, media studies, and theory and aesthetics. He is an author, educator, broadcaster, as well as an artist and pianist. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in multi-disciplinary studies (art history, theater, photography and film). As a broadcaster and journalist and scholar he has hosted his own television show in Kansas City, Missouri; worked as a news reporter/ commentator for CBS Television (KCTV) and National Public Radio; produced classical music programming for KXTR-FM radio; written (and illustrated) ten books, more than 200 articles, and several short stories. His current radio series are The World of Robert Schumann (currently being broadcast worldwide on the WFMT Radio Network) and Piano Portraits (a 17-episode series of interviews with world-class concert pianists). Among his awards is the 2008 Kansas Governor's Arts Award. Invited conference appearances include "The Robert Schumann Bicentenary Conference" in Zwickau, Germany (2010); The International Popular Culture Conference in Warsaw, Poland (July 2012); and the "Portland International Piano Festival" in Portland (5-8 June 2014). He spent a sabbatical trip in Australia, where he researched a book on Australian cinema.__