Shaun McNiff 

Primary Academic Appointments and Teaching

LESLEY UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA
2021 to date: University Professor Emeritus
2002-2021: University Professor
2006-2010: Dean of Lesley College, Interim
2002: Appointed as Lesley’s first University Professor

ENDICOTT COLLEGE, Beverly, MA
1997-2002: Provost and Dean of the College, Professor
1995-1997: Executive Vice President and Dean of the College, Professor

LESLEY COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL, Cambridge, MA
1974-1995: Professor, 1980-1995; Associate Professor, 1977-1980; Assistant Professor, 1974 -1977
1974-1988, Founded the Institute for Arts and Human Development, Director and then Dean
1973, Taught the first art therapy classes at Lesley as an Adjunct Lecturer.

Books, Essays, Lectures, Exhibitions, Awards

Imagination in Action: Secrets for Unleashing Creative Expression (2015); Art as Research: Opportunities and Challenges, Ed. (2013); Integrating the Arts in Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice (2009); Art Heals: How Creativity Cures the Soul (2004); Creating with Others: The Practice of Imagination in Art, Life and the Workplace (2003); Trust the Process: An Artist’s Guide to Letting Go (1998); Art-Based Research (1998); Art as Medicine (1992); Depth Psychology of Art (1989); and five other books, as well as media programs. Books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Over 250 chapters, forewords, essays, interviews, and reviews in journals and other periodicals with translations into Russian, German, Dutch, Chinese, Swedish, Turkish, and other languages. Hundreds of lectures and keynotes have been given throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Israel, East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand at universities, professional meetings, and public gatherings. Internet, film, television, and other media appearances have been ongoing over the past 50 years. Since the early 1970’s exhibited paintings at the Addison Gallery of American Art, the Winfisky Gallery at Salem State University, the Longwood Gallery at the Massachusetts College of Art, the Joseloff Gallery at the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, the Jane Deering Gallery, Flatrocks Gallery, and other universities and galleries.

Honors and awards include: Distinguished Service Award, CAET--Creative Arts in Education and Therapy: Eastern and Western Perspectives (2022); Lifetime Achievement Award, Journal of Applied Arts and Health (2019); Citations from the House of Representatives and Senate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for founding Expressive Arts Therapy (2009); Honorary Life Member Award of the American Art Therapy Association (1997); Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Mount Mary College (1993); Certificate of Accomplishment Citation, Lesley College (1998); Distinguished Fellow and Honorary Life Member, The National Expressive Therapy Association (1981).

Education

FORDHAM COLLEGE, Bronx, NY, 1968, AB, History, Painting with Vivienne Thaul Wechter & Terrence Netter, Philosophy & World Religions with Ewert Cousins & Thomas Berry
ART STUDENTS LEAGUE OF NEW YORK, NY, NY, 1968, Painting with Theodoros Stamos
GODDARD COLLEGE, Plainfield, VT, 1972, MA, Psychology, Studies supervised by Rudolf Arnheim, Professor of the Psychology of Art, Harvard University
UNION INSTITUTE, UNION FOR EXPERIMENTING COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES, 1977, PhD, Psychology of Art, Yellow Springs, OH, Research: Motivation in Art, received Merit Recognition Award for Research, American Art Therapy Association