The Seton Hill University Theatre Department welcomed Denise Pullen as a new assistant professor of theatre. Pullen has been teaching acting and directing plays in the Pittsburgh area for 20 years at area institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Point Park College and Bethany College. She directed the Diary of Anne Frank in 2000 at Seton Hill.

In her new position she will teach acting, oral interpretation, theatre survey, movement and theatre history. She will also be directing A Doll House in November and Our Town in April. Pullen hopes to add a class on writing plays and screenwriting into the curriculum as well.

In addition to other professional ventures, Pullen’s screenplay Riding Fire was selected as a participant for development in Hampton’s Film Festival. The same screenplay received a rare stage reading with Iva Saraceni, former professor of theatre at Seton Hill, serving as on of the readers. Riding Fire is about Judy Resnick, the second woman in space who was onboard the Challenger.

Pullen earned a BFA in directing and an MFA in dramatic literature from Carnegie Mellon University. She lives in Plum Boro, PA.