Gay Hanna

Gay Hanna teaches the Managing Arts in Health Programs. Gay received her BA from Old Dominion University, Magna Cum Laude, M.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Georgia, and Ph.D. in Art Education and Arts Administration at Florida State University. She also attended Societa Industria Commercio Marmi Architettura in Carrara, Italy, for specialized studies in sculpture. Dr. Hanna is also adjunct professor at Georgetown University in the Aging and Health Program where she teaches a course on The Humanities and Ethics of Aging. Dr. Hanna is also the president of Hanna Merrill, Inc. which researches and develops arts services supporting lifelong learning, health and wellbeing of individuals across the lifespan. Clients include MedStar Health Philanthropies Group, National Organization for Arts in Health, National Association of Music Makers and Grantmakers in the Arts. 

Dr. Hanna’s work is widely published in journals and books including The Gerontologist, The American Medical Association’s Journal on Ethics and American’s For the Arts - Monograph Series. She has written several white papers for the National Endowment for the Arts including The Arts and Human Development: Framing a National Research Agenda for the Arts, Lifelong Learning and Individual Well Being (2011); and, The Summit on Creativity and Aging in America, a report written in collaboration with the 2015 White House Conference on Aging (2016). Dr. Hanna was named one of the 50 top leaders in non-profit arts. (Barry’s Blog, WESTAF, 2014). 

Degrees

• PhD, Art Education and Arts Administration, Florida State University
• MFA, Sculpture, University of Georgia
• BA, Old Dominion University

Courses Taught

• Managing Arts in Health Programs