Contact Info
Phone
Location/Campus
University, California, Online, Offsite & Immersive Training
Department
Carissa Hawksworth, PhD
Assistant Provost & Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Hawksworth has 15 years of experience writing and designing curriculum for courses, conferences, and churches. With a passion for integrated learning, she works to integrate aspects of tactile, hands-on learning into every area of education. With two decades of experience in producing conferences, camps, weddings, and community events for up to 3,000 attendees, she has worked to market events and departments, build and design effective management strategies, and overseen teams of over a hundred staff & volunteers to execute events with excellence.
With a Masters in Theatre, she has directed over 50 theatrical shows and productions, working to execute a commanding image with various aspects of event lighting, sound, aesthetics, and production. Additionally, Carissa has been a producer on dozens of additional short film, digital media, and theatrical projects, including participating in film festivals and competitions.
Carissa is a graduate of LPU (’07) and a licensed Minister who served as a Children’s Pastor, Youth Pastor and Arts Pastor for over 7 years. She has served as a professor since 2014 and has a sincere passion to mentor students to use media, marketing, the arts and communication as pathways to missional conversations that inspire change in both the individual and in the community.  
Courses
Dramatic Literature
Speech and Presentation
Theatre Performance and Production
Education
Carissa Hawksworth is an educator, academic leader, and theatre director with more
than eleven years of experience in higher education. She serves as the Dean of Arts
and Sciences at Life Pacific University, where she previously chaired the Media and
Communications Department and led significant curriculum redesigns that strengthened
enrollment and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Carissa is completing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Administration at
Liberty University and holds an M.A. in Theatre from Regent University and a B.A. in
Biblical Studies from Life Pacific University. A passionate arts educator, she has
directed dozens of full-scale theatre productions and built a thriving university theatre
program engaging an average of 30 students per show.
Her work extends beyond higher education into K–12 leadership, where she serves as
Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Sonrise Christian School. Carissa has
contributed to the development of multiple academic programs—including Counseling,
Worship Arts, Health Sciences, and Media & Communications—and regularly leads
workshops on time management, student engagement, and creative arts in the church.
Known for her commitment to student development, creative excellence, and academic
innovation, Carissa continues to influence the fields of education, arts, and leadership
through teaching, curriculum design, and organizational service.
Department
Fun Facts
Carissa is an avid traveler and has been to all 50 United States, as well as over a dozen countries.