Award-Winning Actor D.W. Moffett Named Chair of SCAD Film and Television Department

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is pleased to announce actor and director D.W. Moffett's appointment as chair of the university's film and television department. Moffett joined SCAD's faculty in the fall as an honorary professor and assumed his new role with SCAD's winter academic quarter. Moffett brings his professional expertise to this leadership role within the School of Entertainment Arts to advance the career preparation and range of academic experiences for SCAD students.

"I am thrilled at the opportunity SCAD has given me with the film and television department," said Moffett. "SCAD is blazing a trail as the preeminent source of knowledge in film and television, and the premier destination for those students who want to be prepared for professional careers in the entertainment universe. I am honored to participate in this bold and exciting new direction."

SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace says of the appointment: "SCAD film and television students are immensely fortunate that D.W. Moffett stands at the helm of their beloved department. D.W. represents a genuine triple threat, with his epic accomplishments in film, theater, and television. Look at his countless credits! He has gained renown as actor, writer, director, and producer. When you consider that SCAD is the home of the Savannah Film Festival and aTVfest, and that fully one-third of SCAD alumni are graduates of entertainment arts and digital media programs, there's simply no better place to study film and television than SCAD!"

Moffett has amassed more than 300 credits working across the spectrum of movie, TV, and stage productions. A founding member of Chicago's Remains Theatre Ensemble, he has worked in more than 50 theatrical productions, from storefront to Broadway to the West End. In Hollywood, Moffett garnered recognition for his versatility and adroit performances. Some of his favorite film roles include "Stealing Beauty," directed by Bernardo Bertolucci; "Twisted," directed by Phillip Kaufman; and Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic," for which he won a Screen Actor's Guild Award. Moffett's television roles include the memorable and reviled Joe McCoy on the iconic, Emmy Award-winning series "Friday Night Lights," as well as Fran Drescher's ne'er-do-well boyfriend on "Happily Divorced." He recently concluded production on the Peabody Award-winning ABC Family show, "Switched at Birth," as a leading actor and director of several episodes.

Every year, SCAD proves its prestige in film and television with the nation's only university casting office, placing students in lead roles on screen and stage, including the anticipated 2017 Netflix series "Godless" and "Dear White People." As annual SCAD signature events, the Savannah Film Festival and SCAD aTVfest serve as major stops on the entertainment industry's awards and promotional circuits, and world-class, professional production facilities in Savannah and Atlanta place students in projects at the heart of Georgia's $6 billion-per-year film and television industry.

Previously, Moffett served as a professional mentor to SCAD performing arts students, led directing workshops at the 2016 Savannah Film Festival. As the chair of film and television, Moffett will continue preparing SCAD students for their professional careers in film, television and beyond.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university offering more than 100 academic degree programs in 43 majors across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Hong Kong; Lacoste, France; and online via SCAD eLearning. SCAD enrolls nearly 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries. The innovative SCAD curriculum is enhanced by advanced professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications and collaborative projects with corporate partners.

In 2015, the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings placed SCAD in the top four universities in the Americas and Europe. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni placement rate. In a study of Spring 2015 SCAD graduates, 98 percent were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. For more information, visit the official SCAD blog.