PRESIDENT

With a vision for building something meaningful, our founder brings a blend of big-picture thinking and hands-on experience.
They set the tone for everything we do.Gillian serves as President of the Factory Street Studio Board of Directors and is also a proud FSS dance mom to a senior dancer, plus a mom to a son who studies at Ohio University. She danced from middle school through college with a focus on modern dance—and these days you’ll find her back in the studio enjoying the 50+ classes at FSS.

Outside the studio, Gillian is a professor in social medicine at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she has worked for nearly 26 years. Her research focuses on the well-being of older adults, particularly grandparent caregivers, with projects spanning several African countries. Her current work explores the role of grandmothers in preserving cooking traditions.

Locally, Gillian has partnered with the Athens City-County Health Department on projects ranging from COVID response to mental health and Age Friendly Athens County initiatives. She’s passionate about cooking, loves exploring new cuisines while traveling, and deeply values the sense of community that Factory Street Studio brings to dancers of all ages.

SECRETARY

Megan Wanczyk is in her second year of service on the FSS Board. By day, Megan serves as the Chief Impact Officer at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, a regional community foundation. Megan is excited to be a part of Factory Street’s work to create opportunities in the arts for young dancers. 

TREASURER

Ting-Ting started serving on the board as a treasurer in 2023 after being an adult student at the studio. Outside of the studio, she is a Professor of Instruction in Accounting at Ohio University, teaching entry-level Accounting to about 450 students a year. She is an enthusiastic gardener, crocheter, traveler and music lover. Although she has not had kids dancing at FSS, she watched several dance concerts before joining the board and really appreciates the opportunities and the quality of the dance education the studio has offered to the region. It is an honor to contribute to this artistic gem in our community.

Hello, I'm an Associate Professor of Instruction at Ohio University. I received my formal academic training (B.S. & Ph.D.) at The Pennsylvania State University. After earning my doctorate, I spent nine years at Boston University (BU) as a NRSA Post-Doctoral Fellow and Assistant Professor.

My research at BU included a longitudinal study of cognitive aging assessing identical and fraternal twin pairs called the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). My training as a behavior geneticist facilitated my academic interests in the nature and nurture of age-related outcomes.

Since arriving at Ohio University in 2013, I have enthusiastically taken on more of a teaching and administrative role. I currently teach courses focusing on: general psychology, behavior genetics, child and adolescent development, psychology of aging, and prenatal influences on child development.

I've also served on OHIO’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) since 2013 and currently serve as the Vice Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Board. The IRB governs the ethical conduct of human and animal research conducted at the OU!

Elizabeth Stinaff serves as the Administrative Specialist for the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI) at Ohio University, where she manages a wide portfolio of academic, financial, and administrative operations. In her role, she manages complex budget and grant accounts through detailed audits, prepares financial reports, and collaborates closely with institute leadership on expenditures, commitments, and long‑term planning. She leads member services by promoting faculty and student achievements, maintaining website content, and directing media and communications projects in collaboration with journalism intern responsible for developing written content, layout, and publication materials. Elizabeth also coordinates a variety of meetings, seminars, and special events—handling logistics, communications, scheduling, and budget monitoring—while guiding administrative workflows, resolving unique procedural challenges, and supporting staff and student employees. Her work spans high‑level administrative assistance, process coordination, data analysis, and the organization of projects and initiatives that require collaboration across multiple departments and colleges.

Outside of her professional work, Elizabeth has a lifelong love of music. She has played violin since the age of ten and has performed with both the Central Iowa Symphony and the Fort Dodge Area Symphony. She and her husband, Eric Stinaff—Department Chair for Physics and Astronomy at Ohio University—are proud parents of four children: Seraphine, Sebastian, Quintus, and Dorian. Seraphine is an enthusiastic dancer with a passion for ballet, a connection that makes Elizabeth especially delighted to support the mission and community of Factory Street Studio.

Hannah is an OU alum who never left Athens and now serves as an Administrator at Ohio University. She loves staying connected to the community that first brought her here and supporting Factory Street Studio.

I’m Mary Kate Hurley, and I moved to Athens in 2013 to work at Ohio University, where I teach and research medieval literature and its modern adaptations – everything from Beowulf to Game of Thrones. I’m an avid gardener and an aficionado of all dogs but especially sighthounds, which led to my now eight year role as loyal servant to my beautiful whippet Rory. You may see us walking on the East Side – feel free to stop and admire her, she loves the attention!

Growing up in North Carolina, I danced from the age of 6 to 18, training in ballet, tap, and jazz, so I was thrilled when my daughter started dancing at Factory Street in 2022. I’ve even taken a couple adult classes myself, finally fulfilling my dream to try modern dance last year. Factory Street’s supportive environment and joyful embrace of dance for everyone is precisely the kind of dance training I always wanted in my life, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to serve our community on the board.