Amy Villarejo began her three-year term as chair of the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance this semester, as the department is growing in both faculty and students and boasting such academic milestones as new minors in all three areas.

"It's easy to emphasize the public dimension of what we do in the building; but there's much that is hidden as well," Villarejo said recently in her Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts office. "We're making the mission of teaching and learning more visible along with everything we do."

All minors balance practice and production with theory, history and critical studies; the new theater minor offers different tracks for students who want to focus on theater studies, performance or production.

"It will really make a difference," Villarejo says. "We now have 1,200 students a year, and I expect that will increase."

Villarejo said she is dedicated to "our stellar junior faculty."

"I think it's important to nurture the careers of those who will be the intellectual leaders at Cornell," she said. "There are three junior faculty already in the pipeline. We're increasing enrollments in our classes because they've already become popular teachers."

One high-profile hire is Haiping Yan, M.A. '87, Ph.D. '90, professor of theater and cross-cultural studies, who will direct graduate studies in theater. She previously taught at the University of California-Los Angeles and the School of Criticism and Theory at Cornell; her work touches on history, drama, literature, women's studies and visual culture.

"She's going to be a wonderful resource for Cornell, not just this department," Villarejo said. "She was asked by the provost to work on an initiative for the Cornell-China Institute for Arts and the Humanities. She will be a key figure for the humanities here and will attract students who want to work in Asian performance and its history."

Melanie Dreyer, hired from the University of Pittsburgh, will teach acting and directing. "She has done a great deal of cross-language instruction in performing and bilingual theater; and pedagogy with German universities," Villarejo said. Also, Lisa Patti joins the film faculty as an adjunct assistant professor; and visiting lecturer Sarah Lambert '85 is the resident scenic designer while Kent Goetz is on sabbatical.

"The face of the department is changing, as will the character of what we do with these new people," Villarejo said.

Onstage, backstage and in the classroom, alumni involvement has increased during this 20th anniversary year of the Schwartz Center, with visitors bringing expertise and experience to campus "to celebrate 20 years of creative and intellectual work in this building," Villarejo said.

Highlights so far include a dance alumni reunion, with workshops and a University Lecture by Scott deLahunta '84; director Liz Allen '93 and producer Michael Dahan sharing tips on making the transition from Cornell to a Hollywood career; and screenwriter/educator Howard Rodman '71, who introduced "Savage Grace" and met with students.

"He's just an example of what I see happening here all year long, to help students think about the future," Villarejo said.

Some are active in Cornell in Hollywood, a group of alumni professionals providing training, networking and assistance to recent graduates. A film career panel will feature four young alumni Nov. 15.

Playwright Jenny Schwartz '95 -- whose "God's Ear" is the next Schwartz production, Oct. 22-Nov. 2 -- will workshop her newest play with student and professional actors Nov. 2. The department also will host an alumni playwrights' weekend in late February and spring symposia in theater studies and film studies.

Sabine Haenni, film and American studies, and Mary Woods, architecture, are coordinating "Mean Streets, Violence and the Cinematic City," a symposium for architects and film scholars. Matthew Evangelista, government, and Anindita Banerjee, comparative literature, are planning a conference, "Violence, Gender and the Cinematic Nation," also in the spring.

"This is some more care and feeding of ideas," Villarejo said. "There needs to be a lot more. The recent junior faculty are hungry for it. There are also so many people at Cornell who are eager to collaborate."

Villarejo came to Cornell in 1997 and was formerly director of the Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies program. Her publications include "Lesbian Rule: Cultural Criticism and the Value of Desire" (2003); and "Film Studies: The Basics" (2007), a text for undergraduates.

She said she emphasizes "both the continuing study of culture and art as well as the teaching of practice and production. When I teach film studies courses, I'm mindful that those students are also racing down to the basement to edit, and they're bringing knowledge in both directions."