The first time Cathy Parrott (BA theatre arts ’01) left the country, she was a senior at the University of Iowa (UI). She studied abroad as part of the London Performance Study program, led by Associate Professor Emeritus Loyce Arthur in the UI Department of Theatre Arts.

Originally from Manchester, Iowa, Parrott, UI assistant professor of costume design, came to Iowa as a pre‑dentistry student, planning to go on to dental school. Her career path changed when she discovered costume design in the theatre arts department and studied abroad.

“Having that personal experience [of study abroad] as a college student propelled me to really want to keep studying costume design,” said Parrott.

That experience led her to graduate school, then nearly two decades spent in New York City’s theater world, and eventually back to Iowa where she is an assistant professor of costume design in the Department of Theatre Arts.

“I got my start as a Hawkeye. Never leaving the country, and now I’ve traveled the world. Twenty-five years later, I’m back and offering the same opportunity to my students.”

Now, thanks to support from the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization, the Center for Asian Pacific Studies (CAPS), Department of Theatre Arts, and Graduate & Professional Student Government (GPSG), Parrott is helping her own students access the same kind of life‑shaping opportunities that launched her career.

In fall 2025, Parrott led one undergraduate student and two MFA candidates to Bali, Indonesia, where she had been invited to present at the Bali–Global Axis of Arts and Design II (B‑GAAD II) conference.

“I never thought in a million years I’d get to do that in my second year [teaching at Iowa],” said Parrott. “But the fact that the university and the department saw such great value in this opportunity and invested not only in me, but in my students, is just incredible.”

At the conference, Parrott delivered her presentation, “Beyond Tradition: A Cross-Cultural Journey on Stage,” and was selected to give closing remarks. Her students also took the stage, performing a 10-minute original play created specifically for the event.

“We didn’t just pick a theatre piece and bring it to Bali,” said Parrott. “We wanted to showcase what makes our program so distinctive — new scripts, new works.”

The devised piece, The River Is Ours, was written, directed, and performed by the group and explored the shared importance of water through a blend of Asia-Pacific mythology and Midwestern storytelling. Parrott worked with Johanna Specht, a UI MFA candidate in costume design, to design costumes for the production.

“That juxtaposition between this Midwest fisherman and the water spirit we created really stood out,” said Parrott. “ISI Bali, the hosts of the conference, were extremely impressed the students created it in such a short amount of time.”

Outside of the conference, the group joined artists and faculty from across Indonesia for workshops in Wayang Kulit puppetry, Topeng masks, and other centuries-old performance traditions.

Parrott also used the visit to begin building new partnerships, organizing meetings between University of Iowa and Indonesian Institute of the Arts Bali students in fashion design and performance.

The group spent a week exploring Bali’s culture, including a visit to northern Bali to take part in a coral reef restoration project using art installation steel structures to regrow damaged reefs.

“We shaped ‘U‑Iowa’ out of steel and sponsored two baby corals,” said Parrott.

Parrott, who is also a scuba diver, attached the structure underwater while the students watched from above.

“It was a way to give something back,” said Parrott. “Not just take in the experience.”

For many of the students—two of whom had been abroad only once before—the entire experience was transformative.

“To watch them take in this world… everything is brand new,” said Parrott. “It can be inspiring and exciting, but overwhelming too.”

Back in Iowa City, Parrott has already drawn on the trip in her teaching. Her mask and puppet design course now incorporates Balinese masks, puppets, and workshop footage.

“They see the picture in the PowerPoint, but here’s the mask,” said Parrott. “They can feel it and put it on their face.”

The class will soon meet with the puppet masters in Bali over Zoom.

For Parrott, the trip underscored the value of international experiences in both teaching and creative work. She encourages other faculty to pursue opportunities abroad when they can.

“Dream it,” said Parrott. “Somehow, the University of Iowa finds a way to make it a reality.”

“It is really wonderful to see how the university prioritizes the arts and its investment in one’s culture,” said Parrott. “Without that, most of my work wouldn’t be possible.”

“I never thought in a million years I’d get to do that in my second year [teaching at Iowa]. But the fact that the university and the department saw such great value in this opportunity and invested not only in me, but in my students, is just incredible.”

The Bali experience felt like a full-circle moment for Parrott.

“I got my start as a Hawkeye,” said Parrott. “Never leaving the country, and now I’ve traveled the world. Twenty-five years later, I’m back and offering the same opportunity to my students.”

The experience in Bali is just one step in an ongoing effort to open new doors for Parrott’s students. With continued support, she hopes to keep building opportunities for them to learn and create beyond campus. 

Learn more about International Programs faculty funding opportunities

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.