Dr. Michael DeWhatley is a dramaturg, theatre director, educator and researcher based in Austin, Texas. He currently works as a postdoctoral research fellow at Southern Methodist University DataArts, a national leader in arts research dedicated to building collectively strong and equitable arts communities. He holds a Ph.D. in Performance as Public Practice from the University of Texas at Austin. His research primarily focuses on relationships between arts workers, boards, and the role of community and locality in arts organizations.