Theresa Scott is a visiting assistant professor of visual arts in the School of Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts. She obtained her Associate in Fine Arts from Johnston Community College. A Barton College alumna, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with concentrations in graphic design and photography and received the Hilley Cup for academic achievement. Following her success at Barton, she earned her Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University.
Scott is a native of Michigan, who served in the United States Marine Corps for five years where she worked as an aircraft electrical technician on the AV-8B Harrier jet while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. She served on the USS Iwo Jima with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2003 to support Operation Enduring Freedom; the unit also provided humanitarian aid in Liberia in response to the Second Liberian Civil War. After leaving the Marine Corps, she joined the Raleigh Police Department and served as an officer for six years in the Southeast District.
Drawing from her life experiences, she uses narrative photography and traditional animation to highlight the struggles that individuals may face in a wide array of areas. Her series No One Left Behind looks at acculturation into military service and the difficulties in leaving it. Her animation The Worst Call examines the psychological trauma of being a first responder and overcoming those mental issues. Her work has been exhibited regionally and nationally, as well as being published in various printed publications.
During breaks, Scott travels on her motorcycle, adventuring to various places in North America, taking landscape images as a way to bring natural beauty back to her work.