Michelle Bombe began teaching at Hope in 1991. She serves as the resident costume designer and the director of theatre. As director of theatre, she is responsible for the production program of the theatre department.

Michelle teaches courses in costume design, principles of design and introduction to theatre practice. She also enjoys teaching Senior Seminar and First Year Seminars.

Michelle has designed costumes or mentors her advanced student designers for all of the theatre productions at Hope. Michelle enjoys the faculty-student research that is part of the preparation for every production. She cites creating the “world of the play” as the most satisfying part of the costume design process. Some of Michelle’s most enjoyable experiences at Hope have been producing productions with many guest artists including Nathan Allen, artistic director of The House Theatre of Chicago, which resulted in the 2007 production ofRose and The Rime, which was selected to tour to the Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and the honor to be selected to travel to the National Festival in Washington, D.C., in 2008.

In addition to teaching and advising, Michelle has been very active in campus governance. She was elected a faculty trustee on the Hope College Board of Trustees for a term from 2008–2012. Michelle has chaired the Professional Interests Committee, the Administrative Affairs Board and the Campus Life Board, and has served on the Campus Climate Committee, the GLCA Academic Council, the Committee to Evaluate the Core Curriculum, the Strategic Thinking Council, the CrossRoads Advisory Committee and the President’s Advisory Committee.

Areas of expertise

米歇尔在服装史、设计史和建筑史方面有专长。服装设计师的工作之一就是要了解各个历史时期的服装、配饰、发型和面部毛发的样式。米歇尔还研究了色彩理论，以及设计元素如何相互关联，以帮助观众理解个性。

Education

• MFA, theatre design, University of Texas – Austin, 1989
• B.S., theatre, University of Evansville, 1985
• A.S., theatre, Vincennes University

Awards & Recognition

• Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education, 2016
• Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Design Excellence Awards, 2016
• 25 year service award, Hope College, 2016
• Distinguished Alumni Award, Lincoln High School, Vincennes, Indiana, 2006
• Recent Outstanding Alumni Award, Vincennes University, 1987

Regional and National Offices

Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival

• National Chair and CEO, 2020
• National Vice Chair and CFO, 2016–present
• Region III Financial Director KCACTF, 2014–present
• Region III Selection Committee, 2004–present
• Region III Chair, 2012–2014
• Region III Vice Chair, 2009–2011
• Michigan State Chair, 2006–2009

Artistic performances and productions

Michelle has designed costumes for over 120 theatre productions. In addition to her academic work she has designed professionally at Kentucky Shakespeare Festival (10 seasons), Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (17 seasons) and Theatre at Monmouth.

In 2008, the Jasper Arts Center in Jasper, Indiana, held an exhibition titledMichelle Bombe: Costume Designs for Kentucky Shakespeare Festival 1998–2008.

Outside the college

Shakespeare Behind Bars, the prison Shakespeare program founded by her husband, Curt Tofteland, has been an important component of Michelle’s career. She served for 10 years as the costume designer for the original program at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Kentucky. She appears in the 2005 award-winning documentary,Shakespeare Behind Bars, by Philomath Films and has toured film festivals, conferences and colleges across the U.S. and abroad with Curt Tofteland to talk about her experience working in the prison. She continues to visit the program Tofteland runs in Michigan and has taught several courses with field trips to prisons in both Michigan and Kentucky.

Michelle is an avid runner, having ran in six marathons, including Chicago and the New York City marathons. Yoga is also an integral part of her life. Hiking, biking and kayaking are also favorite activities.

Michelle loves to travel and spent her last sabbatical in Brisbane, Australia. New Zealand, France and England have been favorite travel destinations. In 2011 Michelle received a New Directions Grant from the Great Lakes College Association to attend a language school in France for two weeks.

米歇尔和她的丈夫科特养育了三个孩子:约书亚、亚历山德拉和格里芬。他们喜欢在加州、德克萨斯州和俄亥俄州拜访它们。