Rate My Professor Jill Van Brussel

Jill Van Brussel is Associate Professor of Theatre - Costume Design at Colorado Mesa University, a position she has held since 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of California-Santa Barbara, a Master of Arts in theatre from Bowling Green State University, and a Master of Fine Arts in costume design from Purdue University. In her role at Colorado Mesa University, Van Brussel teaches Play Production, Technical Performance, Theatre Appreciation, Make-Up and Costuming, and serves as Costume Shop Manager. Her contributions to the theatre department include designing costumes for mainstage productions such as Hay Fever and Legally Blonde, as well as supporting collaborative design processes for various plays and musicals. She has been nominated for the 2025 Colorado Mesa University Distinguished Faculty Award.

Prior to joining Colorado Mesa University, Van Brussel was a longtime resident of the Midwest and designed costumes and props for Chicago-area theatres including Light Opera Works, Northwestern University, Blindfaith Theatre, and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. Her costume design for The Taming of the Shrew at Theo Ubique earned a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination. Regionally, she worked with Tacoma Opera, Rogue Opera in Ashland, Oregon, Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, Iowa, and Chautauqua Opera, where she served as Assistant Costume Supervisor for two summers. Van Brussel's professional experience in professional and educational theatre settings informs her teaching and design work, emphasizing character development through costuming and technical theatre practices.