Dr. Anita Gonzalez of Washington DC is a Professor of Performing Arts at Georgetown University, a theater and dance historian, an opera librettist, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has received three Fulbright Fellowships, published four books and written for the American Opera Project, Atlanta Opera, Boston Opera Collaborative, Chicago Dramatists and others.

While her presentations and performances demonstrate how storytelling connects people to their cultures, she extends the reach of her scholarship through public engagements and the massive open on-line course "Storytelling for Social Change" which has reached over 50,000 learners in 154 countries.