David "Kip" Shawger Jr. finds many of his professional interests dovetail with the mission of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is to celebrate the finest collegiate theatrical works.

That's good, because the Ball State assistant professor of theater has taken on the time-consuming responsibilities of the national chair of design for the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival's National Executive Committee.

During his three-year run as the national chair, he will coordinate regional festival activities, scholarships and exhibitions and travel extensively until his term ends in 2009.

"I'll travel eight to 10 weeks to as many of the festivals as humanly possible," he said. "In the spring, I will teach Monday and Tuesday and travel Wednesday through Saturday and return on Sunday. It's the rigors of the office."

Not that he's complaining. Shawger is passionate about the Kennedy Center and its festival program.

Moving into the national chairmanship was a natural progression for Shawger, who has been involved with the Kennedy Center since the early 1980s. Before assuming the national chair, he was the vice chair of the same festival committee for three years.

The festivals are designed to celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs, to give participants opportunities to develop their theater skills and insights and to improve the quality of college and university theater programs, he said.

In addition, the festival program also encourages performance of experimental shows, new theater productions - particularly those written by students - and revised or reconceived classical pieces.

"One of the goals of the Kennedy Center is to celebrate the finest works by colleges," he said. "The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival was established in 1969 to do this by showcasing student artists and theater departments through state, regional and national festivals conducted throughout the year."

The rewarding - but challenging - involvement has a strong payoff for Ball State and for the theater department.

"It's a highly visible organization, and it brings a lot of exposure back to Ball State. Anytime my name is mentioned in association with a program or festival, Ball State's name is certainly displayed every time as well," he said. "The exposure acknowledges not only the work I do, but the work the university has done."

In addition, Shawger's enthusiasm for the Kennedy Center and the work he does with the prestigious organization means he's bringing new ideas and opportunities back to his Ball State colleagues as well.