News Release
New Faculty David Dwyer, David Rawlins, and Dallyn Vail Bayles Join Southern Virginia University
Southern Virginia University is pleased to welcome David Dwyer as associate professor of theater, David Rawlins as associate professor of chemistry, and Dallyn Vail Bayles as assistant professor of theater.
David Dwyer, Associate Professor of Theatre, Technical Director
Dwyer previously worked as the technical director and scenic lighting designer at Southern Virginia University from 2003–11. He has also worked as a technical director for the showboat Becky Thatcher, Northern Michigan University, and Shakespeare in Delaware Park, and as an associate professor of theatre and fine arts at Niagara University.
“One of the things I’ve missed the most are the students here at Southern Virginia. They are just great students to work with in and outside of the classroom,” said Dwyer. “I was excited to come back and focus on more student-facing things, and I still have a lot of dear friends here at the university. Southern Virginia is not slowing down at all.”
As associate professor of theatre at Southern Virginia University, Dwyer will fill the role of technical director and principal set and lighting designer, and teach courses in technical theatre, scenic and lighting design, and scene painting.
With over 250 realized productions to his credit, Dwyer has produced scenic designs for the Smithsonian, The Irish Classical Theatre, The Lancaster Opera House, The Mountain Playhouse, and more. He was also the journey scenic artist for Paranormal Activity 7, Cabrini, Harlem Season 2, Miranda’s Victim, and American Horror Story Season 10. He also directed the Hill Cumorah Pageant from 2017-21 and several Southern Virginia University theatre productions.
Dwyer received a master of fine arts in production design from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s in theatre and an oral communication certificate with distinction from Marietta College.
David Rawlins, Associate Professor of Chemistry
With almost 30 years of teaching and professional experience in chemistry and pharmaceuticals, Rawlins joins Southern Virginia University as an associate professor of chemistry, where he will teach the general chemistry courses and associated labs.
“I love teaching students, and while I have enjoyed working in administration, I wasn’t able to dedicate as much time to my students as I would have liked,” said Rawlins. “Interacting with them, working with them, and helping them understand is what I really like to do. I’m looking forward to doing that here and helping guide their thought processes in chemistry.”
Prior to joining Southern Virginia University, Rawlins worked at Roseman University of Health Sciences for nine years as assistant and associate professor of pharmaceutical, where he taught cell biology and physiology, biotechnology, pharmacogenomics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical calculations, and medical Spanish. He also served as an interim assistant dean for research and later the assistant dean for research.
In a pharmaceutical setting, Rawlins has held several senior positions at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, leading researchers in the discovery of drug candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology, immunology, and metabolic disease, and delivered four compounds into preclinical development and several phases of study. He also served as a consultant for Hotspot Therapeutics, an expert witness for several cases, and has dozens of patents and publications in medical journals.
Rawlins received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Stanford University, and a master’s degree in organic chemistry and bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Brigham Young University.
Dallyn Vail Bayles, Assistant Professor of Theater
A professional film and stage actor, singer, recording artist, director, and teacher, Dallyn Vail Bayles joins Southern Virginia University as an assistant professor of theatre, where he will teach acting courses along with directing and producing theatre productions.
“I’m so grateful to be here. There’s a certain spirit on campus, and the Lord definitely had a hand in bringing me here,” said Bayles. “The students here are just phenomenal, and I’ve loved working with them in my classes. They’re talented, they’re passionate about what they do, and they’re just hungry to learn. I’m excited to work with them in productions as well.”
On stage, Bayles has performed with the Broadway Touring company as the Phantom, Raoul, and André for “The Phantom of the Opera” and as Enjolras in “Les Misérables.” He has also played Captain von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” Sweeney in “Sweeney Todd” Chauvelin in “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” Rochester in “Jane Eyre,” Archibald in “The Secret Garden,” King Triton in “The Little Mermaid,” and more in various regional theater productions.
On film, Bayles has portrayed Brigham Young in His Name is Green Flake, Pontius Pilate in “Lamb of God: The Concert Film,” the title role in “The Stranger,” Hyrum Smith in the films “Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration” and “Emma Smith: My Story,” and the male leads in “Alma and King Noah’s Court,” “The First Christmas,” and “Esther and the King” in the “Liken the Scriptures” musical film series.
Bayles has performed at venues such as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, toured with Jenny Oaks Baker as the narrator and tenor soloist in “The Redeemer,” and performed with Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller, David Osmond, and Lexi Walker. He has been a guest soloist with the Tabernacle Choir at “Music and the Spoken Word” and in several concerts and events. Bayles has also recorded several albums with Mindy Smoot Robbins, some of which have been featured in the films 17 Miracles, Ephraim’s Rescue, and others.
In addition to performing, Dallyn has worked as a director, masterclass instructor, acting and voice teacher, religious educator, and choir director at the university and high school levels. He completed his master’s in musical theatre at The Boston Conservatory and his bachelor’s in music dance theatre at Brigham Young University.