Dr. Joseph D’Ambrosi (or “Dr. D”) is an award-winning educator, arts leader, and theatre artist-scholar dedicated to expanding access to high-quality arts education. He serves as the Fine and Performing Arts Resource Specialist for the School District of Osceola County, where he supports more than 190 teachers and 75,000 K-12 students across 65+ schools. In this role, he works to ensure that all students—regardless of background—can engage in enriching, equitable arts experiences.

In addition to his district leadership, Dr. D’Ambrosi teaches regularly at the graduate, undergraduate, and secondary levels, including as a Graduate Faculty Scholar at the University of Central Florida. He holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University, an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education, an M.A. in Theatre Studies from UCF, and a B.A. in Theatre from Messiah University.

As a scholar, his work has been published in Ecumenica, Theatre Survey, Theatre History Studies, and Performance and the Disney Theme Park Experience. As a performer, Dr. D’Ambrosi remains active in the Central Florida theatre community. Recent roles include Max in The Sound of Music and Mr. Bumble in Oliver! at Theatre at St. Luke’s, and Georg in Spring Awakening at New Generation Theatrical.

He serves on the boards of the Florida Association for Theatre Education (FATE) and is a proud member of Leadership Florida. Recognized as one of the Osceola County Chamber of Commerce’s “Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,” Dr. D’Ambrosi is also the recipient of FATE’s 2023 Outstanding Administrator Award and FAAE’s 2024 District Leadership Award.

He is an active member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando, where he serves on the Church Council, leads worship, and performs in the theatre ministry. He lives in Winter Garden, Florida with his husband, Harris, and their cat-daughter, Horatio.