Designer, associate professor, and associate dean of students & curricula for the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts, Andrea Bilkey has spent over 40 years in the performing arts exploring almost every aspect including: backstage work, acting, singing, dancing, and as a violinist for several years before focusing primarily in the areas of theatre technology and design in the early 1990's. Between her undergraduate and graduate studies in theatre arts she completed an electrics internship at The Juilliard School and worked within the industry, first at Secoa and then at John S. Hyatt and Associates. As a designer and technician, she has worked in various capacities at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Madison Rep, Opera Grand Rapids, Madcap Children's Theatre, Northstar Opera Company, the Canadian Arts Alliance, and others.

Recognitions her work has garnered include USITT's Young Designer's Forum, ETC's LDI student sponsorship program, Southwest Theatre Association First Place in the field of Lighting Design, KCACTF Region III Meritorious achievement award for Lighting Design, and KCACTF Region VI Meritorious award for Lighting Design. She has contributed to iSquint.net, has had her design work published in World Stage Design and the Theatre Design & Technology journal (TD&T), and has articles and reviews published in TD&T before serving a term as a general editor.
Andrea Bilkey is an active member with the United States Institute for Theatre Technology's Lighting Commission, serving previously in consecutive terms as Vice-Commissioner for Communications, Vice-Commissioner for Programming, and Vice-Commissioner for Lighting History. Bilkey is a fellow of the Texas Academic Leadership Academy, Vice-Chair of the History & Heritage committee for USITT and has served on the Board of Directors for USITT.