Looking back, Gioia sees Millbrook as the place where her life’s passions first took root and were given space to grow. It was here that she learned the value of curiosity and that art, service, leadership, and scholarship could all coexist and inform each other. That early freedom to think expansively shaped her journey toward a PhD and a career in arts-based research.

In 2014, Gioia earned her PhD in Creative Arts Therapies from Drexel University, and since then, she has made significant contributions across clinical, educational, and community-based settings. At the Intrepid Spirit Center in Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital, she currently develops and delivers innovative art therapy interventions for active-duty service members dealing with traumatic brain injury and PTSD, working as part of an interdisciplinary team under the Creative Forces initiative.

Gioia’s career embodies the Millbrook values of curiosity, service, stewardship, and integrity—through work that bridges academic rigor with human emotion and imagination.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE ABOUT GIOIA PUBLISHED IN THE SUMMER 2025 MILLBROOK MAGAZINE