Alumni

Our graduate program has a high rate of placement of its graduates in academic jobs and other professional positions. Below is a sampling from those who have graduated since 1986, to give you an idea the paths our recent graduates have followed after leaving the University of Pittsburgh.

Alumni Placement in Tenured and Tenure-Stream Positions

Steven Block, PhD 1981, Composition and Theory
Chairperson, Dept. of Music
Professor, The University of New Mexico

Marilyn Taft Thomas, PhD 1982,  Composition and Theory
Professor of Theory and Composition
Carnegie Mellon School of Music

Geri Allen, MA 1983, Ethnomusicology and Jazz
Associate Professor, Department of Jazz and Contemporary
University of Michigan

Reza Vali, PhD 1985, Composition and Theory
Associate Professor, Theory/Composition
Carnegie Mellon School of Music

Sau-yan Chan, PhD 1986, Ethnomusicology
Professor of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

J. Lawrence Witzleben, PhD 1987, Ethnomusicology
Professor of Music, University of Maryland-College Park

Chinyerem Ohia, PhD 1989, Composition and Theory
Associate Professor, Howard University

Steven Saunders, PhD 1990, Musicology
Professor of Music, Colby College

Yong Yang, MA 1990, Composition/Theory
Professor, Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing

Ann Labounsky, PhD 1991, Musicology
Professor of Organ, Chair of Organ and Sacred Music, Duquesne University

Ping-hui Li, PhD 1991, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music, University of Puerto Rico

Ying Fen Wang, PhD 1992, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor, Graduate Institute of Musicology, National Taiwan University

Robert Grimes, PhD 1992, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music and Dean, Fordham University

Mingdao Chen, MA 1992, Ethnomusicology
Professor, China Conservatory of Music, Beijing

Steve Knopoff, ABD 1992, Ethnomusicology
Lecturer in Musicology, Head of Studies- Integrated Studies
Associate Dean, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
Elder School of Music, University of Adelaide

Mark Sunkett, PhD 1993, Ethnomusicology and Jazz
Associate Professor of Music, Arizona State University

Cosmo Barbaro, PhD 1993, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music, Edinboro State University

Helen Rees, PhD 1994, Ethnomusicology
Professor of Ethnomusicology, UCLA

Andrew Kohn, PhD 1995, Composition/Theory
Associate Professor of Music, West Virginia University

Frank Sciannameo, MA 1996, Musicology
College Distinguished Scholar in Multidisciplinary Studies,
School of Music, Carnegie Mellon University

Nancy Guy, PhD 1996, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music, University of California-San Diego

Patricia Opondo, PhD 1996, Ethnomusicology
Lecturer, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Christopher Pak, ABD 1996, Ethnomusicology
Lecturer, Head of Academic Studies in Music, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts

Barbara White, PhD 1997, Composition and Theory
Associate Professor of Music, Princeton University

Nimrod Bernovitz, now Baranovitch, PhD 1997, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Asian Studies, University of Haifa

Godwin Sadoh, MA 1998, Ethnomusicology
Professor of Music, Talladega College

Blase Scarnatti, PhD 1998, Musicology
Associate Professor of Music, Northern Arizona University

Tong Soon Lee, PhD 1998, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music, Emory University

Gillian Rodger, PhD 1998, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Kwasi Ampene, PhD 1999, Ethnomusicology
University of Michigan
The Dept. of Afroamerican and African Studies
Associate Professor DAAS, Professor of Music, School of Music, Theatre and Dance

Univ Dept. of Afroamerican and African Studies

Jerica Oblak, PhD 1999, Composition and Theory
Composition faculty, Department of Music and Performing Arts
Professor, Steinhardt Scholl of Culture, Educations and Human Development, New York University

David Keberle, PhD 1999, Composition and Theory
Assistant Professor of Music, CUNY College Staten Island

Emmett Price, PhD 2000, Ethnomusicology and Jazz
Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies, Northeastern University

Eli Tamar, PhD 2000, Composition/Theory
Assistant Professor, Duquesne University

Sylvia Nanyonga-Tamusuza, PhD 2001, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music, Makerere University, Uganda

Kent Engelhardt, PhD 2001, Ethno/Jazz
Associate Professor and Coordinator of Jazz Studies, Youngstown State University

George Dor, PhD 2001, Ethnomusicology
Associate Professor of Music, University of Mississippi

Leonora Saavedra, PhD 2001, Musicology
Associate Professor of Music, University of California-Riverside

Tatiana Dutoit, PhD 2001, Composition and Theory
Assistant Professor in Music Theory, New Mexico Highlands University

Ahmed Madkour
PhD in Music Theory and Composition, University of Pittsburgh,  2002
Cairo Conservatoire in Egypt, Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition

Kenneth Prouty, PhD 2002, Ethnomusicology and Jazz
Assistant Professor of Music, Michigan State University

Mark Peters, PhD 2003, Musicology
Associate Professor of Music and Music Department Chair,
Trinity Christian College

Lei Ouyang Bryant, PhD 2004, Ethnomusicology
Assistant Professor of Music, Skidmore College

Gary Fineberg, PhD 2004, Ethnomusicology and Jazz
Assistant Professor of Music, Music Department Co-chair, Director of Jazz Studies, and Director of Brass Studies, The College of New Jersey

Hessun Kim, PhD 2004, Ethomusicology
Assistant Professor, Department of General Education, Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea

S. Alexander Reed, PhD 2005, Composition and Theory
Assistant Professor of Music, University of Florida

Carolina Delgado-Santamaria, PhD 2006, Ethnomusicology
Professor, Departamento de Musica, Facultad de Artes, Ponitifica Universidad Javeriana, Bogata, Colombia

E. Ron Horton, PhD 2007, Ethnomusicology and Jazz
Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies, Arkansas State University

Michael Stephens, PhD 2007, Composition and Theory
Assistant Professor of Music, Chadron State College

Eun-Young Jung, PhD 2007, Ethnomusicology
Assistant Professor of Music, University of California at San Diego

Shanna Lorenz, PhD 2007, Ethnomusicology
Assistant Professor of Music, Occidental College

Pedro Aponte, PhD 2008, Musicology
Assistant Professor of Music, James Madison University School of Music

Sister Marie Agatha Ozah, PhD 2008, Ethnomusicology
Assistant Professor, The Mary Pappert School of Music, Duquesne University

James Ogburn, PhD 2009, Composition/Theory
Lecturer in Music, Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand

Laurie Sampsel, PhD 2009, Musicology
Associate Professor of Music and Faculty Director, Walz Library
University of Colorado at Boulder

Matthew Heap, PhD 2012, Composition/Theory
Professorial Lecturer in Music
American University, Washington, DC

James H. Moore, PhD 2012, Jazz Studies
Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Ensembles
Chair of the Department of Music, West Virginia Wesleyan College

Christopher Ruth, PhD 2013 (expected), Musicology
Auxiliary Assistant Professor
Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia

Other employment related to music and culture, including visiting, adjunct, and part-time academic positions

Damien Pwono, PhD 1992, Ethnomusicology
Executive Director Global Intitiative on Art, Culture & Society
The Aspen Institute, Washington, D.C.

Greg Scheer, MA 1993, Composition/Theory
Minister of Worship at Church of the Servant, Grand Rapids, MI

Elizabeth Jean Stowe, MA 1997, Musicology
Librarian, Live Oaks Library, Savanna, GA

John Marcinizyn, PhD 1998, Composition and Theory
Artist-Lecturer, Carnegie Mellon University
Adjunct Instructor, Seton Hill University

Loyda Camacho, PhD 1998, Composition and Theory
Adjunct Professor, Montgomery County Community College of Pennsylvania

Jeff Pannebaker, PhD 1998, Musicology
Director of Music Ministry, Saint Luke Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, MD

Doretta Whalen, PhD 1999 Ethnomusicology and Jazz
Part-time Instructor, University of Pittsburgh

Robert Metil, PhD 2000, Ethnomusicology
Instructor, University of Pittsburgh,
Adjunct Professor of Music, Chatham College

Sara Casey, PhD 2003, Hist. Musicology
Occasional teaching for Music Dept. at University of Pittsburgh as a part-time instructor

Burkhart Reiter, PhD 2005, Composition and Theory
Occasional teaching for Music Dept. at University of Pittsburgh as a part-time instructor

Jason B. Grant, PhD 2005, Musicology
Staff Editor, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: The Complete Works
Packard Humanities Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Kayoung Lee, PhD 2005
Researcher at Yonsei Music Research Institute
Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea

Eric Beeko, PhD 2005, Ethnomusicology
Occasional teaching for Music Dept. at University of Pittsburgh as a part-time instructor

Federico Garcia, PhD 2006, Composition and Theory
Founder and Director of Alia Musica

Carlos Peña, MA 2007
Assistant Music Librarian, University of Pittsburgh

Ivan Jimenez, PhD 2007, Composition and Theory
Occasional teaching for Music Dept. at University of Pittsburgh as a part-time instructor

J.S. Kofi Gbolonyo, PhD 2009, Ethnomusicology
Visiting Assistant Professor 2009-10, University of British Columbia

Daniel J. Grimminger, PhD 2009, Musicology
Visiting Assistant Professor in Musicology, 2010–11
Hugh A. Glauser School of Music, Kent State University

Jason Squinobal, PhD 2009, Ethnomusicology
Teacher -Newton South High School, directs the Newton South Jazz Combo, teaches Jazz Improvisation, and Music Technology

Oyebade Dosunmu, PhD 2010, Ethnomusicology
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Department of Music
Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts

Elizabeth Hoover, PhD 2012, Musicology
Lecturer in Musicology
The Miami University Department of Music, Oxford, Ohio