Alumnus Douglas C. Orzolek Promoted to Professor of Music at University of St. Thomas

Douglas C. Orzolek (PhD, 1995, music education) has been promoted to professor of music at the University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, MN. At UST, Dr. Orzolek serves as the director of the graduate programs in music education, the associate director of bands, and the associate chair of the Music Department. He teaches music education methods and techniques, conducts the Symphonic Band, and teaches musical acoustics, music literature, and conducting. He also teaches core classes, courses related to instrumental music education, and advises papers in both the master’s and doctoral level music education programs. Dr. Orzolek’s scholarly contributions have been published in the Journal of Band Research, WASBE Research Journal, Contributions to Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Research and Issues in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, and General Music Today. His publications also include several book chapters on assessment, the status of research in music teacher education and secondary general music education including The Oxford Handbook of Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education. He has made presentations at several national and international conferences, and he has been a guest conductor for state, regional, and conference honor band festivals. He also continues to serve as a curriculum consultant to several schools and districts. Dr. Orzolek is a past-president of the Minnesota Music Educators Association as well as a former MMEA advocacy chair, and he was named to the Minnesota Music Educators’ Association Hall of Fame in 2014. He has also served on the board of directors of the Minnesota Band Directors Association, the co-chair of the 2007 Minnesota Arts Education Standards Revision Committee, and several other committees related to music education and teacher preparation. Nationally, he is a past chair of the Society for Music Teacher Education, was the local chair for the 2004 NAfME/MENC National Conference and he currently serves on the editorial committee of UPDATE: Applications of Research in Music Education.