Beginning on June 5, 2023, Shenandoah Conservatory Senior Associate Dean; Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs; Charlotte A. & Verne E. Collins Endowed Professorship and Professor of Music Education Jeffrey Marlatt, Ph.D., will shift into being Shenandoah Conservatory’s interim dean.
He’s moving into the role as Dean of Shenandoah Conservatory and Professor of Music Michael Stepniak, Ed.D. becomes Shenandoah’s first executive dean for creativity and the arts.
Dr. Marlatt brings considerable skills to his interim deanship. He is a music educator, leader, and thinker who creatively addresses complex tasks. As senior associate dean, he has already supported the work of more than 120 conservatory faculty members and championed curricular innovation across more than two dozen degree programs in music, theatre and dance. He oversees the conservatory’s accreditation processes and has served on the Faculty Senate and the University Curriculum Committee.
In a previous role as director of music education, Marlatt oversaw the revision of the undergraduate program and the creation and dedication of the Collins Music Learning Suite, and also implemented a homeschool association partnership. In another prior conservatory leadership position as assistant dean for student learning, Marlatt guided unit- and program-level assessment plans. In addition, he is active in higher education innovation efforts as well as an active clinician, conductor, adjudicator, advocate, and published author. He embodies what a music educator can and should be.
“One of the things I’ve always loved about Shenandoah Conservatory is our commitment to artistic and academic excellence,” Marlatt said. “Faculty, staff and students spend their days going above and beyond. I look forward to leading the Conservatory as interim dean and building on the Conservatory’s traditions while supporting work that is collaborative and innovative as we navigate what music, theatre and dance can be in the 21st century. As we advance the Conservatory’s work, we will broaden our commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity — enabling our students to thrive while preparing them for future successes.”
