Staff Spotlight: Dr. Joe Parisi – New Interim IPhD Director

Dr. Joe ParisiDr. Joe Parisi, Professor in the Conservatory of Music and Dance, has been chosen as the interim Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program, to oversee the standard operations of the program.

“I plan to interface with students, alumni, program coordinators, community partners, and competitors regarding program perceptions,” he said. “With this information I hope to develop some strategic planning regarding the program and areas we can develop and improve as we move forward.”

Dr. Parisi has been the Chair of Music Education for nearly 10 years, serves as the director of the Conservatory Wind Ensemble, and acts as teacher and/or ensemble director for a large cohort of undergraduate and graduate students.

“We are in a great metropolitan area in the middle of the U.S. The accessibility to multiple resources, academic programs, great students and faculty, and a wonderful city make our opportunities endless,” he said. “We must continue to think creatively as we look to the future needs of our students.”

Dr. Parisi joined the Conservatory in 2002. Prior to this, he spent eight years teaching in the public school system of Georgia. He earned his Ph.D. in Instrumental Conducting/Music Education from Florida State University. He says the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program makes UMKC especially unique.

“I believe we have an opportunity to make interdisciplinarity a campus asset that could infuse all aspects of our degree programs (graduate and undergraduate). Our metropolitan area provides resources to great science, technology, education, arts, and a wealth of other opportunities for collaboration and innovation,” he said. “A student attending UMKC gets the opportunity to interface with great faculty and peers in a campus of nearly 2.5 million people. We must tout the fact that the opportunities afforded our students as a result of being in a great metropolitan city are impactful and far-reaching.”

The needs of graduate students, Dr. Parisi says, center around guidance and support.

“As any of us who have guided graduates know, it takes hours of commitment and dedication on all parts to get a graduate student to the point where they can lead, inspire, innovate, and direct others as teachers, scientists, technicians, or community leaders,” he said. “The goal is to provide an exemplary educational experience that ultimately returns their knowledge and passion to their profession.”

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