2020 – Elizabeth Stegemöller

Elizabeth Stegemöller, an associate professor in kinesiology, has been named the 2020 Rossmann Manatt Scholar. The award recognizes exceptional creativity and productivity in scholarship, teaching, and service, with great promise for continuing achievements.

Stegemöller is the only music therapist in the nation with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She uses novel therapeutic approaches to significantly improve the health of people with Parkinson’s disease. Respiratory control, swallowing, and quality of life all improve measurably in individuals who participate in the group singing therapy sessions that Stegemöller designs.

Using several neurophysiological approaches, she also works to better understand the underlying mechanisms that make music therapy effective for people with Parkinson’s.

Stegemöller will apply the Rossmann Manatt monetary award to record a series of her lectures for a neuroscience and music course that will be distributed and used at several universities. The money will also help her extend an eight-week virtual singing program for rural residents into a year-long program, gather qualitative data on the impact of other successful Parkinson’s disease singing groups, and support research efforts of graduate and undergraduate students.

Established in 2006, the Rossmann Manatt Faculty Development Award supports tenured faculty members through an endowed gift from Jack and Marilyn Rossmann and Charles and Kathleen Manatt.

For more information about the Rossmann Manatt Faculty Development Award, along with nomination information, visit the award page.