Cordell and Ava Haymon Endowed Chair of Music Therapy & Associate or Full Professor of Music

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Job Posting Title:

Cordell and Ava Haymon Endowed Chair of Music Therapy & Associate or Full Professor of Music

Position Type:

Faculty

Department:

LSUAM CMDA - School of Music (James L Byo (00010414))

Work Location:

0102 Music School Building

Pay Grade:

Academic

Job Description:

Louisiana State University invites applications for the position of the Cordell and Ava Haymon Endowed Chair of Music Therapy, an endowed, tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. The successful candidate will provide visionary leadership for LSU's rapidly growing Music Therapy program within the School of Music in the College of Music & Dramatic Arts (CMDA).This endowed position offers a rare opportunity to lead the first music therapy degree program established at a public university in Louisiana and to shape the future of music therapy education, research, and clinical practice across the state and the Gulf South. Established through the generosity of the Haymon family, whose multigenerational commitment has been instrumental in advancing music therapy at LSU, the endowed chair provides significant annual resources to support innovative research, instructional excellence, clinical partnerships, faculty and student development, and strategic program growth.

LSU welcomed its inaugural Bachelor of Music Therapy cohort in Fall 2023. With a strong undergraduate curriculum now established, the program is poised for its next phase of growth, including expanded enrollment, transformative clinical partnerships, externally funded research, and the development of graduate education opportunities. Situated within a Carnegie R1 research university, the Chair will play a central role in defining a long-term vision for the program while expanding access to high-quality music therapy education and services in a region where such opportunities remain limited.

The Chair reports to the Director of the School of Music and will collaborate extensively across LSU's expanding research and healthcare enterprise, including LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport, the LSU AgCenter, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and partners throughout the healthcare, education, and community sectors. These collaborations create exceptional opportunities to advance interdisciplinary research and clinical innovation in areas such as cancer care, behavioral health, rehabilitation, integrative medicine, survivorship, symptom management, and healthcare equity.

Located in a state internationally recognized for its rich and diverse musical heritage, LSU provides a distinctive environment where music serves as both a defining cultural force and a powerful vehicle for health, healing, and community engagement. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build a nationally recognized program that advances scholarship, transforms clinical practice, and strengthens the role of music therapy in improving health and well-being throughout Louisiana, the Gulf South, and beyond.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide visionary leadership for LSU's Music Therapy program, including strategic planning, program development, faculty leadership, accreditation, and oversight of clinical education and operations.
• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in music therapy while mentoring students, supervising clinical training, and ensuring excellence in professional preparation.
• Lead a nationally recognized program of scholarship by advancing innovative, externally funded research and maintaining a distinguished national and international reputation in music therapy.
• Cultivate interdisciplinary partnerships across LSU's health, research, and clinical enterprise to expand music therapy research, clinical practice, and community engagement.
• Develop and sustain clinical affiliations with healthcare systems, community organizations, and regional partners to enhance experiential learning and expand access to music therapy services.
• Recruit, mentor, and support faculty and students in fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-achieving academic environment.
• Provide leadership in university governance and professional service, contributing to departmental, college, university, and national initiatives that advance the field of music therapy.
• Represent LSU and the Music Therapy program through professional organizations, public engagement, and partnerships that elevate the university's leadership in music therapy education, research, and clinical innovation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned doctorate (Ph.D., DMA, or equivalent terminal degree) in Music Therapy or a closely related discipline with a demonstrated focus on music therapy.
• Board Certification in Music Therapy (MT-BC) or equivalent profesional credential.
• Eligibility for appointment with tenure at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
• Demonstrated excellence in university-level teaching.
• Evidence of mastery of professional music therapy competencies and advanced clinical practice.
• Experience developing clinical partnerships in medical, educational, behavioral health or community settings.
• Record of scholarly achievement, including peer-reviewed publications and other evidence of sustained research activity.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor student scholarship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Establish national or international reputation in music therapy research, clinical practice, education or leadership.
• Experience working with a research-intensive university environment.
• Experience pursuing federal funding opportunities, including NIH or related agencies.
• Experience supervising music therapy clinical training programs and overseeing internship or practicum experiences.
• Record of interdisciplinary collaboration involving healthcare, psychology, education, neuroscience, rehabilitation, public health or related fields.
• Leadership in local, regional, national, or international professional organizations.
• Leadership in program development, enrollment growth, accreditation or strategic planning.

LSU's College of Music & Dramatic Arts comprises two schools, Music and Theatre & Film. It is a performing arts community that trains, cultivates, prepares, and rewards excellent artists, educators, scholars, and performers, fostering passion for the arts, collaboration, and the creation of new works. We engage with our community, heightening our collective ability to communicate with expressive power and purpose. The LSU School of Music stands as one of the nation's most comprehensive music programs and serves as a premier cultural arts center for the state of Louisiana. Nestled within the College of Music & Dramatic Arts at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, the School has cultivated a rich tradition of musical excellence for nearly a century — earning its initial accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) in 1931, a distinction it has held and renewed ever since, with its most recent comprehensive review completed in 2024. With a vibrant community of nearly 500 music majors, students find themselves immersed in a tight-knit, artistically driven environment where world-class instruction meets Louisiana's uniquely rich cultural heritage. The School offers a remarkable breadth of degree options across every level of study — from undergraduate degrees in Music Performance, Music Education, Music Therapy, and Music Composition to graduate programs including the Master of Music, Doctor of Musical Arts, and PhD in Music. Students learn from an acclaimed faculty of renowned scholars, stellar performers, and inspiring teachers with active international careers, supplemented by a world-renowned network of visiting artists at the forefront of their fields. Graduate students in particular benefit from a hands-on, 21st-century curriculum that emphasizes flexibility, artistic expression, communication, and technology — preparing them not just to perform, but to discover, create, and lead in a rapidly evolving musical landscape.

Additional Job Description:

Special Instructions:

Review of applications begins on September 14, 2026. To receive full consideration, please submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, contact information for three references, teaching philosophy (one page), and summary of research program with links to two most influential publications (one page). Teaching videos may be requested at a later date. Official transcripts are required prior to hire. For questions or concerns regarding the status of your application or salary ranges, please contact Joseph Dunbar at [email protected] or Lauren Hensel at [email protected]

Skills Needed:

Preferred Skills:

Posting Date:

August 3, 2026

Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):

January 30, 2027

Additional Position Information:

Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.

Benefits - LSU offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!

Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.

Essential Position (Y/N):

LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All candidates must have valid U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and maintain that valid work authorization throughout employment. Changes in laws, regulations, or government policies may impact the university’s ability to employ individuals in certain positions.

HCM Contact Information:

For questions or concerns related to updating your application with attachments (e.g., resumes, RS:17 documents), date of birth, or reactivating applications, please contact the LSU Human Resources Management Office at 225-578-8200 or email [email protected]. For questions or concerns regarding the status of your application or salary ranges, please contact the department using the information provided in the Special Instructions section of this job posting.