Faculty
Dr. Debra Jelinek Gombert, PhD, MT-BC
Professor and Director of Music Therapy
Bachelor of Music Therapy, Eastern Michigan University
Master of Arts in Music Therapy, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College
Doctor of Philosophy in Expressive Arts Therapies, Lesley University
Dr. Gombert has over 10 years of clinical experience with early childhood, school-age, and older adult populations. She has been a music therapy educator for the past 12 years, having taught at St. Mary-in-the-Woods College and at EMU. Her research interests include: the relationship between parents and their child who has special needs; multicultural music therapy; music therapy pedagogy; and the intersections of human creativity and meditation.
Professor Laura Pawuk, MM, MT-BC
Associate Professor of Music Therapy - Mental Health
Clinical Coordinator, Music Therapy Center
Bachelor of Science, Speech Pathology and Audiology, Miami University (Ohio)
Master of Music, Music Therapy, Western Michigan University
Professor Pawuk is a board-certified music therapist with 19 years of clinical experience. She served the mental health needs of people of all ages who have psychiatric diagnoses, cancer, stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cystic fibrosis, cochlear implants, end-of-life, and those grieving the loss of a loved one, among others. Her interests include: music therapy for children with cochlear implants, music medicine, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the effects and uses of the musical elements in music therapy practice. Professor Pawuk has advanced training in mental health music psychotherapy through her Certificate of Professional Training in Music Imagery.
Jody Conradi Stark, PhD., MT-BC
Part Time Lecturer, Clinical Supervisor
Bachelor of Arts. Music Therapy – Colorado State University
M.A. Communication Media and Theater Arts/Administration- Eastern Michigan University
Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education- with Music Therapy Cognate- Michigan State University
Dr. Stark is Site Director of Music Therapy Clinical Services, MSU Community Music School- Detroit, and President of Creative Arts Therapies, Inc., a company she started in 1991 that provides contractual music, dance/movement, and art therapy services to agencies throughout Southeastern Michigan. She has over 35 years’ experience with various populations, including psychiatric, cognitively impaired, autism spectrum disorder, pre-primary impaired, at-risk children and youth, homeless veterans, refugees, medical (oncology, pediatrics, NICU), Alzheimer’s disease, and hospice. Her current research interests include medical music therapy and community music therapy.
Dr. Theresa Merrill, PhD, MT-BC
Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery
Professor Emeritus and Former Program Director
Current Part-Time Lecturer
Bachelor of Music Therapy, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
Master of Music Therapy, Thompson River University, Vancouver, BC
Doctor of Philosophy, Music Education with Cognate in Music Therapy, Michigan State University
Dr. Merrill is a board-certified music therapist with 30 years of clinical experience in elder care, end of life care, treatment of Parkinson's disease, and music psychotherapy. She has been a music therapy educator for over 16 years. Dr. Merrill is an advanced practitioner of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. She is a published author and travels around the world teaching music therapy and topics related to professional practice. Her research interests include: music therapy supervision and mentoring, music therapy for individuals and families living with Parkinson’s disease, and integrating music therapy and disabilities studies.
Roberta Justice, MM, MT-BC, FAMI
Part Time Lecturer, Clinical Supervisor
Bachelor of Arts in Music, State University of New York College at Buffalo
Bachelor of Music in Therapy, Michigan State University
Master’s of Music Therapy, Western Michigan University
Prof. Justice brings 40+ years of clinical experience and supervision in school, community, inpatient, outpatient and partial hospital programs. She has taught at Eastern Michigan University for 14 years.
Justice has expertise and training in a variety of music, art and dance therapy techniques; a strong history of providing in-service training and leading personal growth workshops for other professionals, including the use of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music; nineteen years as successful clinical training supervisor in music therapy on both undergraduate and graduate levels; and four years on the Editorial Board for Music Therapy Perspectives, a professional music therapy journal.