Associate professor of music education garners three prestigious appointments

The last year has been filled with professional recognition and appointments for Judy Palac, associate professor of music education at the MSU College of Music.

Based on her expertise in performing arts medicine, string teacher education, and the Suzuki method, Palac was invited to fill various leadership roles for three prominent organizations.

As the newly appointed publications editor for the American String Teachers Association, Palac will oversee the solicitation and review of manuscripts and the publication of two books a year. Palac currently sits on the national board of this 8,000-member association that represents players and teachers of string instruments in the U.S. and Canada.

Palac was also recently appointed to the national board of Andover Educators. As a board member, Palac will chair the Research Committee, seeking to gather more evidence on the efficacy of body mapping for injury prevention and performance enhancement. There are currently 60 licensed AEs worldwide.

Palac's appointment to the board of Performing Arts Medicine Association will be a first for the world's foremost interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the health of performing artists. Palac is the only music education specialist on PAMA's board. She will also serve on PAMA's task force for the National Association of Schools of Music. As a member of the task force, Palac will help develop educational materials for NASM's new health accreditation standard.

“I am honored that organizations I respect so much have asked me to serve in such important ways,” Palac says. “My role on the PAMA board heightens the visibility of MSU College of Music's Musicians' Wellness Team as a unique force for music student health in the United States. Andover Educators is concerned with body mapping—the education of movement in music making—and it will be great to have an MSU voice in the development of this young organization. As publications editor for ASTA, I'll be able to have some scholarly influence on string teaching and playing, a big responsibility but a very satisfying one.”