Faculty Mentor of the Week Martina Vasil College of Fine Arts, Music

This week our Faculty Mentor of the Week is Dr. Martina Vasil! Dr. Vasil is an Assistant Professor of Music Education and Director of the Orff Schulwerk and Dalcroze Summer Institute. She’s mentored eight undergraduate music students over the past year. When she looks for undergraduate mentees, she looks for curiosity, a natural propensity for writing and thinking, and a drive to learn more on a topic that interests them!

Dr. Vasil's role as a mentor evolved from her love of having mentors throughout her life. "Mentors have helped me to grow my knowledge in the field, gain confidence in my own thinking and ability to communicate my ideas, and take advantage of professional development and research opportunities. It has been extremely rewarding to give back and become a mentor myself to provide the same benefits to others. I have learned more about life and how people learn best from my students and have expanded my knowledge according to my students’ specific research and teaching interests. In many cases, I have gained new friends as my mentees have graduated and become professionals in our field of music education."

When asked about the value of undergraduate research, Dr. Vasil explained, "It is valuable for undergraduate music education majors to do research so that there is an empirical base for their teaching. Understanding why we do what we do and best practices only strengthen our pedagogy and impact on the field. Further, providing a platform for undergraduates to showcase their research (whether as a “Ted Talk” as I did with my MUS 361 class or a research poster) instills confidence in students that their ideas and curiosity have value and furthers their drive to continue to be reflective and responsive teachers."

Thank you Dr. Vasil for your continued support and encouragement of undergraduate research. Your dedication makes a profound difference to students at the University of Kentucky.