Wendy Sims

Wendy Sims is the Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor and Director of Music Education at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from Kent State University, and the doctorate in music education from Florida State University. A specialist in early childhood and elementary music education, teacher preparation, and research, she teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate music education courses, advises bachelor and master’s degree students, and supervises doctoral student programs and research.

Dr. Sims is an active researcher and writer, with numerous articles appearing in national and international journals, and a long record of presentations of research sessions and workshops at state, national and international conferences. She is a past editor of the Journal of Research in Music Education and serves on the Editorial Board of the International Society for Music Education. Dr. Sims is chair of the Society for Research in Music Education Executive Committee, serves as the Research Chair for the Missouri Music Educators Association, and has been an active leader within the International Society for Music Education (ISME). She is the recipient of several prestigious teaching and research awards, including the Kemper Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, Missouri Governor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, the NAfME Senior Researcher Award, and ISME Honorary Life Membership.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Attributed to Maya Angelou