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Ryan Fisher

Educational Credentials

• Ph.D., Music Education, University of North Texas
• M.M., Choral Conducting, University of North Texas
• B.A., Music Education, Lee University

Biography

Ryan Fisher, Ph.D., serves as Dean of the College of Creative Arts at ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ, where he leads an academic division dedicated to advancing creativity across the visual and performing arts, architecture, design, arts management, arts entrepreneurship, and emerging creative technologies. Known for his effective leadership and strategic vision, Fisher is guiding the college through a period of transformation focused on innovation, academic excellence, and industry alignment. He brings extensive experience in curriculum development, program enhancement, and interdisciplinary collaboration to his role as dean.

Prior to joining ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ, Fisher served as Interim Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Communication and Fine Arts at the University of Memphis, where he also held a faculty appointment as Professor of Music Education. His administrative leadership has been marked by a commitment to ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ success, faculty support, and advancement of both artistic excellence and academic research in the creative disciplines.

An active scholar and choral conductor, Fisher’s research focuses on topics such as the male adolescent voice change, music education assessment, and teacher self-efficacy. His work has been published in leading journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, International Journal of Music Education, and Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. Choirs under his direction have performed at numerous state and regional conferences and toured throughout Italy and Greece.

Fisher has held leadership positions in numerous professional organizations, including serving as President of the Tennessee Music Education Association, President-Elect of the Arkansas Music Educators Association, and Vice President of the Texas Private School Music Educators Association. He has also served on the National Association for Music Education Choral Council, the editorial committee for Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, and the board of the Tennessee chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

He earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Lee University, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of North Texas. In 2016, he was honored as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by the Lee University School of Music.