We are thrilled to announce that Sandra Sanchez Adorno, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education, has been awarded the 2025 College Music Educator of the Year at the Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA) conference, Florida's top conference for music education this past week. 

Adorno has made significant contributions to the field through her research, which she has presented both nationally and internationally at prestigious events such as the International Society for Music Education World Conference (ISME), the National Association for Music Education Biennial Music Research Conference (NAfME), the Society for Music Teacher Education National Conference (SMTE), the Mountain Lake Colloquium, and the Desert Skies Research Symposium. Her scholarship has been published in top journals, including the Journal for Research in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, and the Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education. Additionally, she has written chapters in influential texts such as Music, Words, and Nationalism and The Modern Band Handbook.

This recognition, alongside the impactful workshops presented by FIU faculty members Patrick K. Cooper, Ph.D, and Alicia Romero-Sardiñas, Ph.D, and alumni like Angel Marchese, highlights the university's ongoing commitment to shaping the future of music education.