Mary Adamek, Ph.D., MT-BC, was the Director of the Music Therapy Program. Dr. Adamek co-authored the textbook, Music in Special Education, published by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and she has contributed chapters in three textbooks published by AMTA, Effectiveness of Music Therapy Procedures: Documentation of Research and Clinical Practice, Models of Music Therapy Interventions in School Settings, and An Introduction to Music Therapy. She maintains an active leadership role in state, regional and national music therapy organizations and is a past-president of AMTA.

Dr. Adamek has extensive professional experience as a music therapist and music educator. She is a specialist in the areas of music in special education, full inclusion music education, and supervision of music therapy students in training. She is involved in interdisciplinary research at UIHC to help adolescents use music therapy to decrease pain and anxiety after spinal fusion surgery, supported in part by a Clinician/Researcher grant from AMTA.

Dr. Adamek has presented music therapy lectures and workshops at music therapy conferences, music education conferences, and allied health care conferences internationally and across the United States. She has represented the American Music Therapy Association at international meetings in England, Spain and at the United Nations in New York. She has worked closely with the Kennedy Center - Very Special Arts to promote arts education for individuals with disabilities in schools, and is a participant in the Kennedy Center interdisciplinary arts education forum: Intersections: Arts and Special Education National Forum.

Dr. Adamek is a recipient of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 2004 Collegiate Teaching Award, the 2004 American Music Therapy Association Service Award, the 2011 American Music Therapy Association Award of Merit, the 2013 CLAS Outstanding Outreach and Community Engagement Award, and the 2015 American Music Therapy Association Lifetime Achievement Award.