Melissa Berke

Biography

Dr. Melissa Berke serves as chair of the department and coordinator of music education. She has been a clinician at numerous national and regional conferences. Her current research interests include early childhood and elementary music education, music education for students with special needs, the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music education, and the integration of music and the arts within the general curriculum.

Dr. Berke has taught elementary and middle school vocal/general music in Iowa, Arizona, and Nebraska. In addition to her public school teaching experience, she has taught music at the preschool level in various settings including weekly classes at the UNO Childcare Center. Dr. Berke currently serves on the board of the Great Plains Orff Chapter, the institutional representative for the Nebraska Women in Higher Education Leadership and is active on many committees across campus including the General Education Committee, the University Assessment Committee, and is co-leader of the Orientation Taskforce.

Each summer, Dr. Berke serves as the Director of the Nebraska Kodály Certification program that is held at UNO. She received both her Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees from Drake University, and her PhD from The University of Arizona.

Research and Creative Activity Interests

Education

Scheduled Teaching