Sarah Ellis
Vice Provost for Faculty; Professor of Music Theory, University of Oklahoma
As Vice Provost, Dr. Ellis is responsible for the aspects of Academic Affairs that impact faculty including overseeing the annual evaluation and tenure and promotion processes, managing chair and director development initiatives, and contributing to faculty hiring policy and practice. In addition, she is the Provost’s office Liaison to Chairs, Directors, and Associate Deans as well as the Faculty Senate. As a researcher, her interests have centered on the creation of meaning within musical works. Much of her work has focused on understanding the hermeneutics of Dmitri Shostakovich’s repertoire through his manipulation of post-Beethovenian semiotic space. Her book, Composing the Modern Subject: Four String Quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich, focuses on his Sixth through Ninth Quartets. In addition, she has published articles on the hermeneutic ramifications of the use of pre-existing music in Classic Hollywood films.