Dr. Mary Steele Moegle is an Associate Professor of Music at Louisiana Tech University.
Beginning her career here in 2000, she is the head of four areas: piano studies,
collaboration/accompanying, Music History, and Music Appreciation. Her teaching responsibilities
include Applied Piano, Music History, and Honors Music Appreciation. A doctoral graduate
of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Dr. Moegle has studied performing, coaching,
and collaborative techniques with internationally known pianists and coaches, such
as Robert Spillman, Larry Graham, Mutsumi Moteki, and Constance Carroll. She has performed
at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Middle Tennessee State University, Centenary
College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, the University of Louisiana
at Monroe, and the University of Alabama. Her students continually seek outside performance
and competitive opportunities. Most recently, she worked with piano majors to prepare
and perform George Crumb’s Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III). Each spring
her piano students participate in a Piano Studio Recital, performing solo and duo
works. Piano majors also hear a professional piano guest artist each year, and piano
students have the opportunity to learn from the artist in a piano masterclass. Along
with performing and teaching, Dr. Moegle enjoys researching women in music and American
popular music. Her current focus includes the female composers Cécile Chaminade, Amy
Beach, and Lili Boulanger. She also enjoys studying popular music, popular music performers,
and Broadway musicals. She has presented papers at Tech’s Liberal Arts Symposium,
the Southern Chapter Conference of the College of Music Society, and at an international
musicological conference in Struga, Macedonia. Dr. Moegle has served as Louisiana
Tech Concert Association (LTCA) Director since 2022. During her time as director,
she has arranged for Louisiana Tech to host Roomful of Teeth and Sandbox Percussion
the same year they were awarded Grammys. Hosting these Grammy winners was a first
for LTCA. Through her efforts, she also had the first full-length album performed
on Howard Stage. Each season, she coordinates bringing a wide array of professional
concert artists and performing groups that perform for and work with Louisiana Tech
students. From 2022-2025, Dr. Moegle served as Interim Director of the School of Music.
As director, she spearheaded the hiring of six full-time faculty members; four of
those positions are tenure-track. While continuing her full-time teaching duties,
Dr. Moegle worked tirelessly to improve teaching and performing spaces at Tech, providing
new acoustic sound shells, updating the technology in teaching spaces, and supporting
music students’ travel for additional educational experiences. For the first time
in the School of Music history, music students attended the Texas Music Educators
Association (TMEA) Conference and a Songwriters trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Collaborating
with faculty, Dr. Moegle also refined and expanded the School of Music curriculum
offerings adding several new courses. In October 2025, Louisiana piano teachers elected
her to serve as the Louisiana Music Teachers Association (LMTA) President-Elect.
She has also served as Ruston Area Music Teachers Association (RAMTA) President for
two terms. Through Music Teachers National Association, Dr. Moegle is a Nationally
Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM). Additionally, Dr. Moegle is frequently in demand
as an adjudicator, having judged at local, state, and regional competitions. For well
over a decade, Dr. Moegle has served on the board of directors for Ruston Community
Theatre (RCT). Since 2015, she has served various roles on the RCT Executive Board,
including president. While serving as RCT president, Dr. Moegle directed the first
RCT Youth Production, which has spawned a burgeoning group of young actors and singers.
RCT’s youth productions have grown exponentially since then. Additionally, she was
the first and currently only RCT Director to institute flying during a production
at the Dixie Center for the Arts.
