Honoring Legacy and Looking Ahead

With the close of the 2025–2026 academic year, we honor and celebrate four pivotal members of our family as they move on to the next chapters of their lives:

Jane Cubbison (Student Success Coach) began her Duquesne career in Human Resources in 2003. In 2009, she moved to the Mary Pappert School of Music, where she has held various positions including Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, and most recently Student Success Coach. Though her title has changed over the years, Jane’s compassion and devotion to the students, faculty, and staff never wavered. No matter which office she occupied, everyone was always welcomed and has benefitted in some way from her kindness. From every problem to every success story, Jane has earned a well-deserved spot in everyone’s heart. A grandmother of seven, Jane is very much looking forward to her new title of—as she calls it—“Baby Uber.”

Dr. Paul Doerksen (Professor of Music Education) came to Duquesne in August 2004. He is an active clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator who has presented at many local and national conferences and events, including at the College Music Society, College Band Directors Association, and the National Association for Music Education, among many others. Despite its name, Paul’s annual Summer Band Symposium for Western Pennsylvania Music Educators has brought teachers from around the country to Duquesne’s campus to work with some of the biggest names in music education. The Symposium has also generated several new works through yearly commissions from prominent composers. Paul will be retiring and moving to the West Coast later this summer to be closer to his family.

Thomas Kikta (Chair of Commercial Music and Media Department; Associate Professor of Music Technology; Guitar Area Coordinator; Director of the Institute of Entertainment, Music, and Media Arts (IEMMA)) began his nearly 40-year career with Duquesne in January of 1987. Tom is responsible for the development of the Sound Recording track of the Music Technology degree program, of which he has been Chair for the last six years. He has also served on the guitar faculty, and he created and implemented IEMMA, a unique interdisciplinary program that provides resources for students to learn all aspects of the entertainment industry. IEMMA is also home to the MPSOM’s live streaming and internet radio programming that regularly attracts viewers and listeners from around the world. Outside of Duquesne, he is a composer with works premiered by the New York City Ballet, the Vice President of the Aaron Shearer Foundation, and a performer with numerous internationally released albums. Tom’s retirement comes on the heels of earning the rank of Full Professor.

Dr. Rachel Whitcomb (Associate Dean and Associate Professor/Program Director of Music Education) has served on the Music Education faculty since her arrival at Duquesne in 2009. She has also the creator of community-centric programs including Musical Families and the Early Childhood Music Initiative, and she can often be found teaching preschool music classes on and off campus. Rachel is also a talented singer/songwriter whose Nashville career is on the rise. Her latest album, Wildest Dreams, earned her the label “One to Watch” by the Nashville Songwriters Association International. Rachel recently earned the rank of Full Professor, which she will take with her as she assumes the role of Associate Director of the School of Music within the College of Music and Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee this fall.

These four individuals leave behind an indelible mark on the Mary Pappert School of Music, and though the future of the school will look slightly different, plans have already been finalized for a seamless transition in each of their roles.

Dr. Stephen Benham, Professor of Music Education, will be returning to the role of Associate Dean. Now in his 25^th year teaching at the Mary Pappert School of Music, Steve previously served as Associate Dean from 2015–2018 and Director of Graduate Studies from 2012–2015. He is an internationally recognized leader in music education, having served in leadership positions in several states and is a past president of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). He received the Marvin J. Rabin Community Service award from ASTA in 2024, as well as the 2024 President's Faculty Award for Excellent in Scholarship and 2021 President’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Service from Duquesne University. He currently serves as President and Chair of the Board for Music in World Cultures (soon to be renamed Resound Global), an international faith-based organization at the forefront of a movement using music as a strategic tool in missions.

The two vacated music education positions will be filled by Dr. Christopher Marra and Dr. Jessica Vaughan-Marra, both graduates of the Mary Pappert School of Music. Chris and Jessica return to Duquesne from roles at Seton Hill University. Chris is also the conductor of the Westmoreland Symphonic Winds and is an active member and presenter at various state, national, and international education organizations, including the National Association for Music Educators, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and many others. Jessica has cultivated a nationally connected teacher preparation program, led annual professional development workshops for regional educators, and maintained a prolific research and publication record, co-authoring several textbooks on music education. She also currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Music Teacher Education.

The Chair of Commercial Music and Media will be filled by current faculty member and alumnus Jesse Naus. Jesse is the owner, engineer, and producer at Red Caiman Studios, Pittsburgh’s premier recording studio and has worked with an all-star list of musicians, actors, and artists from around the world including Andrea Bocelli, Ewan McGregor, and many others. Red Caiman is an award-winning recording facility that is sought after for its work in music and podcast production, as well as commercial film and audiobook post-production and has numerous awards, accolades, and credits to its name.

Lastly, the Student Success Coach position will be taken over by a familiar face to everyone at the Mary Pappert School of Music. Diana Ruffer, who has served as Assistant to the Deans for the past two years, is already working side-by-side with Jane so the transition in this crucial role is as seamless as possible. Diana is a professional clarinetist who actively performs along the East Coast with orchestras such as the Virginia, Charlotte, Richmond, and Pittsburgh symphonies. She has had the pleasure of performing alongside artists including Andrea Bocelli, Byron Stripling, Erika Henningsen, María Dueñas, and Jane Eaglen. She is also a faculty member at Point Park University and serves on the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Concert Society.

“We say goodbye to these four giant personalities from our school with a mixture of sweetness and sadness,” said David Allen Wehr, Dean of the School of Music. “Sadness that we will miss their daily presence in our lives, and the combination of caring compassion and expertise they brought to their areas, but sweetness that they are each moving on to new and exciting phases in their lives with their families and careers. All four are leaders and role models for generations of our students and they leave with our deep gratitude, respect, and love.”

On Wednesday, April 29, the Mary Pappert School of Music honored each of the faculty and staff who are moving on with a celebration dubbed Curtain Call. Dean Wehr presented each with an award recognizing their dedication to the School of Music and the legacy to which they have contributed so significantly.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our colleagues who have played such an integral role in shaping the history of Duquesne’s music program. As we look ahead to our Centennial and beyond, we are excited to collaborate with new and current faculty to continue that legacy.