Danielle Fosler-Lussier receives 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award

Danielle Fosler-Lussier, PhD, professor of music in the College of Arts and Sciences’ School of Music, has earned The Ohio State University 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award. Senior leadership in the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge recently surprised Fosler-Lussier with the honor.     

Fosler-Lussier’s research describes the interaction between government and civic groups in building musical internationalism and music institutions in the United States from the 1920s to the 1980s. She is internationally recognized as the preeminent scholar of American Cold War musical diplomacy, as well as a major historian and pedagogue in the study of global musical migrations.

“Your nominators tell us you have pioneered the growing field of public musicology, connecting academic knowledge-building to the listening habits and musical practices of diverse American audiences,” said Cynthia Carnes, senior associate vice president for research operations. “Your service to your discipline, your students and your university also set you apart.”    

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, David Horn, added “I really appreciate the work you do, especially to advance non-academic careers for our graduate students. I also want to recognize you and your colleagues for the amazing cross-disciplinary work that's going on in the School of Music right now. It's a really exciting engine of full scholarship and engagement with communities beyond the university.”

"I've had the privilege of working with you in many different contexts and it's always super collaborative," said Dana Renga, divisional dean for arts and humanities. "For all that you've done to support the school and your colleagues, I really appreciate it."

“You really are the consummate scholar,” shared Michael Ibrahim, director of the School of Music. I think what is really special from my perspective is how you bring this all together through mentoring. Mentoring graduate students, mentoring colleagues in informal ways and that's really inspiring.” 

Fosler-Lussier has taught at Ohio State since 2003. She is an Honorary Member of the American Musicological Society (2023). She serves as director of the Imagined Futures Graduate Professional Development Initiative of the Global Arts and Humanities Discovery Theme, which seeks to enact transformative change in the career-development support that Ohio State offers graduate students. 

In all aspects of her work, Fosler-Lussier aims to make scholarship useful to broader constituencies. She is the principal investigator of the American Musicological Society’s NEH-funded Many Musics of America outreach project, which brings knowledge about music into public spaces. She appeared as a commentator in the feature-length documentary “What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat, and Tears?” She also serves on the Community Advisory Board of Path to Open, a pilot initiative of the American Council of Learned Societies that increases the reach of open-access scholarly publishing.

Fosler-Lussier earned her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of California, Berkeley and her bachelor’s from the University of Pennsylvania. She was also a German Academic Exchange Experience (DAAD) scholar at the University of Hamburg and a Cotsen-Behrman Postdoctoral Fellow in the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts at Princeton University. 

The Distinguished Scholar Award is among the highest annual honors awarded at Ohio State. The university-level award annually honors six faculty members who demonstrate scholarly activity, conduct research or creative works that represent exceptional achievements in their fields and garner distinction for the university. Award recipients are nominated by their departments and chosen by a committee of senior faculty, including past award recipients. Distinguished Scholars receive an honorarium and a research grant to be used over the next three years. 

Quotes from Fosler-Lussier’s nomination:   

"In my opinion, Danielle Fosler-Lussier has done more to support the work of musicology, musicologists, and all humanistic or artistic workers in the world than anyone in the 110 years of musicology’s existence on this continent. That achievement--the fruit of endless hours’ thought, study, conversation, and invention--that alone merits the kind of recognition that the Distinguished Scholar Award represents." Suzanne G. Cusick, New York University.

"I have known, cited, and assigned some of her publications in my courses over the years, and I have developed a collegial professional relationship with her...In addition to her consistently outstanding scholarly work—encompassing three well-received books, plus a recent co-edited volume with another leading figure in musicology; numerous refereed articles and book chapters; and many invited and refereed presentations—she has been a progressive voice for humane institutional change around music curricula, career preparation, and open access to research, and she has been duly recognized with numerous awards and honors at Ohio State and in the American Musicological Society, which just last year awarded her the unusual and prestigious distinction of Honorary Member." Jeffrey Magee, University of Illinois. 

"Her teaching record is confirmed by the AMS’s (American Musicological Society) bestowal of the AMS Teaching Award, the highest honor one can receive in the field of musicological pedagogy. In her career at The Ohio State University, she received the Lewellen Award for Distinguished Service and has worked to support the career development of all graduate students through the Imagined Futures Initiative. Finally, we maintain that no one has poured more energy, more love, and more intelligent action into the American Musicological Society than Danielle. As her Honorary Member citation reads, her contributions 'have made the AMS a more welcoming, inclusive, and dynamic organization'." Georgia Cowart, Case Western Reserve University, and Steve Swayne, Dartmouth College. 

"Dr. F’s scholarly expertise, steadfast mentoring, and intellectual guidance has had a profound impact on me as a scholar and educator. In my time since OSU, I have continued to collaborate with Dr. F, and her presence in my life continues to shape my work and professional trajectory. I know this to be true for a host of her peers who witness her brilliance, generosity, and compassion." Sophia Enríquez, Duke University.