Having presented her research locally and globally, Stephanie Ruozzo recently earned her PhD in Historical Musicology from Case Western Reserve University. Her studies at CWRU provided the privilege of instructing students of all levels of musical experience, from freshman non-music majors to conservatory graduate students. As a music historian, her research focuses largely on early musical comedies and the World War I output of Jerome Kern for the Princess Theatre, but her abiding passion for opera has led to lectures and publications exploring the art form through the 21st century. These projects include presentations on Mozart's Da Ponte operas and Thomas Adès' The Tempest as well as an article discussing the contemporary relevance of Verdi's "Va, pensiero."

Stephanie's tenure in Cleveland has been characterized by a passion for public musicology; she volunteers regularly with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's education department, has delivered lectures for the Cuyahoga County Public Library System and the Great Lakes Theatre Organization, and is thrilled to join the Cleveland Opera Theater as an education and outreach associate. Education has defined Stephanie's mission; having begun her studies as clarinetist, she holds Bachelor's degrees in Music Education, Italian Education, and Music History from Youngstown State University, and began her career as a K-12 educator in the Poland Local School District before pursuing her doctorate.

She continues to modernize and advocate for music pedagogy in her position as Adjunct Professor of Music History at Wichita State University by developing their first entirely online and remote music history curriculum in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stephanie also occasionally performs in community theater pit orchestras and Italian-American "bande di paese" as a clarinetist. With one foot in the academic world and one foot planted in public outreach, Stephanie enjoys serving the Cleveland community by sharing the joy and affirmation of good art.