Dr. Susan de Ghizé, A&M-Corpus Christi Professor of Music Theory, Named 2025 Piper Professor

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In the quiet hours before dawn, before an Islander students play a single note of music in an 8 a.m. class, Dr. Susan de Ghizé is in her office, poring over lesson plans, building custom tools, and anticipating the stumbling blocks that might keep her students from grasping the complexities of music theory. By the time campus comes to life, she’s already deep into her day’s work. 

“I want my students to be captivated by music the way a baseball fan is drawn into every pitch of a perfect game,” said de Ghizé. “That level of engagement starts with understanding.” 

For de Ghizé, teaching is not just a profession, it’s a craft, one she approaches with the precision of a composer and the heart of a mentor. Her efforts, worthy of headlines, have now caught the state’s attention. De Ghizé, Professor of Music Theory at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, has been named a 2025 Minnie Stevens Piper Professor — one of the highest honors in Texas higher education, awarded to just 10 faculty members each year for extraordinary dedication to teaching. For those who know her, the recognition is not a surprise; it’s a worthy spotlight on a career defined by tireless commitment, quiet innovation, and an unwavering belief in her students’ potential. 

“Dr. de Ghizé is a treasure,” said Dr. Diana Sipes, Director of the TAMU-CC School of Arts, Media & Communication at TAMU-CC. “She teaches subjects that, in some music programs, become barriers to students’ success, but instead, she helps students master the concepts and unlock their potential for achievement in their musical careers.” 

As an undergraduate, de Ghizé initially majored in mathematics, but a music theory class changed her trajectory. It wasn’t just the content — it was the clarity, the structure, and the satisfaction of solving complex problems that mirrored her love for logic and creativity. 

Years later, that same clarity defines her teaching. De Ghizé doesn’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. She adapts, innovates, and listens. Her courses feature custom-made materials like “Steps to Harmonic Dictation,” a website she developed that helps students hear and notate chord progressions.  

She also authored “Steps to Music Theory,” a free digital textbook that includes step-by-step videos, audio examples, and accessibility features like a dyslexia-friendly font.  

“An unmistakable mark of Dr. de Ghizé is her unusual dedication to the profession of teaching,” said Kevin Lopez ’22, a fine arts teacher at Honor Elementary School. “Dr. de Ghizé is one of the best people I’ve ever met.” 

As the university’s Theory and Aural Training Coordinator, de Ghizé oversees 10 courses and mentors faculty while guiding students through the rigorous preparation for the state’s TExES music certification exam. Her individualized study plans and review sessions have helped raise pass rates and earned the department the university’s 2023 Educational Assessment Continuous Improvement Award. 

Her teaching has been recognized again and again: the 2021 Excellence in Disability Access and Inclusions Award, the 2022 College of Liberal Arts Excellence in Teaching Award, and the 2023 University Excellence in Teaching Award. 

“I have never had a professor invest so much into my academic progress,” said Sophia Sweet ’23 ’25, who now works as a recording technician at TAMU-CC. “I spent many hours in Dr. de Ghizé’s office, working one-on-one to deepen my understanding of music theory, and always left with greater clarity than when I arrived.” 

“I teach because I believe that a solid grasp of music theory enables students to fully immerse themselves in music," said de Ghize. “Watching students grow from confusion to confidence is incredibly rewarding.” 

De Ghizé’s legacy isn’t built on one big moment; it’s built on hundreds of small ones — questions answered, concepts clarified, and confidence restored. As a newly named Piper Professor, she continues to do what she has always done: show up, listen, teach and change lives.