She started at Utah State University as a music major, later adding political science, and with guidance from several USU mentors Andrea Decker has found a place at one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world.
She is a reference librarian at the American Folklife Center with almost seven million items in its holdings, connecting researchers and the public to materials and information they need.
With a Ph.D. in Musicology and Ethnomusicology, her journey is an example of USU’s vision to help people to lead lives of involvement, impact and innovation.
At AFC she makes music, dance, oral histories, and folklore collections accessible to the public.
She said in her time at USU through the Honors Program she was taught to love learning and value curiosity as she completed projects and found faculty mentorship that shaped her academic focus.
She said Chris Scheer introduced her to archival research, Jeannie Johnson gave her teaching opportunities, Carol McNamara encouraged her to study in Indonesia and Craig Jessop, Cory Evans and Michael Huff are among the best choral conductors she has worked with.