Dr. Deedee Ulintz

Biography

Deedee’s background and love for the performing arts brought great meaning to her role at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD). With over 20 years of experience working directly with students and faculty, she identifies academic needs and helps achieve their goals to positively impact the SMTD community. She established the Office of Academic Student Affairs (OASA), overseeing advising and coaching, curricular scheduling, and developing academic research. Deedee provides guidance on recruitment and retention, and is an advisory member of the Council of Departmental Representatives, collaborating with faculty to adapt degree programs and minors to meet the evolving needs of students in the educational landscape. She develops policies related to degree paths, course requirements, and academic integrity. In addition to her student and faculty-facing work, Deedee is the founder of the long-standing Chair SMTD Staff Representatives Committee, which has fostered collaborative conversations among faculty, deans, and campus leaders, built a community among staff departments, and implemented Staff Awards. An active member of university committees on advising, student affairs, and conflict resolution, she is a recipient of the University of Michigan Martin Luther King Jr. Staff Spirit Award. Starting her journey at a young age, Deedee began dancing, writing, and playing the violin, and pursued her passions into adulthood. Prior to arriving at SMTD, she worked professionally in Michigan and New Jersey as a contracted dance instructor and choreographer, teaching Tap, Jazz, and Ballet to students from beginner to advanced and at the competition level, with a specific focus on community-based programs for underserved and working-class areas. As a first-generation college student, Deedee holds a degree in Writing with an emphasis on Playwriting and Poetry from Western Michigan University, and has a cosmetology license from Aveda Institute.

Research Interests

Experience