Rally Collaborators
Rally Collaborators
Becky Zarate, PhD
Director, Arts & Health Innovation Lab
Associate Dean for Research, College of Fine Arts
Dr. Zarate is a music psychotherapist, musician, researcher, and educator of music therapy, arts therapies, and arts and health. Her research focuses on community mental health and sustainability, health, wellbeing, and the arts. A licensed Creative Arts Therapist, Board Certified Music Therapist, and certified Vocal Psychotherapist, she has a specific area of expertise in mental health, anxiety, and improvisation-based music therapy.
She is the author of the book, “Music psychotherapy and anxiety: Social, community, and clinical contexts,” published by Jessica Kingsley, where she illuminates the various dimensions of anxiety, and the inquiry of music and arts, and the global social issues of the rising impact of anxiety and stress.
Lynn Maxfield, PhD
Professor (Lecturer), Vocology
Dr. Maxfield is the Associate Director of the National Center for Voice and Speech where, in addition to research activities, he coordinates and teaches at the NCVS's trademark Summer Vocology Institute. He is also an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in the University of Utah School of Music, where he teaches courses in voice pedagogy and vocology.
His research has been published in numerous voice-related journals and he currently serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Singing, overseeing the “Mindful Voice” column.
Madison Niermeyer, Ph.D. ABPP-RP
Clinical Faculty
Madison Niermeyer, Ph.D. ABPP-RP is a clinical psychologist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation where she provides outpatient behavioral health services at the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Niermeyer also provides psychosocial evaluations for spinal cord stimulator trials as well as other neuro-modulation procedures. Her special interests include treatment of psychological challenges in the context of stroke, traumatic-brain injury, and other conditions that affect the central nervous system. Her research has focused broadly on understanding intersections between cognitive and emotional health. She is the Associate Training Director of the Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program."
Sydney Williams Porter, MFA
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Sydney Porter Williams is a community-based teaching artist in Salt Lake City who utilizes art as a form of transformation in classrooms and communities. With a Master of Fine Arts in Community-Based Art Education and an Honors BFA in Art Teaching, Porter Williams has extensive experience facilitating community artmaking and collaboration. She teaches art education courses at the U and facilitated the co-creation of a community engaged installation with her students at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
Porter Williams’ pedagogical practice is interwoven with her multi-disciplinary studio practice, where she offers interactive opportunities for vulnerability and connection through unraveling and exploring her history. Her scholarly interests include art for social transformation, youth activist art, and artmaking as a dialogical and therapeutic practice.