James Ford III (M.M., ’07 D.M.A.), Los Angeles, is a professor of music in the College of Arts and Letters at California State University, Los Angeles, who was named Outstanding Professor for his achievements in scholarly inquiry or creativity, professional activities and community service. He teaches studio trumpet and courses in jazz studies and serves as director of the Cal State LA Jazz Orchestra. While working as a research assistant at UNT, he co-authored the first epidemiologic study of brass players, the results of which were published in the Medical Problems of Performing Artists journal. A member of the Grammy Award-nominated Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, John Beasley’s MONK’estra and the Benjamin Wright Orchestra, he has performed in the U.S., Europe, Asia, South America, South Africa and Canada.