A native of Costa Rica, Carla Salas-Ruiz earned her Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis on Piano Pedagogy from Louisiana State University in 2023. Her dissertation, "A Multiple Case Study of Adolescent Piano Students: Examining Motivation through the Lens of Interest Development," reflects her focus on interest development and effective practice strategies. She holds a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from LSU, and two Licentiates in Music from the Universidad de Costa Rica. Her undergraduate thesis focused on Costa Rican repertoire as a contribution to piano teaching in initial and intermediate stages.
Previously, Dr. Salas-Ruiz served as an instructor and collaborative pianist at Brazosport College (TX). She was a Graduate Teacher of Record at LSU from 2019 to 2023, during which she received the prestigious Alumni Association Teaching Assistant of the Year award. From 2015 to 2019, she was an Assistant Professor at the Universidad de Costa Rica, where she created a new space for students to perform weekly and promoted interdisciplinary collaborations with the school of social sciences. She also served as the Music Precollege Program Coordinator, teaching beginner to advanced piano lessons and serving as a collaborative pianist for strings, wind, and brass sections. Additionally, she has served as the Manager of Communications and Periodicals at the Frances Clark Center and is an active member of the editorial board of the Journal of Piano Research.
Dr. Salas-Ruiz is a Steinway & Sons Educational Partner Teacher, and she regularly serves as an adjudicator in piano festivals and competitions. She has presented her research at various national and international conferences and has been published in journals such as Visions of Research in Music Education, Piano Magazine, and Research Perspectives in Music Education. Her work emphasizes fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and healthy musicianship among her students.