Stephen David Beck is the Derryl and Helen Haymon Professor of Composition and Computer Music at the LSU School of Music. He currently serves as Associate Vice President of Research & Economic Development at LSU. He received his PhD in music composition and theory from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1988, where he studied with Henri Lazarof, Elaine Barkin, Alden Ashforth, Paul Reale and Roger Bourland. From 1985-86, he held a Fulbright Fellowship as a researcher at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) in Paris, France. His current research includes sound diffusion systems, high-performance computing applications in music, music interaction with alternative interfaces, music software for laptops and mobile devices, and virtual music instruments.