The Game Changers podcast celebrates true pioneers who inspire us to take the big step forward and up in education and beyond. In episode 206 (Part 1) of Game Changers, Phil Cummins joins in conversation with Dr Michael Stepniak!

Dr Michael Stepniak is an Australian scholar, musician, and academic leader who returned home in 2025 after four decades abroad. He now serves as the ninth Master and Head of College at Queen’s College, The University of Melbourne. His career has been shaped by intellectual rigour, artistic excellence, and institutional vision, spanning conservatoria, universities, and senior leadership roles in the United States and now Australia. He also holds the title of Honorary Principal Fellow at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Educated at Harvard University as a Spencer Fellow, he holds both a Doctor of Education and a Master of Education, as well as two Master of Music degrees: in viola performance from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and in musicology from Northwestern University. He completed his undergraduate studies with distinction, and trained as a violinist at the New England Conservatory.
As a chamber musician, he has performed as violist and violinist in major concert halls across North America and Europe, collaborating with artists as varied as Ann Schein, Arlo Guthrie, and John Patitucci. His performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio and praised by The Washington Post and others for their expressiveness and refinement.

He is also the author of several books on leadership, education, and creativity in the arts. These include Don’ts for Deans and Academic Leaders (2023), Leading Change That Matters (2022), and Beyond the Conservatory Model (2019). He has spoken widely on cultural leadership, institutional change, and the future of education, and has held key governance and advisory roles, including serving on the Board of Directors of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans.

Before returning, Dr Stepniak served as Executive Dean for Creativity and the Arts and Professor of Music at Shenandoah University in the United States, where he led strategic planning, launched new academic programs, and played a central role in philanthropic development. As Dean of Shenandoah Conservatory for 14 years, he helped elevate its international profile and built lasting partnerships with donors, international artists, and communities.

Born in Springvale and raised in the Yarra Valley, he left Australia and his family as a teenager to pursue advanced music studies as a concert violinist in North America. He now returns with his wife, Dr Anne Schempp, and their daughter, Tilda. He is delighted to lead Queen’s College into its next chapter; one that honours its remarkable heritage while preparing students to meet the challenges of a changing world with intelligence, imagination, and integrity.

The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE Education. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at gamechangers@circle.education, on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil via LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Let’s go!