The members have been selected for the search committee for a new dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications.
La Jerne Cornish, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, announced the student, faculty and staff members of the search committee Oct. 29. Diane Gayeski, the current dean of the Park School, announced earlier in October that she will step down from her position at the end of the 2019–20 academic year.
Jack Bryant, associate professor and program director in the Department of Media Arts, Sciences and Studies, and Andrew Utterson, associate professor in the Department of Media Arts, Sciences and Studies and coordinator of the Ithaca Seminar program, will serve as the committee co-chairs.
Other members of the committee include Scott Erickson, Dana professor and chair of the Department of Marketing; Jon Gregory, associate director of affinity programs in the Office of Engagement and Constituent Relations; April Johanns, coordinator of student and external relations; Mead Loop, professor in the Department of Journalism and sport media program director; Idrissou Mora-Kpai, assistant professor in the Department of Media Arts, Sciences and Studies; Linda Petrosino, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance; Nathan Prestopnik, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science; and Bob Regan, director of professional and experiential learning in the Executive Masters in Communications Innovation program. Junior Bianca Summerville and sophomore Mark Scaglione are also serving on the committee.
Summerville said she would like to see a candidate that will work hard to bring both economic and racial diversity to the Park School.
“Obviously Ithaca College has a diversity problem, but I think people think sometimes that this doesn’t fall on all of us when it has to,” Summerville said. “The buck has to stop with someone.”
With the development of Park Diversity Advocates, Summerville said, the Park School is making progress. She said she thinks the Park School needs a dean with as much passion as Gayeski and a new perspective.
Scaglione said he is looking for somebody who values diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Some ideas that I have are definitely keeping the professional level of the Park School but also thinking about the integration with the entire college and the strategic plan as a whole,” he said.
The committee met for the first time Oct. 30 and held its first listening session with WittKieffer, an executive search firm, for members of the campus community.
