Ithaca College announced yesterday morning that Diane Gayeski has been named dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications. The Ithacan would like to congratulate Gayeski and commend the college for choosing the right candidate for the job — a job that Gayeski is more than qualified to tackle because of her extensive background in the communications field and her experience in dealing with the challenges the college faces. Most importantly, Gayeski understands how crucial it is to maintain and expand on the school’s educational legacy.

Gayeski is a forward-looking communications thinker who has always been ahead of the curve. She understands where the field needs to go and how the school could best be a part of that transition. In 1985 she wrote “Interactive Media” well before its time and almost a decade ago wrote about the use of mobile technology in “Learning Unplugged.” What people are excited about now are the things Gayeski predicted and studied years ago, showing that she recognizes trends in communications well before they happen.

Gayeski also understands that the technological wonders of today will not be what the Park School will be known for in the future. In order to stay ahead of communication trends and offer the most enticing education to prospective students, Gayeski will be able to effectively work with the faculty to help create a progressive curriculum that will encourage students to find the solutions to today’s problems in the communications field.

A 1974 graduate with a degree in television-radio, Gayeski is a member of the Park School family. She brings with her not only a strong grounding in what makes the school’s educational experience exceptional — innovative faculty, smaller class sizes, hands-on experience from day one — but also an impressive alumni network that will help further the interests of the school and its students.

While the other candidates did have strengths, they seemed overly impressed with passing technology— as if “social media” were the salvation of the communications field. As daily users of that technology, we know better.

The School of Communications needs a dean like Gayeski, who can work with the faculty to draw on its strengths and reshape the school’s future while maintaining its core values.