Communication Dean Announced

Dear Colleagues, It is my great pleasure to announce the appointment of Salma Ghanem as the next dean of the College of Communication. She will begin her new role on August 4, and we are thrilled to welcome her to DePaul. Salma is a highly respected leader in the communication field and has earned recognition for her interdisciplinary approach to education. For the past five years, she has served as dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts at Central Michigan University. Prior to her current position, she chaired the Department of Communication at The University of Texas-Pan American for eight years. In both roles, she worked extensively on strategic planning and launched multiple interdisciplinary programs.

At Central Michigan University, for example, she helped develop an online program in strategic social media. At the University of Texas-Pan American, she created a minor in Hispanic Media Studies and a program that combined graphic design and advertising. She also has administered programs in integrative public relations and media, integrative marketing communication and is currently exploring a minor in entrepreneurial and business journalism. Salma earned her B.A. in communication from the University of Texas-Pan American and her Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Texas-Austin. She has published extensively on political communication and intercultural communication. Salma brings to DePaul professional experience in both health care communication and international diplomacy. She has worked as an information officer in the Press Office of the Egyptian Mission to the United Nations and as a communications specialist at the Scott & White Hospital and Clinic in Texas. Her passion for cultural awareness and interdisciplinary research stems from the fact she herself is an immigrant and was raised by parents who are Egyptian and Dutch. She attended the Sacré Coeur Catholic School in Cairo, Egypt and is fluent in Arabic and French and has considerable skill in Spanish. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Bruno Teboul, who has served as interim dean for the College of Communication since March 2013. He has worked tirelessly to continue to build a strong college, and we have been very fortunate to have his leadership during this transitional time. I cannot thank him enough. Bruno will take a one-year sabbatical to pursue his scholarly interests. I also would like to thank the search committee, chaired by Lawrence Hamer. The committee devoted numerous hours to conduct a highly competitive nationwide search. I am most grateful to them. I also am grateful to the many faculty and staff who took time to send their insights on the various candidates. I found them extremely helpful. In the coming months, Salma will relocate to Chicago with her husband. We look forward to welcoming her to the DePaul family. Sincerely, Patricia O’Donoghue Interim Provost Source: Email to DePaul University Community, May 19, 2014