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Dean, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication

WSU selects Bruce Pinkleton to lead Edward R. Murrow College of Communication

PULLMAN, Wash. — Bruce Pinkleton has been named dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University following a national search.

Pinkleton, who has served as interim dean since January 2016, will assume the permanent role effective March 15, 2018.

“Dr. Pinkleton has an excellent skill set to lead the next chapter in the evolution of the College of Communication,” said WSU Provost Daniel J. Bernardo. “He has extensive academic and administrative experience and possesses an impeccable record of scholarly accomplishment.”

Joining the faculty of what was then the Murrow School of Communication in 1993 as an assistant professor, Pinkleton has held several positions, including head of the Strategic Communication degree program, which he helped grow into the largest unit at Murrow College. He also has served as graduate director and associate dean, and he chaired the task force that ultimately recommended college status and built the case for elevation of the Murrow School.

Pinkleton’s research interests focus on health promotion, media literacy and decision making in the digital era. His research has been funded by the National Institutes for Health, ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research, the Washington State Department of Health and other organizations. His work has been published in tier-one journals in communication, health communication and public health.

As interim dean, Pinkleton established key areas of strategic emphasis for Murrow College. These areas of emphasis—fostering student success, building collaborative partnerships, advancing excellence in research and strengthening the internal foundation of the College—have positioned Murrow College to maximize its contributions to WSU’s Drive to 25.

“We live in an age when journalism and communication are perhaps more critical than at any other time in our nation’s history,” Pinkleton said. “In my mind, there is no more meaningful name in all of journalism than the Murrow name. Our faculty, staff and students take this responsibility seriously.”

The Communication Institute for Online Scholarship ranks the Murrow College as a top 10 research program in 21 of 99 research areas, while the NSF Higher Education Research and Development report ranks the Murrow College in the top 2% of communication programs for higher education research and development expenditures.

Based on WSU’s Pullman campus, the Murrow College of Communication also has programs on the university’s Everett and Vancouver campuses.

 

Media Contact:
• Daniel J. Bernardo, provost and executive vice president, 509-335-8915, provosts.office@wsu.edu.

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