Rosental Alves, who currently holds the Knight Chair in Journalism, is heading up the search committee. My hope is that this search will result in a leader who can engage our faculty and students with the considerable changes that journalism is undergoing in this age of technological development while at the same time staying true to the fundamental values of a solid professional education in journalism. I am very excited about these developments and look forward to witnessing first hand the future progress of our new School of Journalism. Wartella Receives Distinguished Scholar Award Ellen A. Wartella, Dean of the College of Communication, was elected to receive a National Communication Association Distinguished Scholar Award for 2000. The award is presented to a select group of individuals who have been recognized by their peers for a career of outstanding scholarship devoted to improving our understanding of human communication.
Colleagues assert that Wartella is among the most powerful public voices for communication.
She is a firm believer that academics must direct communication research in a manner that improves public life. Wartella's research supports this philosophy. She has conducted research on children and media since graduate school. She was co-principal investigator on the National Television Violence Study and is currently reviewing research on children and interactive media. She holds the Water Cronkite Regents Chair in Communication and Mrs. Mary Gibbs Jones Centennial Chair in Communication.