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Fall 2008 | Return to issue home

From the Chairs

JERRY BALDASTY

Jerry Baldasty

The Department of Communication had a successful year in 2007-08. We created several new scholarships, including one honoring long-time UW Communication Professor Don Pember. Thanks very much to the alumni and friends who have made these scholarships possible, and especially to alumnae Maggie Walker, Micki Flowers and Lisa Cohen for their efforts on the Pember scholarship. Three faculty were promoted in 2007-08: Crispin Thurlow and Phil Howard both received tenure and became associate professors; Doug Underwood was promoted to professor. In spring 2008, we sponsored a conference on journalism and global health; our conference partners included the UW Department of Global Health, the Neiman Foundation, The Seattle Times, Seattle P-I, and the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.

On Aug. 1, I joined the UW Graduate School staff and will be serving as the interim dean and vice provost until Jan. 1, 2009. During this period, Professor David Domke will be the acting chair of the Department. Dave is a leading scholar in political communication, author of two books and the recipient of UW's top teaching honor, the Distinguished Teaching Award. As acting chair, he'll work hard to keep our momentum going, so I am delighted that he's willing to take the job. I will return to the Department as soon as we have a new Graduate School dean.

My thanks to the alumni and friends who have done so much for the Department of Communication — through your mentorship of students and contributions to our program. Our students are the beneficiaries of your support, so thank you for helping them.

DAVID DOMKE

David Domke

The Department of Communication underwent a significant review in autumn 2007. Faculty and staff spent months preparing a detailed report about our research and teaching, and then faculty experts in Communication from peer universities came to the UW to meet with the president, provost, deans and Department faculty, staff and students. When these visitors were done with their work, they submitted an evaluation of the unit.

The review could not have gone better.

On measure after measure, the Department was evaluated in highly positive terms. In a nutshell, the reviewers said Communication is a site of important research, innovative teaching, collegial faculty and engaged students. One senior campus leader described the review team's assessment of the Department as the most favorable evaluation this person had ever seen. A copy of the review can be found at: www.com.washington.edu/Program/news/policies/policyTenYearReview.doc.

The review team had some suggestions for improvement, of course. There is much that the Department can do better — we can be more efficient, more effective and more creative, but we're on the right track.

It's in this environment that I will serve, for a short time, as the Department's chair. Jerry Baldasty will be interim dean for the Graduate School for a few months, and then will return as chair. My goal is simple: Keep it steady as we go.

Fall 2008 | Return to issue home