Erin McCarthy Appointed Interim Chair of Communication

PhotoPhoto credit: Kaylie Slack
Columbia College Chicago is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Erin McCarthy as Interim Chair of the Communication Department.

Dr. McCarthy has previously served the institution as Acting Chair and Interim Chair of the Humanities, History, and Social Sciences Department, and participated in the initial development of the Core Curriculum during the implementation of Columbia’s most recent strategic plan.

Dr. McCarthy is known for her work as a nationally recognized oral historian and has trained Columbia students in methodologies which have resulted in her students contributing more than 200 transcribed interviews to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. Dr. McCarthy is also known for her popular courses including “Oral History: The Art of the Interview” and “Baseball in History & Literature: A Contested Narrative.”

As Interim Chair, Dr. McCarthy plans to continue the work of former chair, Suzanne McBride, to strengthen collaborations with other departments in the School of Media Arts, to explore possible collaborations across the college, and to increase student recruitment and retention at the undergraduate and graduate level. “My past experience working with the Communication Department has been incredibly positive,” Dr. McCarthy notes. “I continue to be impressed with [members of the department’s] willingness to work with each other and their dedication to their students—and I am grateful for the warm welcome I have received.”

"Erin has the administrative acumen and experience to step into the role and help us strategize for the future. Erin served as one of the key authors of both the BA Communication and the MA Civic Media [programs] and has been actively contributing to both programs since their inception,” says Dean Eric Freedman. “I am confident Erin will be a faithful steward and advocate for the department, and will work closely with faculty, staff and students to elevate the department’s profile, deepen college-wide collaborations, and build on an already strong foundation of industry partnerships.”

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Rhiannon Koehler
Communications Manager
rkoehler@colum.edu

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