Final journalism dean candidate to present April 16

LAWRENCE — Jennifer Vardeman, director of the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston, will be the final candidate in the University of Kansas School of Journalism & Mass Communications dean search. 

She will present her ideas and strategies for the school’s future from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. April 16 in 1020 Capitol Federal Hall. The presentation will also be livestreamed, and the online passcode is 421188.

Members of the KU community are encouraged to attend the presentation and provide candidate feedback to the search committee. Presentation recordings and online feedback forms for all candidates will remain available on the search page through April 21.

Additional search and candidate information can be found on the search page.

As director of UH’s School of Communication, Vardeman oversees 1,400 students, more than 50 faculty and staff and a $2.3 million budget. She provides leadership in institutional planning, fundraising, curriculum refinement, revenue generation and developing industry collaborations.

She is also a professor in the school.

With more than 35 published articles and chapters, Vardeman researches public relations in health contexts, emphasizing women’s health and how communication strategies can build trust, improve patient experiences and engage communities in public health initiatives.

Vardeman has collaborated with medical and community partners on projects ranging from improving women’s health communication to advancing culturally responsive Alzheimer’s disease education in Hispanic and Latino communities. She is currently a communication lead on projects funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

Vardeman earned her doctorate in communication and master’s degree in public relations from the University of Maryland at College Park and her bachelor’s degree in public relations from University of Texas at Austin.

The School of Journalism & Mass Communications Dean search committee, led by Stephen Mazza, dean of the School of Law, and Mary Banwart, associate vice provost of Faculty Affairs, will review all feedback and provide a report to Provost Arash Mafi. The university expects a new dean to be announced before the end of the spring semester.