Hatley Major named interim dean

IU Provost Lauren Robel announced Friday afternoon she will recommend the appointment of Lesa Hatley Major as interim dean of the School of Journalism.

Major, the journalism school’s senior associate dean, will succeed Michael Evans, who will leave June 30 to become provost and vice president of academic affairs of Unity College, according to a press release.

“Lesa is an admired teacher, scholar and journalist, with the respect of her colleagues in journalism,” Robel said in the release. “She has already been given responsibility, working closely with Associate Dean Bonnie Brownlee, to lead the transition planning for the school. This has permitted Interim Dean Michael Evans to focus on end-of-year responsibilities as he thinks about the transition to his new position at Unity College.”

Associate Dean Bonnie Brownlee said she expects Hatley Major will continue to bring her focus and enthusiasm to the school of journalism.

“She is someone who is quite forward-looking and is thinking about the future of our field, a broad field,” Brownlee said. “She’s got the confidence of her colleagues.”

In 2006, she earned her Ph.D. in mass communication and public affairs from Louisiana State University, where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the Manship School of Mass Communication.

She joined the School of Journalism that same year, instructing graduate and undergraduate courses since.

Major’s research has focused on health communication and public policy, as well as studying efforts to strengthen public support for policy changes regarding lung cancer, obesity and mental health.

She has also researched news messages about AIDS for African American audiences and creating public support for AIDS interventions.

“I am very excited about all of the opportunities ahead of us,” Major said. “I’m really looking forward to working with our faculty, our students, our alumni, our staff, and our colleagues in the College over this next year. I think there will be challenges for us, but I’m really positive and enthusiastic about the opportunities that will appear to us as we move through this next year and the merger.”

Major will begin as interim dean on July 1, according to the press release.

“Change is difficult for people, however, with change comes all of these opportunities,” Major said. “We’re going to move forward and make sure that we do everything to not only continue and preserve what the school of journalism has done for the last 100 years, but also continue to build programs and work for students. That’s what we do.”