Journalism faculty member Paul Mihailidis was named the interim dean of the School of Communication, the provost announced in an email to the Emerson community on April 25.
Effective July 1, Mihailidis, a civic media and journalism professor, will succeed the current dean of the School of Communication, Brent Smith in the position. Smith will serve as Emerson’s associate vice president for executive education, in line with the college’s strategic plan goals.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to support the School of Communication at Emerson College as Interim Dean. I want to thank Professor Brent Smith for his stewardship as our Dean, and for all he brought to the SOC during his tenure in this role,” Mihalidis said in a statement to The Beacon.
The School of Communication is Emerson’s second-largest school after the School of the Arts, housing majors in communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, journalism, and marketing communication. In 2023, it accounted for roughly a third of the total student population.
Mihalidis will serve as interim dean for the 2025-26 academic year as the college plans to launch an external search for a permanent dean, provost and vice president for academic affairs Alexandra Socarides wrote in an email announcing Smith’s new appointment.
During the search for an interim appointment, Socarides encouraged School of Communication faculty and staff to submit possible candidates and desired qualities for appointees. She confirmed to The Beacon that only internal faculty candidates were considered for the position.
Mihalidis, currently a faculty advisor to the provost and graduate program director in media design, has previously served as the assistant dean in the School of Communication and associate and acting chair of the journalism department. In addition to these positions, he fills “many other important department, school, and college-wide service obligations,” the announcement said.
Mihailidis is also a leadership member and co-chair of the content team for EmersonTogether, an initiative intended to “build a stronger, more equity-centered Emersonian community.” The initiative was launched last August following the arrests of 118 protesters during a pro-Palestine encampment on campus, and has elicited divisive reactions from students and staff, with some saying it silenced free speech in its programming, while others have praised it for creating dialogue and helping to curb antisemitism on campus.
Mihailidis has “a strong track record of academic excellence,” Socarides wrote in her announcement, referencing Mihailidis’ extensive publications on topics of civic media and media in books and outlets. According to the email, he has brought $1.3 million in grants and awards to Emerson through his work and has been the recipient of the National Researcher of the Year award from the National Association of Media Literacy Education.
“I look forward to continuing to serve our community, to support our students, faculty, and staff in their pursuits, and help the School of Communication maintain its position as a leading space for teaching and learning across our programs,” Mihailidis said in his statement.
