Syracuse University has appointed Mark Lodato to serve as dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the university announced Monday.

Lodato, currently the associate dean of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, will step into the role of dean on July 1, according to an SU News release. The Board of Trustees Executive Committee approved his appointment.

Newhouse began the search for its next permanent dean in July after former dean Lorraine Branham died of cancer in April. Branham led the school for 11 years. Amy Falkner has served as interim dean since April.

“Dean Branham was certainly a force in journalism education and communication,” Lodato said in an interview with The Daily Orange. “It’s incredibly important to me that we, and I specifically, continue on this great path of upward trajectory for the Newhouse School.”

As dean of Newhouse, Lodato will manage financial resources and oversee curriculum and enrollment, according to the release. He will also report to Interim Provost John Liu and serve on the Chancellor’s Council and Academic Deans’ Cabinet.

Student success is Lodato’s first priority, he said. He would like to hear from students, faculty and staff about their experiences at Newhouse, as well as their ideas for continued growth at the school, he said.

“I hope that students come to find that I’m a highly student-centric leader, in other words my door is always open,” Lodato said. “I’m really looking forward to listening to the Newhouse community.”

During his time at the Cronkite School, Lodato taught newscast production and television reporting courses and helped create partnerships with major media outlets, including ABC News and Fox Sports, according to the release.

Lodato is most proud of the Cronkite School’s efforts to grow its student body and increase diversity in recent years, he said. The school has initiated outreach within the indigenous community and among transfer students, he said.

“I think it’s critically important that you work hard to ensure there are systems and people in place to help students feel included so they can be successful no matter what their background is or when they arrive on campus,” he said.

In selecting Lodato, Newhouse has found a leader to move the school forward, Liu said in the release. Lodato’s appointment comes nearly two months after Liu announced at a February forum that the Newhouse search committee had not yet found a viable candidate for dean. 

Liu offered the position to Lodato in early February, which Lodato and his family did not accept at the time, Liu said Monday in a school-wide email to Newhouse students. Lodato later contacted Liu on Feb. 22 to accept the position at Newhouse, if available, Liu said.

Lodato was also one of four finalists applying to be dean of ASU in February, according to The State Press. Sonya Forte Duhé, a director at Loyola University New Orleans’ School of Communication and Design, was chosen for the position March 6, azcentral.com reported.

“Syracuse is an amazing institution and was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up,” Lodato said. “I’ve gotten to know Provost Liu over several months, and it simply seemed like the best fit for me.”

Lodato earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master of education from ASU, according to the release. He began his career as a broadcast journalist, working as an investigative reporter, anchor and political correspondent at network affiliates across the country.

Both Newhouse and SU have a legacy of “amazing” leadership, including that of Branham and former dean David Rubin, Lodato said. The school is poised for success because of the work of its previous leaders, and he’s humbled to follow after them, he said.

“I think it’s a wonderful match for me, and I’m excited to get started,” Lodato said.

Published on March 23, 2020 at 10:56 am

Contact Emma: esfolts@syr.edu