The vacant positions of dean of the College of Arts and Media and director of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications have finally been filled, according to an announcement released on Monday, April 3.

Dr. Maria P. Gindhart will assume the position of dean of the College of Arts and Media, and has previously served as associate dean of the College of Arts at Georgia State University. Dr. Rob Quicke, prior to his appointment as director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, served as a tenured professor of communications and chair of the communications department at William Paterson University.

Before her experience at GSU, Gindhart was the associate director of the Earnest G. Welsh School of Art and Design and co-wrote a grant to fund WomanLeads in the Arts. She received her master’s and Ph.D. in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College.

Quicke founded College Radio Day and also served as the manager at New Jersey radio station WPSC 88.7. He received his Ph.D. in communications from Regent University, his master’s in radio from Goldsmiths’ College and his bachelor’s and master’s in English language and literature from Oxford University. 

Regarding the appointments, Dr. Avi Mukherjee, provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs, said in the announcement, “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Gindhart and Dr. Quicke to Marshall University. Their expertise and leadership will be invaluable in advancing the mission of the College of Arts and Media and the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.”

The announcement was made after both were listed as finalists following a national search that began last semester. Other faculty vacancies are still expected to be named.