The University of Texas at Austin pulled the trigger on its latest academic appointment, with Rachel Davis Mersey stepping in as the full-time dean of the Moody College of Communication. Mersey, who's been keeping the dean's seat warm since last June, had previously held court as the associate dean for research after joining the Longhorn family in 2020, as reported by UT Austin News.
Her stint as interim dean saw the ten-year mark of the Moody Foundation's naming gift, and with it, she's been at the forefront of bolstering programs and promoting well-being among the college's community. “With Rachel as the Moody College of Communication’s new dean, we have a dynamic leader with the experience, knowledge, and ability to adapt and innovate so the college remains at the forefront of the varied fields it encompasses,” UT President Jay Hartzell was quoted saying in the UT Austin News piece.
Before her role in Austin, Mersey had left her mark at Northwestern University, where she lent her expertise not only as a professor but also as associate dean for research within the Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications. She held additional appointments, ticking off positions in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and Social Policy, and the Institute for Policy Research during her tenure.
“I am deeply humbled to be selected to serve as the next dean of the Moody College of Communication as we look forward to the exciting future of our changing media industries,” Mersey declared, in a statement obtained by UT Austin News. She's not new to the hustle of higher education and media, with a resume boasting over 15 years of service, which includes time as a professional journalist pounding the pavement for The Arizona Republic.
Her academic prowesses are not to be overlooked either. Mersey holds a doctoral hat from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a journalist's pen from Northwestern University, coupling these with a communicator's voice from Wake Forest University. She's put these tools to use, focusing her research on public engagement with news, the ripple effects of emerging tech in journalism, and applying artificial intelligence to peel back the curtain on court records. Adding to her list of credentials, she's the author of several books diving into the heart of journalism and mobile media landscapes.
Mersey takes the reins from Jay Bernhardt, who has since picked up the presidential mantle at Emerson College after a run that saw Moody's clout and coffers grow significantly under his leadership. As Mersey steps into her tenure, Austin's eyes are firmly on her to broadcast the next chapter for this beacon of communication education.
