Ithaca welcomes two deans.     By Monica Watson ’12

Diane Gayeski ’74 has been chosen as the new dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications. An IC faculty member since 1979, Gayeski has served as interim dean of the Park School since June 2009.

 “Building on the core values that have made my own undergraduate degree and alumni network from here valuable and timeless, I will dedicate myself to ensuring that our past, current, and future Park students can carry on our tradition of excellence, creativity, and social responsibility,” she says.

Gayeski also wants to draw on the communications school’s loyal alumni base to encourage collaboration and engagement with students. She also plans to emphasize research and programs that explore media as a vehicle for social change and personal empowerment. “A number of students are interested in not only media but also in making a difference in the world,” Gayeski says. “I’d like to see if we can take on some of those issues and use our creativity in media, in telling stories, and in educating people to collaborate with other folks who have the content.”

Gayeski continues to work as a consultant with her firm, Gayeski Analytics, assist-ing organizations in evaluating and adopting new methods of communications and training. Recent clients include the U.S. Navy Fleet, MetLife, and U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Gayeski has written more than a dozen books, including Learning Unplugged: Using Mobile Technologies for Training and Performance Improvement.

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On July 1, Mary Ellen Zuckerman joined the IC community as dean of the School of Business. She earned her Ph.D. and M.B.A. from Columbia University. She is the author of Sources on the History of Women’s Magazines and A History of Popular Women’s Magazines in the United States, 1792–1995, and coauthor of The Magazine in America.

From 1999 to 2008, Zuckerman served as the dean of SUNY Geneseo’s School of Business. During her time there, the school was awarded accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and established a master’s degree program in accounting. She has taught marketing, organizational behavior, consumer behavior, and market research at Geneseo since 1985.

Zuckerman’s vision for Ithaca’s School of Business is to build on its already strong foundation by increasing internships and experiential learning so that each student is able to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom. She also sees the school’s move towards sustainability as a way to set Ithaca apart. “Sustainability in business is a field that is coming into its own,” she says. “I plan to work with the faculty to continue, and even accelerate, our efforts in infusing that into the curriculum.”

Zuckerman says that she is excited to have the opportunity to serve as dean of the business school and delighted to be joining the Ithaca College community. “The faculty, staff, and students have created an environment of academic excellence and innovation in the field of business education. I look forward to working with members of the school community to continue building a distinctive and high-quality School of Business.”