Ithaca College

Submitted on behalf of Dean Diane Gayeski:

It is with great sadness that I share the news that John Keshishoglou, founding dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications and an internationally recognized communications consultant, passed away on Wednesday, August 24, at the age of 79 after a lengthy illness.

Funeral services are planned for 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 3, at St Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church, 120 West Seneca Street, Ithaca.

Keshishoglou—known as “Dr. Kesh” to generations of IC communications students—came to the college in 1965 as chairman of the Department of Television-Radio and director of the Instructional Resources Center. When the School of Communications was created in 1971 he was elected dean, a post he held until 1979.

Under his leadership the school grew in size and scope, establishing what are now known as the Department of Cinema, Photography, and Media Arts and Department of Strategic Communication, as well as a professional video production unit, now known as Park Productions.

In 1967 Dr. Kesh brought Rod Serling to campus as a visiting professor, and he taught regularly at the school until his death in 1975. Dr. Kesh was a founding member of the committee that organizes the school’s Rod Serling Conference, serving as its keynote speaker in 2008. He developed a student exchange program with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and served as president of the college’s chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi honorary society.

Though he formally retired in 2000 and was named professor emeritus of television-radio in 2003, Dr. Kesh worked with the Park Scholars and continued to teach courses until this past year. 

Dr. Kesh earned his Ph.D. in mass media and instructional design from Syracuse University, M.A. from the University of Iowa and B.A. from Morningside College. He was the author of four books and dozens of articles, and presented papers at a number of international conferences and symposia. He also produced and directed many educational and corporate films/tapes and documentaries.

An expert on international and intercultural communications, Dr. Kesh was a three-time recipient of senior Fulbright research awards. He served as a consultant and traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia on behalf of the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development and the United Nations and its specialized agencies UNDP, UNESCO and UN-FAO.

Because of Dr. Kesh’s global outlook and belief that media must be grounded in the principles of social responsibility, the Park School established the John Keshishoglou Center for Global Communications Innovation in spring 2011. The center sponsors an annual mini-course and international media competition, Media for Social Respnsibility; supports faculty and students in undertaking international scholarship and creative activity; and will house the proposed global executive master’s degree in communications innovation.

I know the Park School and the rest of the Ithaca College community join me as we mourn the loss of our friend and colleague, and extend our deepest condolences and best wishes to Dr. Kesh’s family.