Teresa Mastin, chairperson of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations in the College of Arts and Sciences will be recommended to serve as Interim Dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
Mastin will serve as interim dean designee beginning on May 16, and the recommendation will be submitted for the MSU Board of Trustees’ consideration at its June meeting. She will follow Dean Prabu David, who has chosen to step down from the role of dean but will continue to serve the university as Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Staff Development and Interim Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Teresa over the last five years, and her dedicated leadership and knowledge of the college will provide continuity during this time of transition,” said David.
In addition to her position as chairperson of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Mastin is the Vice President for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), an editorial board member for Health Communication and The Howard Journal of Communications, and an elected member of IPR ELEVATE, a diverse community of innovators and catalysts for growth, change, and advancement. She serves as an AEJMC board member and as an advisory board member for SQ Scholars. She was a Big Ten Academic Alliance Leadership Fellow in the 2021-22 cohort and has also served on the following boards: Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR); Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4); and HerStory Centre, working together for self-reliance (Nairobi, Kenya).
“Since her 2018 arrival in ComArtSci, Dr. Mastin has proven to be a leader who cares genuinely and deeply about fostering the success and missions of both the college and university, as well as the people working toward fulfilling those missions,” said MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “I am grateful for her willingness to step into this interim leadership role until a new dean is seated.”
Mastin's primary research interests include sustained dialogue as a tool for community action, media advocacy as a public relations tool, and media coverage of health issues related to women and vulnerable populations, especially among individuals residing in struggling urban communities and low-income countries.
Mastin introduced sustained dialogue to Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine students, to the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences community, and to MSU students who participated in the inaugural Visual Storytelling in Kenya Study Abroad, May 2022.
In her previous role as Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2015 - 2018), Mastin completed a Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and was the School's Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) certified administrator. Mastin frequently presented diversity and inclusion and cultural competency talks, workshops, and grand rounds, LGBTQ safe space trainings, and taught sustained and intergroup dialogue courses that addressed important issues, e.g., racial climate/privilege; sexual misconduct/harassment in the medical profession. Mastin holds a Ph.D. in Mass Media from Michigan State University.
“I have always considered it a great honor and privilege to serve as chair of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, and I also consider it a great honor and privilege to serve as Interim Dean in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences,” said Teresa Mastin. “As interim dean, I look forward to continuing to carry the college forward with its strategic plan, advancing student success, growing capacities for innovation and entrepreneurship, and fostering our research and creative works.”
A national search for the next dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences is currently underway with plans to select a candidate by the end of the calendar year.
By Allison Eason