By Hunter Samuelson
Contributing Writer
The Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication named Richard Lee, professor in the journalism school, the director of the Integrated Marketing Communication graduate program. Lee will continue to teach his undergraduate courses; however, his undergraduate advisees will be assigned to other journalism and mass communication faculty.
In June of 2014, Brother Basil Valente, creator and former director of the IMC program, accepted a position with the Holy Name Province in NYC. Pauline Hoffmann, Dean of the Journalism and Mass Communication school, said Lee was the first person she thought of to take over.”Dr. Lee has already had an influence on the program. He has been instrumental in molding the fall classes in our Buffalo Center, main campus, and online cohorts,” Dean Hoffmann said.
Prior to becoming director, Lee was an active participant in the IMC program. He served as a faculty judge for IMC student presentations, and for the last three years, he has taught an online IMC course. Lee has been teaching in the IMC program since he started in 2011.
According to Lee, the decision to accept the position was a swift one, made overnight.
“I knew things had to move quickly, otherwise there would have been no leader,” Lee said. “It will be a lot of administrative work, making sure the students have the courses they need. I will be the adviser to the IMC students. They have different issues as grad students.”
Lee does not want to change anything immediately because he believes it is already a great program. However, he knows there will be challenges.
“The communication field changes rapidly, and my biggest challenge as director will probably be making sure the courses offered stay current with changes in the field,” Lee said.
Although he knows it’s already a lucrative program, Lee said he is eager to add his own personal flavor to the program.
“I see a great spirit of camaraderie among the students,” Lee said. “They feed off each other and bounce ideas off each other. The context of the program is going to be helpful once they graduate and get out into the work force.”
According to Hoffmann, she and Lee have already discussed ideas to improve the program. However, Lee said it will be difficult to leave his much-cherished undergraduate advisees.
“I’ve been their adviser for three years, so I’ve definitely built up a relationship with them,” Lee said.
Lee holds a B.A. in English from St. Bonaventure University, and an M.A. in public media arts from Montclair State University. He received his Ph.D. in media studies from Rutgers University.
