Faculty & Staff

Faculty are committed to teaching excellence. As an accrediting team once summarized, “Students were highly enthusiastic about the School, describing it as a very close-knit community of faculty, students and staff. Many reported having chosen Drake specifically because of the School. Students praised the faculty members for their teaching ability, caring advising, and general interest in student well-being. The journalism students consider themselves the envy of the rest of campus and are proud of that status.”

All faculty in the SJMC combine academic credentials with practical experience in the fields in which they teach. In addition, faculty hold leadership positions in a number of education and professional organizations.

Dean’s Office

Catherine M. Staub, Ed.D., dean and professor
Kelly Bruhn, Ph.D., APR, associate dean and professor
Mallory Quinn, assistant dean
Timm Pilcher, student professional and academic support specialist 
Ray Fredregill, multimedia engineer and lecturer
Kate Busch, administrative assistant

Advertising and Digital Media Production
Sandy Henry, professor
Ryan Stoldt, Ph.D., assistant professor
Lakshmi Tirumala, assistant professor

Public Relations and Strategic Political Communication 
Eric Kwame Adae, Ph.D., assistant professor 
Kelly Bruhn, Ph.D., APR, associate dean and professor
Mu He, Ph.D., assistant professor
Jennifer Glover Konfrst, APR, associate professor
Amy Lorentzen McCoy, assistant professor

Magazine and Brand Media
Jeff Inman, associate professor
Jennifer Wilson, Fisher-Stelter Chair of Magazine Journalism

Multimedia Journalism
Jill Van Wyke, associate professor
Chris Snider, associate professor 

SJMC Faculty Handbook - December 2023