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Dean Erica Austin |
PULLMAN – The Samuel H. Smith Leadership award winner this year is Erica Austin of the Murrow College of Communication. Her nomination packet was one of the most impressive ones in the history of the award: It contained 17 pages of letters written on her behalf by faculty colleagues, staff, and former Ph.D. students.
“I can’t express how much it has meant to me that my colleagues would write such nice things on my behalf,” Austin said. “I am acutely aware that nobody can accomplish truly great things alone, so I believe it’s’ important to always let other people know how much you appreciate them.”
Erica joined WSU as an Assistant Professor in 1989 after completing her doctorate at Stanford University. She was tenured, received early promotion to Professor, and most recently has directed the transition of the Murrow School of Communication to the Murrow College of Communication, where she now serves as Dean.
She is a noted scholar in the field of mass communication, specializing in the role of the media and related influences in individuals’ decision-making processes, particularly in health and public affairs contexts. Much of her program of research documents adolescents’ decision-making regarding tobacco use, alcohol abuse and sexual health.
One of her research collaborators wrote that she “has advised a number of federal and state health agencies about ways to increase the effectiveness of their prevention campaign work. Her record of funded research is impressive, easily eclipsing that of any other faculty member in the College of Communication.” Her previous awards include the Krieghbaum Under-40 Award of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for scholarly contributions to advance the mass communication field and the Annual Award for Prevention from the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
Her colleagues credit her “truly extraordinary leadership and vision” and note “Dean Austin’s leadership of the Murrow College of Communication over the past two years has been transformative in the truest sense of the word. Her leadership skills were tested in nearly every way possible as she shepherded the transition of the unit into the Murrow College of Communication.” Another comments that in taking over as Director of the Murrow School at a difficult time and leading it to college status, “she faced more crises than most administrators face in a lifetime. In each, she maintained her gentleness of spirit, her kind hearted support of others in spite of our many flaws and shortcomings, and her humor…It is a testament to Dean Austin’s competence that most of us have no idea of how many … crises she has faced during her term as a leader of our School/College. Instead, what we see is a cheerful smile, a gentle sense of humor, and a reliably kind and humane leader.” Still another observes, “She is quick to identify problems, quick to find innovative solutions, and quick to give credit to others for their contributions. She accomplishes all her tasks with apparent ease.”
A member of her staff has found that “Erica is one who never will back down from a challenge or be intimidated by the enormous challenges ahead” and summarizes by saying “her staff have the highest regard for her and genuinely believe in her.”
A faculty colleague who has long been very active in AFW indicates “she provides a very powerful role model to faculty women.”
Finally, a former Ph.D. student now in a tenure-track position at a major university says that “Dr. Austin provides wonderful advice to graduate students, particularly female graduate students who are in the process of pursuing a career in higher education…I will be forever grateful for her positive influences on me.”
