The University of Iowa has appointed David Michael Ryfe to be director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Ryfe is currently on the faculty of the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he serves as academic chair. He will begin his UI appointment during summer 2014.

CLAS Dean Chaden Djalali says that he believes Ryfe is the ideal person to guide the school.

"David Ryfe will be a dynamic and innovative leader for our School of Journalism and Mass Communication," says Djalali. “Working closely with the school’s faculty, students, staff, and advisory board, David will build upon its national and international reputation for excellence in scholarly research and teaching. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is an essential University of Iowa program with a long history, and I am delighted that David Ryfe will be leading it into its future.”

Ryfe noted his respect for the school and says he is eager to join the faculty as director.

"Any school’s success is built on attracting exceptional students and excellent faculty, and surrounding them with a supportive community of alumni and others," Ryfe says. "The UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication has all of these elements. Disruption is happening all around—in media industries and in public higher education—but with its foundation solid, the school is positioned well to become stronger than ever.”

Ryfe’s most recent book, Can Journalism Survive? An Inside Look in American Newsrooms, was published in 2012 and examines the impact of the Internet on the future of democracy and journalism. The book was a finalist for the Tankard Book Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Ryfe’s book Presidents in Culture: The Meaning of Presidential Communication was published in 2005, and he is under contract for a book titled Journalism and the Public, with publication expected in summer 2015. Ryfe is also the author of numerous journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, and research monographs.

Ryfe earned a bachelor's degree in political science and literature/creative writing; master’s degrees in political science and communication; and a doctorate in communication, all from the University of California, San Diego. Before joining the faculty at University of Nevada, Reno, he held a professorship at Middle Tennessee State University and teaching positions at the University of California, Berkeley; and the University of California, San Diego.

Ryfe will succeed interim director Julie Andsager as head of the UI's School of Journalism and Mass Communication.