Leadership and Governance
The Annenberg School for Communication, the smallest of the 12 schools at the University of Pennsylvania, is governed through a collaborative structure that includes faculty, administrative leadership, and community representation.
Walter H. Annenberg Dean
The School is led by the Dean, who is also a tenured member of the ASC faculty. The Dean reports to the Provost and President of the University. In addition to University-wide responsibilities, the Dean is responsible for the physical, financial, and administrative management of the Annenberg School.
Position currently held by Sarah Banet-Weiser.
Dean's Advisory Groups
The Dean oversees all aspects of the School’s governance, including academic, administrative, and strategic leadership. In addition to chairing faculty meetings and the Faculty Executive Committee, the Dean leads several advisory groups.
Composed of faculty, Associate Deans, and academic staff, this group meets regularly to discuss cross-program policy, academic planning, and initiatives affecting students and faculty across the graduate and undergraduate programs.
Current Members: Kelly Fernández, Sandra González-Bailón, Litty Paxton, Rachel Pepper, Aswin Punathambekar, Katie Rawson, Basha Starr.
Made up of senior administrative staff, this group meets biweekly to address administrative and operational policies and initiatives related to IT, facilities operations, space, communication, library and media services, advancement, and more.
Current Members: Mandira Banerjee, Donna Burdumy, Richard Cardona, Kelly Fernández, Patricia Lindner, Deborah Porter, Katie Rawson, Eliza Walmsley.
Comprised of distinguished alumni, media scholars, and industry leaders, this board provides strategic counsel on the School’s current priorities and future direction.
Current Members: Emerson Coleman, M.A.C. '78, Brooke Duffy, Ph.D. '11, Jeffrey Gottfried, Ph.D. '12, Amie Hadden, B.A. '89, Shawnika Hull, Ph.D. '10, Christina Lee, C'00 W'00, Michael Persaud, W'90, Nikhil Sinha, Ph.D. '91, Amy Jo Smith, M.A.C. '88, Dannagal Young, Ph.D. '07.
Administrative and Academic Leadership
Faculty are appointed by the Dean to serve in key administrative roles that are essential to the School’s operations and strategic direction. These roles are designed to support the School’s research infrastructure, academic programs, and overall student experience. Each position carries distinct responsibilities that contribute to the holistic functioning of the Annenberg School:
Reporting to and appointed by the Dean of the School is the Vice Dean, a position filled by a member of the ASC standing faculty. Working with the Dean, the ASC standing faculty, and members of the ASC senior staff, the Vice Dean helps to build a research framework that supports collaboration and cohesion across the various research areas, centers, and labs in the School, and develops strategies to secure funding for the new infrastructure.
Position currently held by Emily Falk.
Reporting to and appointed by the Dean of the School is the Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies, a position filled by a member of the ASC standing faculty. Working with the Dean, the Doctoral Studies Committee, the Annenberg Graduate Student Council, and the ASC standing faculty, the Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies and their staff are responsible for the management of all aspects of the Ph.D. program, including admissions, curriculum, and professional development.
Position currently held by Sandra González-Bailón.
Reporting to and appointed by the Dean of the School is the Associate Dean for the Master's Program, a position filled by a member of the ASC standing faculty. Working with the Dean, the ASC standing faculty, and the Director of Graduate Programs, the Associate Dean and their staff are responsible for the management of all aspects of the master’s program, including admissions, curriculum, student services, advising and professional development.
Position currently held by Aswin Punathambekar.
Reporting to and appointed by the Dean of the School is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, a position filled by a Ph.D.-holding full-time staff member. Working with the Dean, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Undergraduate Studies Committee, and the standing faculty, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and their staff are responsible for the management of all aspects of the undergraduate program, including curriculum, course offerings, undergraduate advising, and cocurricular activities.
Position currently held by Litty Paxton.
Faculty Governance
The standing faculty play a central role in the governance of the School, providing input and making decisions on hiring, promotion, policy, and curricular matters. These decisions are made collectively during monthly faculty meetings chaired by the Dean, with agendas open to contributions from all faculty members. Faculty governance is further supported by a range of committees, including:
The Executive Committee is made up of four members of the standing faculty who are elected each year by the standing faculty. As the central representative body of the faculty, the Executive Committee meets regularly with the Dean to discuss policy and administrative matters related to all aspects of the School’s research, teaching, and service missions.
Current Committee members: Dolores Albarracín, David Lydon-Staley, Victor Pickard, Andy Tan.
Composed of the Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies and three elected members of the ASC standing faculty, this committee oversees Ph.D. admissions and the Qualification Evaluation process, and reviews proposed policy changes to the doctoral program.
Current Members: Sandra González-Bailón (Associate Dean), Desmond Patton, Aswin Punathambekar, Duncan Watts.
The Undergraduate Studies Committee is made up of two members of the ASC standing faculty, the ASC Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, and at least one non-standing faculty member. The committee advises the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies on policy and curricular issues regarding the undergraduate program.
Current Members: Deen Freelon, Litty Paxton (Chair), Basha Starr (ex-officio), Julia Ticona, Kim Woolf.
As established by University policy, the essential duties of the Communication Graduate Group are to design an academic program that meets the requirements of the students and the University for depth, breadth, and academic quality of the highest order, and to adapt the program in response to the challenges by and opportunities for new developments in the field; and establish well-defined academic standards and requirements that are rigorous and that ensure quality and encourage the free development of the scholarly abilities of individual students. These standards and requirements must be consistent with the intellectual style and spirit of the field and also with the minimum base requirements of the University, as established by the Graduate Council of the Faculties; and establish standards and procedures for admission of graduate students and the operation of an admissions program that will attract and admit students. Only members of the standing faculty, Associated Faculty, and Emeritus Faculty are eligible for membership in Graduate Groups at Penn. Currently, the Communication Graduate Group consists of all tenured and tenure-track members of the ASC standing faculty, and only they have voting rights on curricular matters. Emeritus Professors and Secondary Appointments have more limited involvement in the Communication Graduate Group, as decided by the standing faculty.
All members of the standing faculty are part of this committee.
The Curriculum Committee is responsible for approving any changes in the graduate curriculum and for approving individual courses offered in the program. The committee consists of all members of the ASC standing faculty (plus other members of the Communication Graduate Group who have been granted voting rights).
All members of the standing faculty are part of this committee.
Every other year, the Dean appoints two faculty members to select a recent graduate from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism as a Gerbner Postdoctoral Fellow. This fellowship is named after Annenberg School's former Dean, George Gerber.
Current Members: Yphtach Lelkes, Guobin Yang.
University-Mandated Appointments
In addition to School-level governance, faculty at the Annenberg School for Communication contribute to broader University governance through elected and appointed roles. These positions ensure that the ASC faculty are actively engaged in shaping policies and practices that affect the wider Penn community. Participation in these committees reflects the School’s commitment to academic freedom, shared governance, and institutional collaboration.
Responsible for all issues and grievances connected to academic freedom. Consists of three ASC faculty members elected by the ASC standing faculty (one-year terms).
Current Members: Dolores Albarracín (Alternative), Carolyn Marvin, Diana Mutz, Julia Ticona.
The University of Pennsylvania Faculty Senate is the body in which full-time teaching faculty members may “discuss and express their views upon any matter they deem to be of general interest to the faculty.” The Senate is expressly empowered to “request reports from the University administration,” and to “make recommendations directly to the President, the Provost, and the Trustees.” Its responsibilities are to routinely act for the Senate on substantive policy issues. The Annenberg School representative to the Senate Executive Committee is selected by the Senate based on nominations from the ASC faculty.
Current Representative: Yphtach Lelkes.
The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) is the official student government body for graduate and professional students at Penn, representing over 13,000 students across twelve schools. A representative is appointed by the ASC Graduate Student Council each year.
Current Representative: Devo Probol.
The Graduate Council of the Faculties is an advisory body to the Provost and the Associate Provost for Education. The Council assists in the evaluation of graduate programs by participating in or conducting periodic reviews, advising on policy matters related to the well-being of graduate education, advising on University-wide admissions and degree requirements for the Ph.D., A.M., and M.S. degrees, and certifying for the Trustees the candidates for the award of those degrees. ASC’s representative is a faculty member appointed by the Dean.
Current Representative: Damon Centola.
The Provost's Council on Research is an advisory committee to the Vice Provost for Research and plays an important role in formulating and implementing research policies at the University level. The Council is comprised of faculty representatives from each of the 12 Schools and meets monthly during the academic year. ASC’s representative to the Council is appointed from among the ASC faculty by the Dean.
Current Representative: Emily Falk.
Appointed each year by the Dean from one of the four elected members of the Executive Committee, the Faculty Search Advisor acts as an advisor for the faculty search process, with the goal of ensuring that faculty search processes are fair, open, and consistent with School and University policies and guidelines.
Position currently held by Andy Tan.
Community Committees
Annenberg fosters inclusive governance through community committees that include faculty, staff, and students. These committees focus on events, professional development, and building community.
The Events and Professional Development Committee advises the Dean on invited speakers to School-sponsored lectures, colloquia, and other scholarly events. It consists of three ASC faculty, one graduate student, and the ASC Director of Events.
Current Members: Harry Jameson Hudome, Luisa Klemm Jacobsen, Juan Llamas-Rodriguez, Diana Mutz.
This committee was created to support the School's efforts to build and sustain an inclusive culture and a shared sense of community. The committee is tasked with ensuring that ASC's internal culture-building efforts are inclusive of the numerous voices and stakeholders within the school while also furthering relationships and partnerships with the surrounding community. The committee is made up of faculty, staff, and student representatives chosen by the Dean and Graduate Student Council, respectively.
Current Members: Murali Balaji (Chair), Damon Centola, Matthew Conaty, Manny Mavroleon.
Graduate Student Governance
The Annenberg Graduate Council, elected annually by the Doctoral student body, represents student interests and promotes a collegial environment. The Council serves as a liaison between students and the faculty, staff, and administration.
Current Members: Gabriella Bellot, Kal Brown, Assil Frayha, Liz Hallgren, Sanjay Jolly, Cameron Moy, Bianca Perez, Cecilia Rabayda, Lauren Tokos.