January 7, 2016

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Dr. Kimo Ah Yun is longtime faculty member, administrator at Sacramento State

MILWAUKEE — Dr. Kimo Ah Yun, associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters and a professor of communication studies at California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State), has been named the next dean of the Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University President Michael R. Lovell announced today. Ah Yun will begin in his new role on July 1.

"I'm pleased to have Dr. Ah Yun join Marquette's leadership team as our dean of the Diederich College of Communication," President Lovell said. "He is a thoughtful and progressive teacher, researcher and administrator, which positions him perfectly to move the college forward in new and innovative ways."

Ah Yun, who joined the faculty at Sacramento State in 1996, has been associate dean since 2012. Prior to that he was chair of the Department of Communication Studies and previously served as the director for the university's Center for Teaching and Learning. An expert in interpersonal communication, instructional communication and social influence, Ah Yun is also a Sacramento State alumnus — he earned his bachelor's degree in communication studies there. He received his master's degree in speech from Kansas State University and his Ph.D. in communication from Michigan State University.

The recipient of numerous top research paper awards, Ah Yun has also been lauded for his teaching, having won the Outstanding Teaching Award in Sacramento State's College of Arts and Letters, as well as the Lambda Pi Eta communication honor society's Outstanding Teaching Award.

"The Diederich College of Communication has a long and storied history. It is a great honor to be given the opportunity to be the dean of such an accomplished college," Ah Yun said. "I look forward to working with college faculty, students, staff and alumni to find new ways to connect the college to the community and enhance an already outstanding student experience."

"The Diederich College of Communication has a solid foundation and substantial momentum from which to build," Provost Dan Myers said. "With his innovative approach to teaching and curriculum design, and his deep leadership experience, Dr. Ah Yun is exactly the right person to take the college to the next level. I want to thank the search committee for its thorough and thoughtful work in helping select Dr. Ah Yun as the next Diederich College dean."

"The pool of candidates for this search was strong and impressive," said Dr. Sarah Feldner, associate dean of communication and chair of the search committee. "The breadth and depth of Dr. Ah Yun's experience in the field of communication and his knowledge of higher education trends made him stand out as the best person to lead the Diederich College of Communication. The search committee is confident that his leadership will help raise the profile of the college and support the excellent work of its students, faculty and staff."

Ah Yun succeeds Dr. Lori Bergen, who left Marquette last April to become the founding dean of the College of Media, Communication and Information at the University of Colorado – Boulder. Dr. Ana Garner, professor of journalism and media studies, will continue to serve as the interim dean until Ah Yun takes office in July.