Daniel McDonald
Credit: Courtesy of OSU
The next School of Communication director has been selected.
Daniel McDonald is set to start his four-year term June 1, pending Board of Trustees approval, according to a School of Communication email obtained by The Lantern.
The director of 16 years, Carroll Glynn, is slated to serve her last day June 30, at which point she will continue as a professor in the school.
Glynn said Friday morning she is pleased with the selection of McDonald.
“I am very supportive of Dan as the next director, and will work closely with him during the transition so that the school can continue to grow and thrive under its new leadership,” Glynn said in an email.
Glynn noted she was not involved in the selection process, which was handled by faculty members and Gifford Weary, the divisional dean of social and behavioral sciences.
McDonald said in an email Friday morning he was out of town and could not comment until Monday.
OSU spokesman Gary Lewis provided a statement on behalf of Weary Friday afternoon. Weary cited McDonald’s experience and knowledge of the school as the main reason he was selected.
“For over 15 years, Dan McDonald has played a key role in the merger of OSU’s former School of Communication and the School of Journalism. He has deep knowledge of the changes that have taken place, and all that was required to enable the school to ascend to the top national ranks within the discipline,” the statement read. “He is the right person at this point in the history of the school to, along with his faculty, staff, and students, continue its forward momentum.”
Lewis said McDonald will earn a nine-month director salary of $137,676.
McDonald earned a base salary of $125,160 in 2013, while Glynn earned $229,008 in 2013.
McDonald has been an associate director of planning and strategic initiatives for the school since 2010, and a tenured professor at OSU since 1998. He teaches courses related to the history of communication and industry research methods, according to his school biography.
McDonald earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin in 1983.
Editor’s note: This story was updated May 9 to include Daniel McDonald’s new salary information and a statement from Gifford Weary.
