The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has named Indian-born scholar Harsha Gangadharbatla interim dean of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. He will assume the leadership role on Aug. 1.
Gangadharbatla currently serves as senior associate dean for academic and faculty affairs and holds the title of Hugh Morton Distinguished Professor. He succeeds Raul Reis, who stepped down after four years as dean to return his attention to research and teaching. UNC plans to begin a search for a permanent dean in the coming months.
The appointment elevates a multidisciplinary educator with more than a decade of administrative experience in American higher education. Before joining UNC-Chapel Hill, Gangadharbatla held several leadership positions at the University of Colorado Boulder. He helped plan the College of Media, Communication and Information, the university’s first new college in 53 years, and later served as associate dean for faculty development.
Gangadharbatla was also the founding chair of Colorado’s Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design. That experience placed him at the center of curriculum development, faculty recruitment and efforts to connect communications education with changes in technology and the media industry.
His national professional service includes a term as president of the American Academy of Advertising and previous leadership of the advertising division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. His career honors include the Charles H. Sandage Award for Teaching Excellence and the William Payden Award for Faculty Excellence.
Gangadharbatla’s research examines technology in advertising, advertising’s role in society and environmental communication. He earned an undergraduate engineering degree from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology in India, followed by a master’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.
His selection gives UNC Hussman an experienced internal leader as the school prepares for its next permanent dean while continuing its journalism, media and strategic communication programs.
Key Takeaways About Harsha Gangadharbatla
- He will become interim dean of UNC Hussman on Aug. 1.
- He currently serves as a senior associate dean and distinguished professor.
- He has more than a decade of higher education leadership experience.
- He previously led advertising programs at the University of Colorado Boulder.
- His research connects advertising, technology, society and environmental communication.
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