Kristen Eichhorn named dean of graduate studies at SUNY Oswego
Published
March 27, 2017
SUNY Oswego has appointed Dr. Kristen Campbell Eichhorn, a former Presidential Faculty Fellow and chair of communication studies, as dean of graduate studies, effective July 1.
Currently completing an American Council on Education Fellowship at Cornell University, Eichhorn succeeds Dr. Mary C. Toale, interim dean of the Division of Graduate Studies since December, who returns to her role as professor and chair of communication studies.
Promoted to full professor in 2014, Eichhorn has a distinguished record of teaching, research and service in her nearly 10 years with the college, including serving as one of two senators to the SUNY-wide Faculty Senate.
In her role in the President's Office, Eichhorn has been involved with reviewing, devising and implementing college-wide policies and procedures, including diversity and inclusion training, family leave and lactation rooms, faculty and staff search processes, and child protection policies. She has served on the steering committee preparing the college's next report to the Middle States Association accrediting body.
During her time at Cornell, Eichhorn has participated in working groups on issues including strategic planning, internationalization, public engagement, faculty development and diversity. She has also guest lectured in a graduate biomedical engineering course on health communication, facilitated a panel on leadership and led discussions with senior women faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
As interim dean of extended learning, she led SUNY Oswego's efforts to enhance the continuing education efforts of nontraditional students, supervising instructional designers of online courses, veteran services and undergraduate and graduate course offerings. She developed a program on campus to meet new state-mandated requirements for teaching certification and contributed to the college's application for branch campus status for SUNY Oswego in Syracuse.
Serving as chair of communication studies for four years, Eichhorn provided leadership for 43 full- and part-time faculty, support personnel and professional staff, as well as more than 850 students in four undergraduate programs. She led the development of newly crafted, measurable student learning outcomes and three-year assessment plans and supervised the acquisition of new technology and the update of facilities.
Eichhorn's many publications include two editions as co-author of the well-regarded textbook "Interpersonal Communication: Building Rewarding Relationships." She also has published research in such journals as the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Human Communication and International Journal of Leadership Studies.
Director last year of the Eastern Communication Association's James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond Undergraduate Scholars Conference, Eichhorn also serves as director for educational relations of the International Society of Communication Science and Medicine.
Eichhorn received her bachelor's degree in communication studies and Spanish from Canisius College, master's in communication research from West Virginia University and doctorate in communication research from the University of Miami. She was a 2013 participant in the American Council on Education's Regional Women’s Leadership Forum.
The Division of Graduate Studies offers degree and certificate programs in all four of SUNY Oswego's colleges and schools: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education and the School of Communication, Media and the Arts. For more information, visit oswego.edu/gradstudies.