Alexandra Murphy will serve as the interim dean for the College of Communication, effective July 1. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)Provost Salma Ghanem announced Alexandra Murphy will serve as the interim dean for the College of Communication. Murphy has been serving as acting dean for the college since 2018. Her interim appointment is effective July 1 and will be for two years.
“Lexa has served admirably as acting dean, during an exceptionally challenging time for the university," Ghanem says. “I'm grateful for her willingness to continue leading through this period of transition and know the college will be in good hands."
Prior to serving as acting dean, Murphy held a number of administrative roles in the College of Communication, including associate dean. She also has served as director of Communication Studies in the College of Communication and director of Community Service Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
A professor of communication studies, Murphy is a recognized scholar in organizational communication and culture. Her research focuses on the risks that can occur in organizational and social contexts when communication practices are taken for granted, reproduced or institutionalized. She has worked on organizational development issues and improving communication among airline crews and medical staff in emergency rooms. She has also worked extensively on public health communication programs for HIV/AIDS education in Kenya, as well as LGBTQ media advocacy in Kenya and Vietnam.
Murphy joined DePaul in 1998 and was inducted in the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Professors in 2011. She received her bachelor's in communication and political science, as well as a master's in communication, from the University of Utah. She holds a doctorate in communication from the University of South Florida.
“Communication is about community, and I remain inspired by the incredible dedication and care our faculty, staff and students demonstrated this past year. I've never been prouder to be part of the College of Communication," Murphy says. “It's an honor to continue leading the college during this time of transition."
A search will take place in time for a permanent dean to join DePaul by the 2023-24 academic year.