Lavine Will Stay On As Medill Dean

By: E&P Staff John Lavine -- whose efforts to implement new curricula that melded journalism and marketing at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism include the possibility of changing its venerable name -- will stay on as dean after his initial appointment expires in 2009, the school announced Wednesday.

Northwestern President Henry Bienen said he had asked Lavine to stay on because "it is clear that we need John Lavine's leadership to carry these exciting but complicated efforts forward." Lavine has agreed to stay on, he said.

Bienen said Lavine was hired in 2006 to fast-track a dramatic change in curricula to move the school "to the forefront of journalism and integrated marketing communications in the digital age."

The sometimes controversial process of arriving at a new curricula culminates in 2009 when the faculty will vote on whether or not to adopt the educational plan.

"I am excited by what has been accomplished by John and everyone at
Medill," Bienen said in a statement. "They are setting a new standard for journalism and integrated marketing communications education in this country and globally. They've done it by developing new undergraduate and graduate curricula in record time. They've already implemented the
first iteration of the new curricula and will refine them over the
next two years."

Bienen also noted that Lavine had led efforts to expand Medill internationally, including an agreement with the Qatar Education Foundation to establish a j-school in Doha in the Arab nation.

Lavine and the dean of the Kellogg School of Business are also exploring the possibility of starting a joint school in India, Bienen said.

Last October, Lavine formed a committee to explore the possibility of changing the name of the j-school, but he said "Medill" would not be dropped from the school's name.

Founded in 1921, Medill is named after Joseph Medill, who bought an interest in the Chicago Tribune in 1854 and served as its editor. He was also mayor of Chicago for two years after the Chicago fire.