Emily T. Metzgar was named dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, following a national search, on July 1, 2026.
Metzgar previously served as professor and director of the School of Journalism and Media at Kent State University. Metzgar was named director of the School of Media and Journalism at Kent State University in 2020, providing leadership and oversight for more than 600 undergraduates, 30 specialized graduate students and nearly two dozen full-time faculty members. In that role, she guided a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening the school’s academic environment and student success.
Her leadership has included efforts to increase student retention, review course offerings and prerequisites, develop new minors and certificates, modernize facilities and create new channels for stakeholder communication. She also has directed accreditation and assessment efforts; supervised the development of new courses and programs at the graduate and undergraduate level with an emphasis on AI-forward, student-first outcomes; and oversaw fundraising for the school.
Metzgar brings a broad professional perspective to her work in media education, with a career that has spanned diplomacy, policy analysis, journalism and academia. Prior to joining Kent State, Metzgar was a faculty member at The Media School at Indiana University from 2008 to 2020, serving as director of the school’s honors program from 2015 to 2018 and director of undergraduate studies from 2018 to 2020. As director of undergraduate studies, Metzgar led all facets of undergraduate education for more than 2,000 students and drove curricular reform, launched new degrees and majors, and coordinated end-to-end course development.
Before embarking on her academic career, Metzgar was a blogger, podcaster, community columnist and contributing editor in Louisiana from 2002 to 2008. From 1997 to 1999 she was a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and China, serving at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. She also analyzed East Asian political-military issues as a research assistant for the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., from 1996 to 1997.
Metzgar’s scholarly research focuses on the intersection of media foreign policy and how shifts in the information environment shape public understanding of international affairs. She is the author of “The JET Program and the U.S.–Japan Relationship: Goodwill Goldmine” and co-editor of “The Course Reflection Project: Faculty Reflections on Teaching Service-Learning.” Her current book project is titled “The American Narrative: U.S. Information Diplomacy Since World War II.” Metzgar’s research has appeared in journals such as the International Journal of Communication, Journalism Practice, New Media & Society, and Political Communication, among others. Her commentary has appeared in such outlets as Columbia Journalism Review, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and The Conversation.
She is actively involved in professional leadership and service within journalism and communication education. Metzgar is the immediate past president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication and recently completed a two-year term on the board of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She also serves as a site team member for the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Metzgar holds a doctorate in media and public affairs from Louisiana State University, a master of arts degree in international politics from George Washington University, and a bachelor of arts degree in political science and French from the University of Michigan.
