Rochelle L. Ford, Ph. D., APR
Dean, School of Communications
Elon University
In June 2018, Rochelle L. Ford, Ph.D., APR, became the dean of the School of Communications at Elon University, with about 1300 students majoring at the undergraduate level in strategic communications, media analytics, journalism, sport management, communication design and cinema and television arts and in corporate communications, organizational analytics and interactive media at the graduate level. From 2014-2018, she was a tenured professor and the chair of the Public Relations Department in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, responsible for all undergraduate and graduate public relations programs at this PRWeek top-ranked university. She also served as a Provost Faculty Fellow at Syracuse University responsible for co-chairing the University’s Middle States Accreditation process and implementing aspects of the Academic Strategic Plan. Having served as a faculty member at Howard University for 16 years, Dr. Ford has mentored hundreds of African American public relations professionals and championed the diversity agenda within the public relations industry through her research, grants, teaching and service. She is the co-editor of a two volume book series through IGI Global about the sustainability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In August 2014, she was inducted into Arthur W. Page Society and completed, with grant funding from the PRSA Foundation, an award-winning research study about diversity and inclusion best practices at Page Society member organizations.