Regina Luttrell Named Senior Associate Dean of Newhouse School
Regina Luttrell, an innovative educator, distinguished scholar and experienced academic leader with a track record of championing research, has been named senior associate dean of the Newhouse School.
She moves up to the No. 2 leadership position at Newhouse following more than 2 1/2 years as the associate dean for research and creative activity. In her new role, Luttrell will work with the Newhouse community on a variety of schoolwide initiatives, serve as deputy to Dean Mark J. Lodato and represent the school externally in the dean’s absence.
“Regina Luttrell excels at fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, leading complex research projects and advocating for faculty,” Lodato said Wednesday in announcing the promotion. “I am confident that Gina, as senior associate dean, will strengthen our already robust efforts to help students meet 21st-century communications challenges.”
Luttrell will continue to lead efforts to promote research and creative activity as part of her portfolio, which will expand to include oversight of the Newhouse School’s centers and institutes. She will also coordinate Newhouse initiatives to study the impact and responsible use of artificial intelligence, along with other emerging technologies that have proliferated the media industry and daily life.
Luttrell boasts a history of effectively managing innovative projects, including the creation of a thorough five-year plan that enhanced research and creative endeavors throughout Newhouse. She led the implementation of fresh platforms aimed at fostering research and creative activity under the umbrella of “Newhouse Impact,” encompassing a magazine, podcast and symposiums. She spearheaded the development of programs that helped to provide funding for faculty to push research and creative efforts forward, including internal grants, resource reinvestment funds and a summer stipend program.
In July, the school also launched the Newhouse Summit, which fosters collaborative dialogues and knowledge dissemination.
Newhouse has seen an increase in external funding since Luttrell became associate dean in 2021, with faculty bringing in $3.5 million thanks in part to expert grant writing assistance, grant management and educational workshops.
Luttrell has played an instrumental role in organizing changes to the Ph.D. program in mass communications and the media studies master’s program to enrich the academic experience and help position students for success in evolving media landscapes. She is currently leading efforts to develop the first online undergraduate degree for Newhouse in strategic communications and data analytics.
“Stepping into the position of senior associate dean is a privilege that I am deeply honored to accept,” said Luttrell, an associate professor of public relations who joined the Newhouse School in 2017.
“I am excited to contribute to the growth and success of our vibrant Newhouse community while continuing to foster excellence and innovation,” she added.
Luttrell’s research interests focus on PR, artificial intelligence, data analytics, a multigenerational workforce and the intersection of social media with society. In addition to successes in securing external funding for research initiatives, Luttrell has contributed broadly within her area of scholarship, authoring more than a dozen books, publishing in academic and professional journals, and presenting at domestic and international conferences.