Mark Lodato

Appointed dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2020, Mark J. Lodato leads a team of some 200 faculty and staff at a school with approximately 2,400 students.

Lodato has reinforced the Newhouse School’s reputation as the premier school in its field, a forward-thinking institution that pivots to align with the needs of the fast-moving media and communications industries. Recognized as a prominent voice in higher education journalism and communications, Lodato serves along with a select number of deans on the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education, among other leadership positions.

Lodato added the Newhouse School’s first-ever executive director of instructional technology position in Fall 2023 to lead plans to design and implement technology strategies that ensure students have the skills needed to be job-ready after graduation. This follows efforts to expand professional partnerships that boost experiential learning opportunities with companies including BuzzFeed, Edelman, ESPN, the New York Post, PBS and other industry leaders.

The Newhouse School has seen record increases in diverse representation of students, faculty and staff since Lodato joined the school. He has invested more than $1 million in efforts to promote inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility.

Bolstering research and creative activity efforts has also been a priority under Lodato, aligning with Syracuse University’s top-flight status as an R1 research institution. Specifically, the school has committed to take a leading role in the research and national conversation around the responsible use of artificial intelligence in communications.

The focus on research complements the school’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and professional training, providing students another avenue to apply in-class lessons to resumé-building experiences outside the classroom.

Newhouse partnered with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs to launch the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship in Washington, D.C. This initiative will create opportunities for faculty thought leadership and collaborative research.

The launch of the IDJC is also a key element of a broader commitment to expand access to experiential learning opportunities for all Newhouse students at school programs in Washington, Los Angeles and New York City, as well as across the globe.

Lodato spearheaded plans to launch a new Esports Communications and Management bachelor’s program in 2024 in partnership with the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. It will be among the first of its kind at a major university, meeting a growing need for communications professionals in a burgeoning industry.

Affirming Newhouse’s reputation for academic excellence and preparing students for career success, an April 2023 reaccreditation report lauded the school as one of the “very best” for mass communications. Lodato also led Newhouse as the school formulated a five-year strategic plan that focuses on how engaged digital citizenship will drive the future of journalism and mass communications.

Besides serving on the Carnegie-Knight initiative, Lodato represents the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC) on the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). He also is a member of the Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Steering Committee.

Lodato joined the Newhouse School after more than 14 years at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he served as associate dean and associate general manager at Arizona PBS. There, he established new partnerships with leading media corporations and oversaw broadcast news operations, including the national award-winning “Cronkite News.” Under his leadership, Cronkite School broadcast students consistently ranked among the nation’s best in premier journalism competitions.

Lodato spent 16 years as an award-winning television reporter and anchor for network affiliate television stations in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Phoenix and Fort Myers, Florida. A native of Menlo Park, California, Lodato holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Arizona State.