Two Women Among the Four Finalists for Dean of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism

The School of Journalism at the University of Missouri has announced a field of four finalists for the position of dean. All four candidates will visit campus by the end of the month for a series of interviews and public forums. Two of the four finalists are women.

Sonya Forte Duhe is a professor and director of the School of Mass Communication at Loyola University in New Orleans. She has held this post since 2009. Previously, she served on the faculty at the University of South Carolina from 1993 to 2009. Dr. Duhe is a graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where she majored in broadcast journalism. She holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri.

Esther Thorson is a professor and associate dean for graduate study at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She also serves as research director at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Dr. Thorson has served on the faculty at the University of Missouri since 1993. She previously taught at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Thorson is a summa cum laude graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Minnesota.