Lorraine Branham, dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in New York, died on April 2 in a hospital in Rochester, New York. She was 66 years old and had suffered from uterine cancer.
A native of Philadelphia, Branham graduate from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film. She then began a long career as a journalist for the Courier-Post in southern New Jersey, the Philadelphia Bulletin, The Baltimore Sun and The Philadelphia Inquirer before serving as senior vice president and executive editor of the Tallahassee Democrat. From 2000 to 2002, she served as assistant to the publisher of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Branham began her academic career in 2002 at the University of Texas at Austin where she served as director of the School of Journalism and G.B. Dealey Regents Professor. She was named dean of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University in 2008.
“We cannot even begin to imagine the Newhouse School without Dean Branham at the helm,” said Amy Falkner, senior associate dean of academic affairs. “She was an incredible leader, a gifted journalist, a dear friend and a fierce advocate for our school. She will be greatly missed.”
“Dean Branham was many things, most importantly a pillar in the Syracuse University community and beyond, an icon in the media industry, an academic innovator, a mentor, an educator, an inspiration and a friend,” said Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud in a statement.
Syracuse University has established the Dean Lorraine E. Branham Scholarship Fund to support students at the Newhouse School.