The Department of Communication at Villanova University is pleased to announce that Dr. Raka Shome has been named the inaugural, Harron Family Endowed Chair in Communication. Her pioneering, nationally- and internationally-recognized scholarship has marked her as one of the leading voices in critical/cultural studies in the Communication discipline. As a result, the Department is proud to welcome her to campus for this prestigious visiting appointment; she embodies the intellectual excellence and prominence that the Harron Family Endowed Chair was designed to celebrate.
Dr. Shome will be in residence for the duration of the Fall 2011 semester, teaching one undergraduate and one graduate course related to her ongoing program of research in transnational feminism, cultural studies, and media studies. She will also deliver a public lecture to the Villanova community during the semester in residence, and mentor faculty and students in the Department of Communication.
The Department will celebrate Dr. Shome's appointment, and the inauguration of the Chair, with a campus ceremony in the early fall. This event will also celebrate the benefactors whose gift has made this annual appointment possible. The Harron family has been associated with the field of communication since the turn of the twentieth century. Through the endowment of scholarships for students demonstrating academic achievement and financial need and support of the University's highly-regarded One Book Villanova program, the Harron family has also been a leader in philanthropic efforts at Villanova University. The Harron Family Endowed Chair in Communication honors the Harron family's accomplishments in the field of communication, their philanthropic legacy, and the Department's commitment to excellence in communication education, scholarship, and practice.
Those interested in the Harron Family Endowed Chair should note that applications for fall 2012 will be accepted beginning in August 2011.
