Teaching Professor of Communication and Director of the Master of Communication and Media Program Richard Dool has been elected Incoming President of the New Jersey Communication Association, effective August 2024. This is his second stint, he was also President in 2020-2022.

The NJCA, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the open exchange of ideas, information, and research about communication, seeks to promote, sustain, and recognize excellence in communication scholarship, research, and application; to provide a network for fellowship, contacts, and professional opportunities; and to serve as a clearinghouse for information related to regional academic programs in areas pertinent to the study of communication.

As president of the NJCA, an annual appointment, Dool said he will be responsible for the operations of the association and for working with the NJCA Executive Board to oversee communication, membership, publications, and the annual conference.

A primary focus for the NJCA this year, Dool said, will be to address the current communications climate in the U.S. and “advocate for an increased focus on the critical role of communication in all facets of our lives and especially in the areas of interpersonal and organizational communication. We will work to promote a return to more civil and respectful discourse.”

This year the NJCA will also aim to increase membership and engagement, especially among young faculty and students, and stimulate broader and deeper research into emerging areas of communication (e.g. the use of AI).

As director, Dool will also lead the planning of the 2025 Annual NJCA Conference, hosted by Rutgers and held at SC&I on March 15, 2025. The theme this year will be “Powered by Connection,” and Dool said one of the major goals of the conference will be to explore the theme of “connecting” in all forms.

In the U.S., Dool said, “We are experiencing a world of division, extremism, acrimony, and an overall lack of civility and respect. The theme of our conference is driving more ‘attunement’ as a means to return to an environment of civil, respectful, and dignified discourse to create more productive connections.”

As NJCA director, Dool will also lead the planning of the 2025 Annual NJCA Conference, hosted by Rutgers and held at SC&I on March 15, 2025. The theme this year will be “Powered by Connection,” and Dool said one of the major goals of the conference will be to explore the theme of “connecting” in all forms.

Attunement, Dool said, “Is defined by Brodkin and Pallathra as ‘the ability to be aware of your own state of mind and body while tuning in and connecting to another person.’ Attunement should be seen as a unique power — a power that enables us to perceive communications from others, to connect and have our message understood, and to manage conflict.”

SC&I will benefit in several ways by hosting the conference, Dool said. “SC&I has stepped up to host the 2025 Conference at a time of NJCA need, so we are filling the void, and again demonstrating our long-term commitment to the NJCA. In addition, hosting gives SC&I an opportunity to showcase our school, faculty, and students, it will add to our reputation as communication scholars, and it will enable our faculty and students to make professional connections with the broader NJ communication community.”

The conference will offer academic papers, posters, thematic presentation panels, conversation circles, hands-on workshops, and demonstrations, as well as training for new faculty.

All students, undergraduate and graduate, and faculty members, full-time and lecturers, will be encouraged to participate and present in some form, Dool said, adding that MCM Program Interns will also help plan and staff the conference, and SC&I undergraduate student groups, including Scarlet PR, will help promote the conference.

Dool is a former CEO and global executive leader with an extensive and diverse corporate executive career. Before he decided to pivot and pay it forward in academia full-time, he led an $800M division of AT&T, held global leadership roles at General Electric, and served for 12 years as CEO of both public and private companies. 

Learn more about the Communication Department and the Master of Communication and Media Program at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.