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Penn dean to head USC school of communication
Tuesday June 17, 2003LOS ANGELES (AP) A University of Pennsylvania deputy dean has been tapped to head the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, USC officials announced Tuesday.
Larry Gross, who taught at Penn for 35 years and became deputy dean of that university's school of communication, will join USC on July 1.
He takes the reins from Patricia Riley, who will remain on the faculty after completing her five-year term as director.
``Larry is a highly respected scholar as well as a talented and experienced academic leader and administrator,'' said Geoffrey Cowan, dean of USC's Annenberg School for Communication, which houses the university's schools of communication and journalism.
Gross holds degrees from Brandeis and Columbia universities. He is a specialist in visual communication and media portrayals of minorities and helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.
He was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 1998 and co-directed the 20-year, $1.5 million Cultural Indicators Project, which looked at the influence of television content on viewer attitudes and behavior.
In 2001, Gross received the International Communication Association's Aubrey Fisher Mentorship Award.
``It was difficult to imagine leaving Penn after 35 years,'' Gross said. ``But the opportunity to join the dynamic and forward-thinking program at USC was irresistible.''
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