Hennink-Kaminski named interim dean

by Barbara Wiedemann

Hugh Morton Distinguished Professor Heidi Hennink-Kaminski, current senior associate dean for graduate studies in the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, will become the school’s interim dean on January 1, 2022.

UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Robert A. Blouin announced today that Hennink-Kaminski will serve as interim dean until a new dean is appointed.

Susan King, dean of the school and John Thomas Kerr Distinguished Professor since January 1, 2012, announced in August that she would step down after a decade as dean. King expects to return to the faculty to teach.

“Our school generally — and I personally — have been fortunate to operate with an incredible leadership team of senior associate deans — Heidi Hennink-Kaminski, Charlie Tuggle and Louise Spieler,” said King. “Their commitment, dedication and long hours have made a difference in the school and in student lives. That tremendous service ethic continues with Professor Hennink-Kaminski transitioning into the interim dean role while the University continues its search.”

In August 2021, Guskiewicz and Blouin announced a dean’s search committee chaired by UNC School of Information and Library Science Dean Gary Marchionini.

With the assistance of search firm Buffkin/Baker in Brentwood, Tennessee, the committee under Marchionini continues to seek a permanent dean.

“We thank Dean King for a decade leading an era of great change and progress for our school,” said Hennink-Kaminski. “I’m honored to step into this role of working with faculty and staff colleagues to help manage our school through this time of transition and opportunity.”

Hennink-Kaminski received her B.A. from the University of Michigan, her M.A. from Western Michigan University and her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. She spent 15 years in senior marketing communications roles in both corporate and agency positions prior to joining academe.

Hennink-Kaminski joined the school’s faculty in 2006. Her academic research focuses on interdisciplinary health communication with an emphasis on the social marketing approach to promote healthy behaviors among individuals and communities. She teaches marketing, social marketing and strategic communication courses.

Her work has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Department of Defense and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina. She has served as Affiliate Faculty of the Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Hennink-Kaminski is a past recipient of the school’s David Brinkley Teaching Excellence Award and the Edward Vick Prize for Innovation in Teaching.