Dr. Grant is a former broadcaster who is on permanent leave from the broadcasting industry to teach and conduct research on the telecommunication industries. After completing his doctorate at the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern California, he spent nine years with the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. Although his primary interest is mass communication technology, his research and teaching reflects the convergence of communication forms through the application of new technologies.

Dr. Grant has written numerous articles and conference papers dealing with high-definition television, television audience behavior, television shopping services, theories of new media, and emerging communication technologies. He is the editor of communication technology update (now in its ninth edition), an annual review of the latest developments in over three dozen technologies including electronic mass media, telephony, consumer electronics, computers, and satellites. He is also a consultant to various media organizations regarding new communication technologies and consumer behavior.

Prior to joining the faculty at USC, Dr. Priest spent 15 years teaching in the Department of Journalism at Texas A&M University. While in this position, she served for three years as director of the University’s Center for Science and Technology Policy and Ethics. Subsequently, she spent three years as director of graduate studies for her department where she played a lead role in developing the M.S. program in science and technology journalism.

Her own research centers on risk communication and the relationship between media messages and public thinking about emerging issues in science and technology. Her work has received funding through grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, among other sources.

Dr. Priest, a former developmental editor at Microsoft Corporation and a former editorial assistant at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is currently serving as a member of a National Academy of Engineering committee on Assessing Technological Literacy and on NASA’s Planetary Protection Committee. She is associate editor of Public Understanding of Science, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She holds degrees in anthropology, sociology and communications.

She is also the author of more than 40 research articles and scholarly book chapters in the field of mass communications. Her second book on research strategies – an edited collection called Communication Impact – is currently in press at Rowman and Littlefield for publication in 2005.

Dr. Stout has published research on the topic of media and religion and is the founding co-editor of the Journal of Media and Religion. His books, Religion and Mass Media: Audiences and Adaptations and Religion and Popular Culture: Studies on the Interaction of Worldviews (co-edited with Judith Buddenbaum) are standards in the field. His work has appeared in Mass Communication and Society, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Public Relations Review,and numerous other journals. He is currently editing The Encyclopedia of Religion, Communication, and Media to be published by Routledge.

Professor Stout teaches mass communication theory courses as well as integrated communication, campaigns, and media analysis. He has experience in newspaper advertising at the Houston Chronicle.

Dr. Smith is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she recently completed her Ph.D.

Television news is Professor Smith’s specialty. She worked in the industry for more than 12 years, mostly in local newsrooms – as executive producer at WVEC in Norfolk, Va., special projects manager at WTLV in Jacksonville, Fla., and newscast “line” producer for WFLA in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Throughout her career, she worked for several media corporations, including Belo, Gannett, and Media General. Her industry experience also includes a two-year public relations stint in Gainesville, Fla., where she was producer/coordinator for the University of Florida's Department of News & Public Affairs. She also spent a year in Nashville, Tenn., field producing longer-form stories for the program Freedom Speaks, which aired on 120 PBS stations nationwide.

During her professional career, Dr. Smith has received many industry accolades for her work, including two Edward R. Murrow Awards.

Dr. Smith received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Florida. She also holds a Doctoral Portfolio in Women and Gender Studies from University of Texas at Austin and is a faculty affiliate in the Women's Studies program at USC.

Dr. Harris comes to the School of Journalism from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she served as Director of Communications and Marketing for the Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. Dr. Harris, a former professor at California State University and New School University/Parsons School of Design in New York City, has more then 20 years of professional experience in marketing and research.

In 1996 she founded an Internet consulting and research firm Northstar Interactive, Inc. for which she served as both CEO and board chair. Northstar developed custom web-based software for a range of global clients. Dr. Harris was also president of Internet and Media Research Center in San Diego.

Her web design work as Senior Vice President of Datek Online, Inc. earned accolades for Datek as #1 for “Ease of Use” (Gomez Advisors); Money magazine’s Top 50 financial websites; and NetRatings ninth “stickiest” website in the world.

Dr. Harris received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ohio State University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Professor Geskey will spend the coming year sharing his experience and expertise road tested in the auto industry. He led the development of a new Interpublic Group (IPG) company, General Motors R*Works, which was created to handle regional and local promotional efforts for all GM divisions and business units.

Geskey began his career with Leo Burnett in Chicago where he served in the agency's account management and media departments, rising to the level of media director. Following 10 years at Burnett, Geskey spent two years at Texas Tech University as a lecturer in the advertising program, teaching media planning and advising the student AAF Competition.

He returned to the advertising agency business where he worked for D'Arcy as vice president of marketing services and was later recruited by Campbell Ewald to serve as SVP media director of the Chevrolet Motor Division. After several years in media, Geskey moved into Chevrolet account management as group senior vice president. In that capacity, he created and ran Chevrolet's Regional Marketing operation, started and managed the Retail Automotive Division, launched Chevrolet's initial international branding efforts, and expanded Chevrolet's multi-cultural marketing.

Geskey received his bachelors and masters degrees in mass communication with minors in marketing from Southern Illinois University. He also did doctoral work at Texas Tech University. Ron is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Effie for the launch of the new Chevy Suburban.