The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications will soon be welcoming Vice President of Public Affairs Virgil Renzulli as a professor of strategic communications to undergraduate and graduates students.
Renzulli has led ASU’s communications and outreach for more than a decade. He will leave his position to be part of the Cronkite faculty starting July 1.His replacement has not yet been selected.
Christopher Callahan, Cronkite dean and University vice provost, said he is thrilled to have Renzulli join the Journalism School as a full-time member and have him teach public relations.
“He has this incredible wealth of experience,” Callahan said. “We know him from being here at ASU, and (he) did a fantastic job at that role. He is going to be a great benefit to the school.”
Renzulli is a leader of media, government and community relations along with public events at ASU’s Office of Public Affairs. He is also in charge of Eight, Arizona’s premier PBS affiliate, and ASU Gammage.
Renzulli said teaching had always been in the back of his mind.
“Dean Callahan is a friend and colleague of mine and he said he could use one more strategic communications professor and I said, ‘Gosh yes.’ I’m designing the course right now,” Renzulli said. “Since my experience here have been community relations, I see a great parallel between that and media relations. I believe you can learn from these outreach areas and apply it to another.
Renzulli said he would be taking a different approach to teaching compared to some of the other Cronkite faculty.
“I am taking a very different approach,” he said. “A more theoretical and strategic approach.”
Reach the reporter at kgrega@asu.edu or follow her on twitter @kelciegrega
