The Hubbard School Welcomes New Faculty Members

Three new faculty members join Murphy Hall in Fall 2019

New Larson Professorship Filled

In 2016, Carole Larson provided the School with a generous $1 million gift to establish the Don R. and Carole J. Larson Endowed Professorship. The School is happy to announce the hiring of Emily Vraga as the first person to fill this rotating professorship. Vraga comes to the University from her position as an associate professor in the department of communication at George Mason University. Vraga received her doctorate in the summer of 2011 from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a minor in political communication. She moved to the D.C. area to serve as a post-doctoral research instructor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University before accepting a position at George Mason University.

“I'm thrilled to be joining the Hubbard School, which combines a storied reputation for quality education with an emphasis on cutting-edge research and training at the forefront of our field,” she said.

Vraga’s research focuses on how individuals process news and information about contentious health, scientific, and political issues, particularly in response to disagreeable messages they encounter in digital media environments. She is especially interested in testing methods to correct misinformation, to limit biased processing, and to encourage attention to more diverse content online.

Media Design Addition

This fall, the School welcomes Sara Quinn as a lecturer and senior fellow in media design. A design consultant and researcher, Quinn was the R.M. Seaton Endowed Chair for Professional Journalism at Kansas State University since 2015. She is also a former president of the Society for News Design and longtime faculty member at The Poynter Institute. Her eyetracking research - some done at the University of Minnesota with former Hubbard faculty member Nora Paul -  helps journalists and media professionals determine the best forms for storytelling. As a volunteer board member for the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) and National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Quinn has taught numerous workshops for high school and college journalists at the University over the years, and she teaches workshops around the globe. She has a B.A. from Wichita State University and a master’s in illustration from Syracuse University. 

“I'm thrilled to be joining the Hubbard School,” said Quinn. “I feel a strong connection to the University where I have I have come to admire the program, campus and the wonderful Twin Cities community. As Hubbard School graduates head into an increasingly visual world, it’s an exciting time for all aspects of storytelling including media design and data visualization across disciplines. I can't wait to get started.”

Welcome Back!

The Hubbard School is pleased to welcome back Jennifer Johnson as a lecturer, teaching courses in the advertising sequence. Jennifer Johnson is an experienced higher-ed teaching professional and creative director with nearly 20 years of advertising experience. 

Johnson comes back to the Hubbard School after moving to Wisconsin three years ago, where she taught campaigns and planning at Marquette University. Her idea-centric approach gave Jennifer the idea to return to school as a student, instead of an instructor. Studying organizational development combined with teaching, creative, and leadership skills has given Jennifer new strategies to design and deliver ideas that create intended outcomes for people, organizations, and brands.

Jennifer continues to build on her experience and knowledge as an expert in advertising, higher-ed, coaching, and organizational development. This evolution of learning brings a new opportunity to students and emerging leaders. She has created award-winning advertising for million dollar brands. “I believe that every single person brings their own story to their path,” Johnson said. “The Hubbard School is a school that understands the importance of evolution in education and it gives instructors the autonomy to build futures one student at a time.”