Brian G. Smith named director of VCU’s Richard T. Robertson School of Communication

By Sian Wilkerson

Brian G. Smith, Ph.D., has been named director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richard T. Robertson School of Communication, part of the College of Humanities and Sciences. He will begin his role July 1.

Smith comes to VCU from the University of Mississippi, where he serves as professor and chair of the Integrated Marketing Communications department, part of the university’s School of Journalism and New Media. At the University of Mississippi, he launched the first student IMC agency and the first IMC student research journal. His 20 years of experience in higher education include faculty roles at Brigham Young University, Purdue University and the University of Houston. Currently, he serves as editor for the International Journal of Strategic Communication.

In 2017, Smith received a Fulbright Award to investigate hate speech regarding refugees in Europe. His research grants and awards include two grants from Penn State University’s Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, as well as a Facebook grant on digital privacy.

“Meeting with faculty and students at the Robertson School at VCU, I noticed a strong ‘what’s next’ mentality,” said Smith. “The Media + AI Initiative, new mass communications concentration in media production and other initiatives show that Robertson is thinking ahead to what’s possible, rather than what’s already been done; and I’m excited to see what we can do with this forward-thinking mindset.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Brian G. Smith to VCU and to the Robertson School of Communication. His record of scholarly excellence, his deep commitment to ethical communication and his real-world industry experience make him ideally suited to lead our school into its next chapter,” said Catherine Ingrassia, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences. “Dr. Smith’s passion for understanding how communication shapes society — from social advocacy to digital privacy — aligns beautifully with our mission to prepare students to be informed, active contributors to the greater good. We look forward to the energy and vision he will bring to our students, faculty and the broader communication community.”

Smith earned his Ph.D. in communication from the University of Maryland in 2009, following a career in marketing, public relations and journalism during which he served as a managing editor, brand marketing manager and research manager. Prior to his professional experience, he earned a master’s degree in international relations and bachelor’s degree in humanities from Brigham Young University.

He succeeds previous director Peyton Rowe, who was appointed to an interim director position in 2021 and then served as director between 2022-2025. Scott Sherman is the current interim director.