C. Ann Hollifield, associate professor of telecommunications, has been named the first holder of the Thomas C. Dowden Professorship in Media Research in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
“I am very honored to be named the Dowden Professor. Tom is one of the great pioneers and visionaries of the cable industry, and I hope the work I will do will reflect his spirit of leadership and innovation,” said Hollifield.
A pioneer in cable media, Dowden is a Grady College and UGA alumnus (A.B.J. in 1962; M.A. in political science in 1964), as well as founder and director of Dowden Communications. He is an emeritus chairman and member of the Peabody Board and emeritus UGA Foundation trustee. In 1989, he funded the Dowden Center for New Media Studies at Grady.
“Increasing faculty endowment is the first priority of the college as we embark upon the Centennial Campaign for Grady,” said E. Culpepper Clark, dean of the Grady College. “We are deeply grateful that Tom and Wendy Dowden are taking us toward this goal, and we salute Tom for his long-standing support of Grady College.”
As Dowden Professor, Hollifeld will direct research on social, political and economic issues involving media.
“Media are a critical infrastructure in society—particularly in this age of the information economy,” said Hollifield. “Right now traditional media industries are being seriously disrupted by technological change and their future is not clear. My research and outreach work will focus on how the challenges facing media will affect the media’s performance and, therefore, society.”
