KACA President Nah Named Associate Dean at University of Oregon
By KACA Newsletter Committee
April 23, 2017
Seungahn Nah, 2015-2017 president of Korean American Communication Association (KACA), will become Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs and Research in the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) at the University of Oregon. Nah, currently associate professor at the University of Kentucky where he has been teaching since 2006, will begin at the University of Oregon in July.
In his announcement of Nah’s appointment to the SOJC faculty, Dean Juan-Carlos Molleda said, “Nah brings an abundance of knowledge and experience to the SOJC and we look forward to his leadership and insight.” Dean Molleda cited as some of Nah’s achievements establishing the Community Communication Research Group and the Kentucky Citizen Media Project while at the University of Kentucky as well as publications in leading academic journals and grants from federal agencies and international foundations.
Nah said he is “excited to be joining the SOJC community with its rich history, strong leadership, and wonderful undergraduate and graduate programs.” In his new position, Nah aims to maintain SOJC’s high standards of excellence in research, teaching and public service and work “to promote SOJC’s mission and goals nationally and internationally.”
Associate Professor Eyun-Jung Ki at the University of Alabama, who has worked closely with Nah as KACA-ICA vice president, noted that Nah’s passion, enthusiasm and leadership has prepared him well for his new role at the University of Oregon.
“I have witnessed how effective his creativity, care and enthusiasm can be in transforming an organization. His leadership has been a turning point for KACA,” Ki said. “I have no doubt that Dr. Nah will bring these attributes to the SOJC graduate program.”
During his KACA presidency, Nah has undertaken several important initiatives. They include enhancing collaborations with other associations including the Chinese Communication Association and the World Journalism Education Council, leading an effort to launch an academic journal sponsored by the Korean Association for Broadcasting & Telecommunication Studies, and enhancing engagement with Korean communication scholars in other countries.
Colleagues at the University of Kentucky said they will miss his presence at the university but are excited for the new chapter in his career.
Associate Professor Deborah Chung, a University of Kentucky colleague of Nah, said she is confident that Nah’s “enterprising ideas and exceptional leadership” will add to the distinction of the SOJC program.
Chung and Nah have known each other for 11 years and collaborated on many research projects including examining online news audiences and community newspaper editors in the context of interactivity, citizen journalism and participatory culture.
“Dr. Nah has been a dear friend to me and I will truly miss his presence at UK,” Chung said. “We were able to confide in each other regarding research issues, teaching challenges and life in general. I believe we were able to motivate each other and push each other to the next level.”
Expressing gratitude to those who have influenced his academic career, Nah said, “There are so many people whose support over the past two decades have enabled me to become a publicly engaged scholar and civic-minded intellectual. I am eager to start at the University of Oregon.”
Nah earned his Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has received several research awards and published more than 40 journal articles and book chapters in his research areas that include information communication technologies (ITCs), social media, civic and political participation, and citizen and participatory journalism. He currently serves as an associate editor for journal Mass Communication and Society. In 2011, Nah received the University of Kentucky Provost’s Outstanding Teaching Award.
