Meet Regina Lawrence: From Aspiring Singer to SOJC Interim Dean | One Cool Story Podcast

Who is the new interim dean leading the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication? In this episode of One Cool Story: Tales from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), journalism senior Julia Boboc sits down with Regina Lawrence, the SOJC’s new interim dean—and a nationally recognized scholar of political communication. Before leading the SOJC, Regina dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Hear how her passion for storytelling, research, and civic engagement took her from the classroom to the SOJC’s Agora Journalism Center—and ultimately to the dean’s office. You’ll also get to know the human side of leadership: her academic journey, her love of animals (especially cats—just don’t tell her dog), and what excites her most about the future of SOJC. Tune in to hear: How Regina Lawrence’s research shaped national conversations on politics and media. The path from music to academia, and what she’s learned along the way. Why she thinks the SOJC shines bright among other communication schools. Subscribe to the One Cool Story podcast: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/podcast Learn about the UO School of Journalism and Communication: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/ Apply to the UO School of Journalism and Communication: https://sojc.link/SOJC-apply Discover the Agora Journalism Center: https://agorajournalism.center/ About the One Cool Story Podcast Subscribe and listen to One Cool Story: Tales from the UO School of Journalism and Communication to stay up to date on what's happening at the SOJC. Each term you’ll hear from a handful of School of Journalism and Communication faculty, students, staff, and alumni about life in Allen Hall, SOJC Portland, and beyond. From tales of intense journalistic encounters to love stories and big career breaks, you’ll get an in-depth look at what makes the SOJC community truly special. About Regina Lawrence After serving as the associate dean of the UO School of Journalism and Communication in Portland and research director for the Agora Journalism Center, Regina Lawrence is currently serving as interim dean of the UO School of Journalism and Communication. She is a nationally recognized authority on political communication, civic engagement, gender and politics, and the role of media in public discourse about politics and policy. Her two latest books are Hillary Clinton’s Race for the White House: Gender Politics and the Media on the Campaign Trail and When the Press Fails: Political Power and the News Media from Iraq to Katrina, winner of the Doris A. Graber Outstanding Book Award from the Political Communication section of the American Political Science Association. From 2011 to 2015, Lawrence directed the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas-Austin. She has served as chair of the political communication section of the American Political Science Association and as a research fellow at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is currently the editor of the journal Political Communication.