We are pleased to announce that Professor Kevin Sanson has been appointed Head of School, School of Art, Communication and English.
Prior to his appointment, Professor Sanson was Professor of Media Studies and Head of the School of Communication at the Queensland University of Technology. His leadership experience also includes serving as Research Director of the Carsey-Wolf Center’s Media Industries Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Professor Sanson's research examines the business practices and cultural dynamics shaping global film and television industries, with a particular focus on evolving working conditions for talent, craft workers, and technicians. His publications include the award winning Mobile Hollywood: Labor and the Geography of Production (UC Press, 2024), along with several coedited volumes including Voices of Labor (2017), Precarious Creativity (2016), Connected Viewing (2014), and Distribution Revolution (2014). His work has also been published in leading journals including Media, Culture and Society, International Journal of Cultural Studies, and Television & New Media.
Professor Lisa Adkins, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, congratulated Professor Sanson on his appointment.
"Professor Sanson is a distinguished scholar of global screen media and a widely respected academic leader," Professor Adkins said.
"Under Professor Sanson's leadership, I am confident the School will continue to strengthen its vital role in achieving our Faculty’s ambitious research and education objectives. Professor Sanson’s distinguished academic standing, combined with his strategic insight, will further consolidate the School’s national and international prominence, expanding its impact across scholarly and industry communities."
"I would also like to acknowledge and thank Associate Professor Andrew Lavery for his dedicated service as Interim Head of School."
Professor Sanson said he was looking forward to joining the School at a pivotal moment in its history.
"I am excited to join the School of Art, Communication and English at a moment of real momentum and achievement, and to build on the outstanding work already underway across its disciplines," he said.
"I consider it a real privilege to lead such a diverse academic community with a well-established reputation for interrogating and advancing different modes of human expression and creativity. I look forward to supporting our academics and students as they advance this work across our research and teaching activities, and amplify our contributions to the University’s intellectual life and public mission."