By Alexi Knock, Assistant News Editor

Education:

Harvard University Bachelor’s degree in History and Literature.

Master’s and Doctorate degrees in History from Columbia University.

Past professions:

Associate dean at the Columbia University School of Journalism

Author of several books on politics and the press

Press secretary to New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch and as a freelance writer and editor whose stories have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, the Los Angeles Times, Slate and the Boston Globe. 

Director of external relations at Bennington College in

Assistant to the President of the New School in Manhattan

Where are you from?

“I was born in Philadelphia, I was raised in Illinois, but I’ve lived in New York City for such a long time I consider myself a New Yorker.”

Cubs or  White Socks?

“Neither, Yankees.”

What got you interested in Journalism?

“I was always a news junkie, I would listen to old news radios, read all of the magazines and newspapers, and watch TV news as a kid.  I grew up in a conservative community and my parents were very liberal, and as a point of self preservation they felt that it was important for me to be able to express my point of view on current events.”

How do you your real-world journalism experiences translate into being a dean here?

“Each aspect of my previous experiences have helped to prepare me for this position, but now I need to understand the students, faculty and curriculum we have here at Hofstra. Deans don’t impose they suggest. I’ve worked in journalism, I’ve worked in politics, and I’ve worked in education. My first job out of college was a fact checker at the New Yorker Magazine, and at the time I was not sophisticated enough to know how lucky I was. There were a lot of people there when I started that had worked with Harold Ross the founder of the New Yorker. “

What do you think is the difference between your college years and college kids today?

“There are so many wisecrack answers that come to mind, that I will just avoid because I like my job. My generation never thought earning a living would be much of an issue, you felt that the economy was so strong and the country so wealthy that you could decide to be a school teacher over a lawyer or a doctor and still have a good life. Students today are empowered by diversity. I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and hundreds of students in a civil rights walk once. Harvard at the time was supposed to be the captain of diversity with one or two African American students in a class, but being open about something like homosexuality was socially dangerous. So in some ways I feel like students today are more civilized.”

At around 6’6”, Do you get a lot of attention for your height?

Every time I go to a new country I learn to say I am 2 meters tall in the local language. You know the joy about living in New York City no one notices you. But yes, people certainly have noticed that I am taller than they are.

Why Hofstra?

“Well when I came here for the interview process I became very interested in the possibilities with having broadcast and print journalists, and film students, and public relations all in the same department. One of the things I like about a school like this is that it’s very focused on being a practitioner.”

How did it feel from going from right hand man a Columbia to the number one Dean of Communication here?

“It’s a big change, and I knew it was a big change and I’m enjoying it. It’s nice to be able to set your own goals and agenda. My goal is to make this school the best it can be for the students that are here.”

What’s your favorite movie?

“Two very different movie I like are Nashville and Alexander Nesvky, I know you get those two answers all the time”

Do you like hip-hop music?

Actually I was thinking the other day about writing an essay about the similarities between Bob Dylan and Eminem. I think they’re both extraordinarily brilliant in their use of language.

What would be your hip-hop stage name?

“I think my rapper name would be so unbelievably lame. ‘Dean Cornog'”

What are your plans for the School of Communication?

“I’m still getting to know people and the program. We should constantly be familiarizing ourselves with the media landscape; we need to be keeping up with and ahead of the changes. I think it’s really important for when you’re in college to work hard, and play hard. I want to make sure that the working hard here is with a broad sense of disciplines”

The School of Communicatiions new Dean, Evan Cornog graduated from Harvard University with a degree in History and Language. He continued his education and recieved his Masters and Doctorate degrees in history from Columbia University. Cornog describes himself as a ‘news junkie,’ and is interested in all the opportunities Hofstra students are presented with. Cornog says his goal while working at Hofstra is to “make the school the best it can be for the students that are here.” (Sean M. Gates/The Chronicle)