Mark Lukasiewicz will begin his tenure as dean on July 1. Photo Courtesy of Getty Images. 

Following an extensive national search, Mark Lukasiewicz, an Emmy-Award winning former NBC news executive and broadcast journalist, has been appointed to be the new dean of Hofstra’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication.  

Having overlooked the NBC News Group Transformation Project, worked as senior vice president of NBC News Specials and served as first vice president of digital media for the network, Lukasiewicz is stepping into the position with decades of professional experience. During his career at NBC, he planned and supervised coverage of pivotal world events such as the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the death of Osama Bin Laden. He has won 10 Emmys, two Peabody Awards and the Grand Prize of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism awards.

Lukasiewicz is excited to make this change in his career, explaining, “I left NBC news a year ago very much focused on the fact that I wanted to do something different, I wanted to challenge myself and when this opportunity arose, what attracted me about it was the opportunity to really make a difference.”

In an official press release published by the university, President Stuart Rabinowitz praised Lukasiewicz and his abilities: “Mark Lukasiewicz is an outstanding journalist and dynamic leader whose career has been defined by his ability to embrace technology and harness its power to tell some of the most important stories in the world.”

“I’ve really been privileged to have some great experiences over my career, domestically and abroad, and I do hope I’ll have an opportunity to call on colleagues and friends that I’ve made over the years to share their stories, to share their learning, to share their skills,” Lukasiewicz said.

Lukasiewicz will begin at Hofstra on July 1, 2018, but is already preparing for the role. He said that listening to members of the Hofstra community and understanding the needs of students is his first goal as dean. “I want to meet a lot of the students. I want people to know me, I want people to feel comfortable coming up to me in the hallway or in the studio … I want people to feel comfortable talking to me and telling me what they think about the school and the things that they think we ought to all do together,” he said.

Freshman journalism major Jesse Lindell is excited to see what Lukasiewicz will bring to Hofstra. “Lukasiewicz sounds like a guy with a lot of experience that will bring great contributions to an already solid communications program,” Lindell said.

When asked about his long term goals for the Herbert School, Lukasiewicz emphasized the need for recognition. “I want to make sure that the Herbert School and Hofstra and all of the students who graduate, both undergraduate and graduate, get the recognition they deserve,” he explained. “It’s an excellent school, it’s only going to get better, in an industry that’s only getting bigger and more important. I want to make sure that in the industry, Hofstra is held among the very top list of schools that turn out great communication professionals.”

Carol Fletcher, professor of journalism, media studies and public relations is hopeful for the future of the Herbert School under its newly appointed leader. “Lukawieswicz’ impressive track record in spearheading transformation change at NBC and elsewhere will help ensure that the Herbert School continues to evolve and excel in this rapidly changing media world,” Fletcher said.

Junior radio production and studies Gina Santillo said, “I think he can totally benefit the Herbert School because of his experience in the field of broadcasting, from being a leader of a newscast, production, digital, he has been in all these departments and can pass down the knowledge to the generation coming up into the broadcasting world.”

During his time at Hofstra, Lukasiewicz hopes to share his passion with students. “Follow your passion. I got into this line of work because it was something I was passionate to do … So now I’m very focused on trying to convey that same passion to all of the students at Hofstra and to try to help inspire everyone along with the great teachers we have,” he said. “We all want to inspire all of you to go on and do great things in the world and make a difference in the world … if you follow your passion I think you’ll do well.”