Holding a Syracuse University School of Education master’s degree in Higher/Postsecondary Education, Aileen Gallagher ’99, G’20 was appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in August 2024.
“The HED program prepared me so well for this leadership role,” says Gallagher. “I have a stronger understanding of the higher education landscape and of the challenges students, staff, and faculty face today.”
Gallagher joined the Newhouse School in 2010 after an impressive journalism career, including at New York Magazine, where she shared several National Magazine Awards with her colleagues. Gallagher was appointed Chair of the Newhouse School Magazine, News, and Digital Journalism Program in 2022. Also in 2022, she spearheaded the school’s reaccreditation process as Assessment Director.
A two-time graduate of Syracuse University, she also took a double major bachelor’s degree in Newspaper from the Newhouse School and in History from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Describe your current roles and its responsibilities.
I oversee all curriculum and instruction at the Newhouse School, which includes everything from scheduling classrooms to academic integrity to helping faculty create new academic programs. I’m also on the Dean’s Cabinet and part of the school’s leadership team.
How did the School of Education prepare you for this role?
My HED courses helped me better understand student needs and challenges. I also took courses in higher education organization and leadership that helped me see the University in a larger context. It’s much easier to work with a bureaucracy if you understand it!
“SOE helped me achieve my career goals and also opened up new avenues of possibility.”
What current trends do you see in your specialty and how are you addressing them?
The media industry is always changing and our curriculum must change with it. How do we design a curriculum that is agile and responsive enough to prepare students for today and tomorrow?
There are so many new tools and technologies available to us in education and in media. I want to be sure to ask critical questions to discern what has value and what’s just noise and hype.
Which professors stood out for you most as a student at SOE?
Professors Cathy Engstrom and Dawn Johnson were instrumental in my success at SOE. They helped me find ways to mold the HED program to my needs and interests and really pushed me as a thinker, writer, and teacher. They gave me the tools I needed to be a strong student advocate both in the classroom and at the institutional level.
Make a pitch for SOE—why should a prospective student choose the School of Education?
SOE helped me achieve my career goals and also opened up new avenues of possibility. Programs are flexible and responsive to student needs. I built strong relationships with faculty and members of my cohort because the program was so collaborative and welcoming.