DES MOINES, IOWA (October 21, 2025) Drake University is announcing the appointment of two deans. Dr Kelly Bruhn APR, will lead the School of Journalism and Mass Communication as its next dean, and Professor Megan Brown has been appointed as the new Dean of John Dee Bright College.
About Dr Kelly BruhnDr Bruhn will assume the role on July 1, 2026, following the retirement of the current dean, Dr Catherine M Staub. Bruhn will serve as the ninth dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) since its founding in 1962.
“Dr Kelly Bruhn is, quite simply, the gold standard for a modern communication leader and educator,” said Drake University Provost Sue Mattison.
“Her work has elevated the public-relations profession across the Midwest, and her student-centered leadership has prepared the next generation of communicators to tackle the changing media landscape with confidence. She is the ideal choice to lead the School of Journalism and Mass Communication into its next chapter.”
Bruhn holds a doctorate from Michigan State University, a Master’s degree from Ball State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University. Additionally, she is a member of the Kappa Tau Alpha Journalism and Mass Communication Honor Society. Prior to joining the Drake faculty in 2009, she taught at Michigan State University and worked in the public relations industry for corporate clients and various non-profit organizations.
About Professor Megan Brown
Megan Brown has been appointed as the new Dean of John Dee Bright College. Brown succeeds Craig Owens as the second dean of the two-year college program that awards associates degrees in two main tracks: Business, Organization, and Professional Studies or the Integrated Arts, Sciences and Humanities.
Brown will now take the lead in overseeing the college’s innovative curriculum and student success initiatives. Owens will continue to serve Drake as the Executive Director of the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement.
“We are delighted to fill such a key leadership position with one of Drake’s own and finest faculty members,” said Drake University Provost Sue Mattison.
“Dr Brown is already well-known and highly respected across campus. I have full confidence she will continue to lead with the passion, vision, humble work ethic, and deep commitment to academic excellence that we have repeatedly seen demonstrated in her 20 years of teaching at Drake.”
Brown previously served as the associate dean of the college since 2022 and is one of its founding faculty members. She is a professor of English and has served on the faculty at Drake for twenty years.
Additionally, Brown has held numerous leadership positions at Drake, including director of writing, faculty athletics representative, English Department Chair, Faculty Senate Executive Committee member, and Crew Scholars faculty mentor. In 2025, she won the Madelyn M Levitt Teacher of the Year award.
