Serving as Head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University has been exciting and challenging since my first day on the job back in 2014, but now just about everyday has brought new meaning to those descriptors for me!
Our School is named for Brian Lamb, an alumnus, the founder of C-SPAN and one of only two Purdue alumni to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Brian is known for his commitment to and belief in open and straightforward communication to bring about positive change. Each day, we live in to that belief and commitment in the Lamb School. And through the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to create a more equitable and just society for everyone, a presidential election cycle, and the challenges of a world that is more virtually connected than ever, we see the impact of excellent communication each day.
The Lamb School is a vibrant community of scholars, undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, community partners, friends, and supporters. We are the academic home to more than 400 undergraduate majors, more than 40 graduate students in our campus program and about 300 graduate students in our online Master’s program.
Our undergraduate Communication major is customizable by students to meet their career goals and our world’s communication needs with eight dynamic concentrations and a number of experiential learning opportunities. Our concentrations include:
- Business Communication
- Communicating Science and Technology
- General Communication
- Health Communication
- Interpersonal Communication
- Media and Mass Communication
- Political Communication
- Public Relations and Strategic Communication
The graduate program is organized into five instructional units including:
- Health Communication
- Interpersonal Communication
- Media Technology and Society
- Organizational Communication
- Public Relations
Our current students have numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary and intercultural study. Our former students traverse the world and include Olympians, a Pulitzer Prize winner, legislators, CEOs, community organizers, famous authors, filmmakers, attorneys, professors, government researchers, and more. Our faculty includes award-winning teachers and scholars, media professionals, and the director of C-SPAN’s Video Archives.
Our mission is to further Brian Lamb’s legacy by embracing the values of openness and innovation in communication, while continuing to build upon our tradition of excellence in communication scholarship, education, leadership, and engagement. In our teaching, research, and engagement with the community we value excellence, integrity, collegiality, innovation, entrepreneurship, public service, diversity, and global citizenship.
I am proud to be a member of the Lamb School. As Head, I will continue to facilitate the important work of our faculty, students, and staff while embracing our community writ large.
Please join in the excitement surrounding the Lamb School by reviewing our website, blog, Instagram, X, and Facebook pages and interacting with us. If you have questions, ideas, and/or you want to share or need information, feel free to contact me directly at mmattson@purdue.edu or 765-494-7596.
Marifran Mattson, PhD
Professor and Head, Brian Lamb School of Communication