CCI Recognizes 5 Faculty Members with Named Professorships

Posted by Isabelle Krukoski on

FSU’s Named Professorship Program recognizes numerous faculty members every year for their contributions to the University. In 2025, five faculty members from the College of Communication and Information (CCI) received this honor. These professorships are reserved for faculty members who demonstrate excellence in research, teaching, service, and disciplinary contributions. CCI is thrilled to spotlight these five awarded faculty members and their recent professorships.

Rachel Bailey, James E. Kirk Professor of Communication, 2025-2030

The School of Communication’s (SCOM) Dr. Rachel L. Bailey has been named a James E. Kirk Professor of Communication, 2025-2030. James E. Kirk, a proud alumnus who served as President of the National Seminole Boosters, worked closely with the FSU Foundation and was widely known as a public servant and philanthropist who valued hard work, honesty, generosity, and perseverance.

“I am honored to hold a professorship named for James E. ‘Country Jim’ Kirk. I hope to honor his legacy by ensuring my work serves both the academic community and the broader public,” Bailey said.

Bailey, who directs the Communication Research Center and the Interactions in Communication Contexts Lab, has been recognized for her extensive scholarship in media psychology and health communication, her award-winning mentorship and teaching, and her leadership in developing initiatives that integrate research and graduate student success.

With this professorship, Bailey plans to extend her collaborative research efforts, expand opportunities for her students, and pursue projects with the potential to make a real impact beyond the University.

Russell B. Clayton, FSU Distinguished and Endowed Provost McKenzie Professor

SCOM’s Dr. Russell B. Clayton was named the Distinguished and Endowed Provost McKenzie Professor at FSU, awarded directly by FSU Provost Jim Clark. Funded by Sarah P. and W. Guy McKenzie, Sr., this professorship honors full-time, tenured professors who exemplify high standards of performance in teaching, research, and service.

“I am grateful to Sarah P. and W. Guy McKenzie, Sr., for their generous support in funding the Provost McKenzie Professorship. This distinction and endowment will support my ongoing research efforts focused on improving public health in Florida and beyond, along with my commitment to a high standard of teaching excellence and service to FSU,” Clayton said.

Clayton is an FSU Professor, Founder and Director of the Cognition and Emotion Lab (CEL), and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor. Clayton is an internationally recognized expert in media psychology, health communication, and psychophysiological methods. Clayton has also authored more than 45 peer-reviewed research articles for numerous well-renowned journals in communication, psychology, and health. Through his professorship, Clayton hopes to continue his high-impact research in the CEL and the pursuit of federal grants that will advance innovative scholarship in the field of health communication.

Melissa Gross, F. William Summers Professor of Information, 2025-2030

School of Information’s Dr. Melissa Gross was named F. William Summers Professor of Information, 2025-2030. F. William “Bill” Summers served a long career in library sciences as Dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences, now known as the School of Information, engaging in research, consulting, and commitment to greater library communities.

“This named professorship was an unexpected honor that deeply moved me. It feels prudent at this time to take a moment and consider what I have accomplished and how that informs a new five-year plan for what I want to achieve and who my collaborators will be,” said Gross.

As an iSchool Professor, Gross has received numerous awards for her work with CCI, including the 2020 CCI Graduate Faculty Research Award and the 2023 Leadership Board Faculty Leadership Award. Gross also teaches numerous courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as researching information seeking behaviors, information resources and literacy, and library program service evaluation. Beyond her academic endeavors, Gross plans to continue her work with Latham and expand her research.

Don Latham, F. William Summers Professor of Information, 2025-2030

School of Information’s Dr. Don Latham was awarded the F. William Summers Professor of Information, 2025-2030. Akin to Professor Gross, Latham’s professorship tributes F. William “Bill” Summers, who, in his time, served as the Dean of the School of Information, contributing greatly to research, consultation services, and library sciences.

“As a master’s student many years ago, I quickly learned that Bill Summers was a good but demanding teacher. It was later that I learned he was a highly respected figure in librarianship and a kind and generous mentor. I am greatly honored to hold a professorship named after him,” Latham said.

As an author and researcher, Latham has written three books and published countless articles about social services in public libraries, college undergraduates’ information literacy, and the Peritextual Literacy Framework. Latham also recently completed a project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services alongside Professor Gross.

Under this professorship, Latham will continue his ongoing research, utilizing his professorship to support summer research conference travel and research collaborations.

Andy Opel, Jim Kirk Professor of Communication, 2025-2030

SCOM’s Dr. Andrew “Andy” Opel has been named a Jim Kirk Professor of Communication, 2025-2030. Similar to Professor Bailey, Opel’s professorship honors FSU’s James E. Kirk, who was President of the National Seminole Boosters, FSU Foundation philanthropist, and Founder of the Seminole Broadcasting Network, representing FSU as a savvy, proactive, and grounded businessman.

“Having my diverse approach acknowledged by this award reflects FSU’s recognition of the value of interdisciplinary, multi-modal creative research that is responding to the changing nature of technology in our society,” Opel said.

With research interests in documentaries, environmental communication, and media and consumer culture, Opel shares his knowledge in video production and media studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Opel hopes to utilize this professorship to advance his work in the classroom and in research, specifically, to support his experiential approach to pedagogy, in “the larger world that is our real classroom,” Opel said.