Dr. Dorothy Bland

Dorothy M. Bland, PhD, is a journalism professor at the University of North Texas Mayborn School of Journalism and a former dean. Prior to joining UNT, she was a professor and journalism director at Florida A&M University. She has more than a decade of experience in higher education. Bland has served on more than a dozen Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications site teams ranging from New York University to California State University-Long Beach. In 2019, she was honored as one of the top 35 women in higher education by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. Under her leadership, the Mayborn launched the 100% online master’s degree in digital communication analytics, grew enrollment and earned the AEJMC’s Equity and Diversity Award. Her research interests include diversity in media, digital/social media, and management/leadership. She is a mentor in AEJMC’s Minorities and Commission Division and active in the Commission on the Status of Women. In addition to her AEJMC and ACEJMC service, she maintains industry connections with a variety of organizations including the National Association of Black Journalists, the News Leaders Association, and the Online News Association. Bland’s industry experience includes working for USA Today as well as news organizations ranging from the Commercial Appeal in Memphis to the Fort Collins Coloradoan. She is an award-winning journalist and earned three Gannett rings for outstanding performance as a publisher. Bland earned her PhD from Florida State University, MBA. from George Washington University, and journalism BS from Arkansas State University.