College Announces New Leadership for School of Communication, Media and the Arts

Julie Pretzat, the former associate dean of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, was promoted to dean of the school effective July 1, President Deborah F. Stanley announced. Faculty member Jennifer Knapp, former chair of the Department of Communication Studies, was named associate dean of the school.

“In her nearly 30 years at SUNY Oswego, Dr. Pretzat has distinguished herself through excellence in teaching and mentoring students, extraordinary productivity in the performing arts and, most recently, accomplishments as an academic administrator and campus community leader,” Stanley said.

Pretzat succeeds the founding dean of the school, Fritz Messere ’71 M’76, who retired June 30.

Pretzat received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2006 as well as the Central New York Education Consortium’s Educator of Excellence honor. Her musical accomplishments include organizing and conducting hundreds of performances by the Oswego Festival Chorus and college choirs. She has collaborated with musical and theatrical groups throughout Central New York.

Her institutional leadership positions include co-chairing the 2012 Middle States accreditation review for SUNY Oswego and chairing Oswego’s music department for six years before becoming associate dean of SCMA. In the latter capacity, she created the Adopt-a-School program and led development of new interdisciplinary minors.

Appointed to the SUNY Oswego faculty in 1985, Pretzat holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College, a master’s in music from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in choral conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

–Staff Report

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