With a unique background that spans professional journalism, scholarship and educational leadership, DAVID D. KURPIUS has led the Missouri School of Journalism since July 2015. During his first year at Missouri, he launched a sweeping strategic planning initiative that is guiding the future of the School’s organizational structure, curriculum, and real-world newsroom and agency laboratories.

Prior to earning his doctorate, Kurpius spent 10 years in television news. As a scholar and educator, his research topics includehow journalism educators can effectively teach the connections between media and democracy and how to build newsrooms that focus on civic responsibility.

Before coming to the School, Kurpius was a professor and administrator at Louisiana State University for almost 20 years. As a professor, he oversaw LSU’s student media and taught courses in advanced newsgathering, public affairs reporting and minorities in journalism. As associate vice chancellor for enrollment management, he led recruitment strategies to dramatically increase the diversity of LSU’s student body.

Kurpius received a bachelor’s degree in telecommunication from Indiana University and a master’s and a doctorate in mass communication from the University of Wisconsin.