David D. Kurpius, Dean

David Kurpius has served as dean of the Missouri School of Journalism since 2015, leading the nation’s oldest and most innovative journalism school through a period of profound transformation in media, technology, and higher education.

Named the 2023 Scripps Howard Foundation Administrator of the Year, Kurpius is a nationally recognized leader in journalism education. He has championed innovation across the School—strengthening academic programs, advancing strategic planning efforts, and fostering deep connections between students, faculty, alumni, and industry leaders.

Kurpius is also active on the national stage, serving as one of the 13 Knight Deans—a leadership group shaping the future of journalism education—and chairing the Hearst Journalism Awards Steering Committee, which oversees one of the most prestigious collegiate journalism competitions in the country.

Under his leadership, the School has earned reaccreditation twice—in 2017 and again in 2024—with the most recent review praising its “extraordinary opportunities” for students and its deep commitment to experiential learning through the Missouri Method. These achievements are grounded in a school-wide strategic planning process launched early in his deanship, which has guided the School in meeting key goals around curriculum, research, access and opportunity, and professional partnerships.

Kurpius has helped grow the School’s research enterprise, significantly increasing grant expenditures and expanding focus areas such as science and health communication and local journalism. He has deepened collaborations across campus and strengthened connections between scholars and industry through the work of the School’s Reynolds Journalism Institute. He has also expanded the School’s impact across Missouri by forging partnerships with the Missouri Press Association and the Missouri Broadcasters Association, enabling students to share statehouse coverage with more than 100 news organizations throughout the state.

The School’s professional media network—often described as a “local media empire”—is unmatched in higher education. Under Kurpius’s leadership, it continues to thrive and evolve. He now oversees operations at the School’s NBC-affiliate television station.  Alongside it are the community newspaper of record (the Columbia Missourian), an NPR member station (KBIA), a business-focused digital newsroom (Missouri Business Alert), a city magazine (Vox), and two strategic communication agencies (MOJO Ad and AdZou). These award-winning professional outlets provide hands-on experience for students while serving the public across Missouri and beyond.

Kurpius has also helped attract new initiatives that extend the School’s reach and relevance. Among them is a major effort supporting in-depth reporting on agriculture, water, and environmental change across the Mississippi River Basin and beyond.

During his tenure, he has significantly increased philanthropic investment in the School, strengthening support for students, faculty, and innovation across disciplines. He has expanded alumni engagement and built strong relationships with media and communication leaders, reinforcing the School’s legacy of leadership while opening doors to new professional pathways for students.

With a new strategic planning cycle underway, Kurpius is positioning the School to meet the challenges ahead—including the rise of artificial intelligence, continued shifts in the business of media, and the urgent need for adaptable, ethical, and forward-thinking communicators.

Prior to becoming dean, Kurpius served as associate vice chancellor, undergraduate associate dean, and professor at Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication. He earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from Indiana University’s Media School and master’s and doctoral degrees in journalism and mass communication from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.