James Gaudino, dean of the College of Communication and Information, was a finalist to be the new dean of CCI at the University of Tennessee. After deliberating the decision, Gaudino said he has decided to stay at Kent State.

“My initial interest in the position was primarily generated by the university’s proximity to our family that lives in Tennessee,” Gaudino said.

Gaudino said he sent the University of Tennessee a letter of interest in the position and was surprised that the college was interested in interviewing him. A search committee invited Gaudino down to be interviewed for the position.

Gaudino said the University of Tennessee is an attractive place in that the school’s CCI program is organized in a very similar fashion to Kent State’s. The school is also working on advancing itself in the field of convergence.

“Based on my limited experience with them (Tennessee), they are not as far along as the convergent curriculum at Kent State is,” Gaudino said.

There are several programs going on at the university Gaudino said he would like to see through.

“CCI at Kent State has very exciting programs with excellent potential,” Gaudino said. “I would like to be involved with these programs in the coming years.”

Contact College of Communication and Information reporter Ben Breier at [email protected].