School of Communication director honored with scholar award

Dr. Linda Kean

East Carolina University School of Communication Director Linda Kean was honored Oct. 9 with the 2014 NCA Health Communication Division’s Outstanding Scholar Award.

This award is one of the highest academic honors presented by the organization.

Kean’s research focuses on health communication with an emphasis on mass media, including mass media campaigns that promote positive health behaviors and the effect of health-related media messages on individuals’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviors.

Her work has been published in “Communication Research,” “Health Communication,” “Media Psychology,” the “Journal of Health Communication” and “Women & Language.”

Kean began her career at ECU in 2003 as an assistant professor in the School of Communication. She was promoted to interim associate director in 2006 and appointed director of the school in 2009.

Kean holds a bachelor of science degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Illinois. She earned her master’s and doctorate degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1994 and 1998.

The National Communication Association is an internationally recognized communication scholarship organization with thousands of members. This year, the NCA will celebrate its founding in 1914 with a centennial celebration. Kean will accept the award in Chicago in late November at the NCA’s annual meeting.