Beth Barnes became director the school July 1, 2003. She came to UK from Syracuse University, where she was an assistant dean overseeing master’s degree programs in communications and manager of an intramural champion softball team. Her professional experience is in advertising and marketing communications; she worked in marketing management at United Air Specialists, corporate advertising research at IBM, and media research at DDB Worldwide. She is co-author of Strategic Brand Communication Campaigns, and has published in Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, the Journal of Advertising Education, and the Journal of Marketing Communications.

Barnes is currently chair of the Accrediting Committee, the second level of review for the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. As a member of the Accrediting Committee, she frequently chairs site visits to programs seeking accreditation or re-accreditation.

Barnes received a B.A. in English from the College of William and Mary and an M.S. in Advertising and Ph.D. in Communication Studies from Northwestern University.