LASU School of Communication gets new dean

THE  Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU) has appointed Dr. Rotimi Williams Olatunji, as the Acting Dean, Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication. He succeeds Professor Lai Oso, who had served as Dean meritoriously for two terms (2011-2014). 

   Olatunji is an expert in Integrated Marketing Communication, with a strong bias towards Advertising as Communication. He joined the service of LASU School of Communication in 2001 as one of the pioneering academic staff as an Assistant Lecturer. He was appointed Lecturer 2 in 2004, Lecturer 1 in October 2008 and Senior Lecturer in June 2009. 

   In June 2011, Olatunji was appointed Associate Professor, Mass Communication. He was also Visiting Associate Professor, on sabbatical appointment at the Department of Mass Communication, Kwara State University, Malete between September 2012 and August 2013. 

    An alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, where he bagged Bachelor of Arts (B. A) First Class Honours degree in Archaeology, and the University of Ibadan, Ibadan where he received both the M.A. degree in Communication and Language Arts and PhD Communication & Language Arts, specializing in Advertising as Communication.

    Olatunji had earlier attended the Oyo State College of Education (now Osun State College of Education), Ila-Orangun as a pioneer student and completed his Secondary education at St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo, Nigeria. He has served in various capacities in the Lagos State University, including serving twice as acting head of the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, Lagos State University and sub-dean of same school of communication. 

   This is in addition to serving in various Committees at the Departmental, Faculty and University level, including being Chairman, Committee for the Establishment of LASU Campus Radio; Member, University Ceremonies Committee, LASU, Member, University Senate Committee on Staff Training and Development and Chairman, Curriculum Review Committee of the School of Communication, LASU. Moreover, he has been Programme Officer for the B. Sc Degree (LASU External System) in Communication Technology, Photo Journalism; Human Communication; and Book Publishing Development and the Pioneer Coordinator, Post-Graduate Studies Programmes, School of Communication, Lagos State University.

  Olatunji had examined doctoral  (PhD) candidates (as External Examiner) in several institutions including the University of Ibadan and the Benue State University. His services to the community include Conduct of Evaluative Research for Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Nigeria and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Abuja, Nigeria along with Professor Olusegun Matanmi in October 2013. He has served as Training Consultant to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Nigeria Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Nigeria on the joint programmes on “Mainstreaming Peace Building and Conflict Resolution in Development Programming” amongst other consultancy services. 

   Also, Olatunji had also rendered voluntary services to professional bodies locally and internationally. Including APCON, International Management Development Association (IMDA), and the Nigerian Institute for Public Relations (NIPR) Lagos State Chapter. He was Public Relations Executive of the Nigerian Chapter of the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) and Member, Faith Academy Governing Council, Cannanland Ota, Ogun State.

   A member of so many professional bodies including the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), Olatunji whose marriage is blessed with children and grandchildren is with well over fifty academic publications in globally rated journals including Public Relations Review; Journal of Promotions Management; Journal of Public Affairs; The Nigerian Journal of Communications and International Journal of Marketing Communication, amongst numerous others. He is Author of: Advertising, economy and societies in Africa: The Nigerian perspective, co-author of Soft Sell Magazines in Nigeria and Essentials of Corporate and Business Communication. He had edited and co-edited several titles including: Dimensions of Advertising Theory and Practice in Africa and Journalism and Media in Nigeria.