Kim Bissell, Ph.D., joined LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication as dean in July 2023. Prior to this role, she served as the Southern Progress Endowed Professor in Magazine Journalism and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. Additionally, she served as the Executive Director of the college's research institute, the Institute for Communication and Information Research, and was a full professor in the Department of Journalism & Creative Media. Dean Bissell has studied the social effects of media specific to health outcomes for more than 20 years and has an active research program in the area of sports communication.