Sonya Forte Duhé will be the new CEO of Arizona PBS in Phoenix and dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
Duhé, who starts in July, will replace Arizona PBS CEO and founding Cronkite dean Christopher Callahan. Callahan was named the next president of the University of the Pacific in California.
“The school will transition to very capable hands,” said ASU EVP and Provost Mark Searle in a news release. “Dr. Duhé brings a wealth of leadership, academic, and professional experiences to this position, and I am confident she will be a strong leader for school, leading it to a bright future.”
Duhé is currently serving as director of the school of communication and design at Loyola University in New Orleans. She has also held several positions with the University of South Carolina, including communications assistant to the president, associate VP in the office of research and health sciences and special assistant to the provost.
She also served as an anchor, correspondent and reporter for several radio and TV stations, including WVLA, an NBC affiliate in Baton Rouge, La.
“I hope to bring to the Cronkite School a little bit of spice,” said Duhé in a press release. “It’s an incredible honor and opportunity because the job carries with it an awesome responsibility to uphold the values of the school’s namesake.”
Duhé said she will miss her old position.
“Louisiana is home for me, and I love the people here, and I love Loyola,” Duhé said. “I came here in a post-Katrina world, and this university was about helping the city to rebuild and the university to rebuild. We’ve had so much support from the city, alums and from our friends, so I will miss all of that … but you know, it’s only a three-hour flight away.”