Prof. William Hachten
Dr. William A. Hachten was the Director of the School. He is professor of emeritus at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and was a Fulbright professor at the University of Ghana, where he helped to establish the School. He formerly was a copy editor at the Los Angeles Examiner and at the Minneapolis Star, a reporter for the Long Beach Press Telegram and for the Santa Monica Outlook, A graduate of Stanford University, he received a master’s degree at the University of California at Los Angeles and a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. His area of special concern is mass communications in developing nations, especially in Africa. He received in 1994 the Distinguished Service Award of the International Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and in 1968 the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for Research about Journalism.
He has been associate editor of Journalism Quarterly, served on the Freedom of Information Committee of Sigma Delta Chi, and on numerous other committees and board of professional organizations.
Dr. Hachten has been a guest professor at Berlin Institute for Mass Communication in Developing Countries in 1964, did field research on the press and broadcasting in tropical Africa in 1965, had a Fulbright-Hays Research Fellowship for studies in Africa in 1968, taught at the University of Ghana in 1972-73, and researched at the International Press Institute in Zurich in 1970.
He has participated in UNESCO meetings in Strasbourg, France; in Montreal; in Konstanz; in London, Nairobi, Helsinki, Munich, and Leipzig, and has been an external examiner at the Institute of Mass Communications at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He also has taught an intensive journalism course for black journalists in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has conducted workshops and lectured in such places at Khartoum, Sudan; Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and Malaysia.
His publications include: The Troubles of Journalism: A Critical Look at What’s Right and Wrong with the Press; The Growth of Media in the Third World: African Failures, Asian Successes; The World News Prism: Changing Media of International Communication; The Press and Apartheid: Repression and Propaganda in South Africa; Muffled Drums: The News Media in Africa; and Mass Communication in Africa: An Annotated Bibliography. He also has written many articles for professional journals on the media in Africa
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Prof. P.A.V. Ansah
He served as the Ag. Director of the School from 1975 to 1979 and as a Director from 1980 to 1992.
Prof. Ansah was appointed Lecturer in the French language and Literature at the University of Ghana, Legon in 1964. He held this position till 1969. Between 1969 and 1971, he studied at Birbeck College, University of London and was awarded PhD. in French. From 1971 to 1974 he continued his teaching of French at the University of Ghana and rose to the position of Senior Lecturer in French Language and Literature He studied at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, U.S.A. and was awarded an M.A. in Journalism and Communication.
Prof. Ansah contributed immensely to the social and academic life of the University of Ghana. He served on a number of Boards and Committees. On 29th July, 1989 he was elected Master of Akuafo Hall, a position from which he resigned in December, 1992 on health grounds. Prof. Ansah researched widely in French Language and Literature as well as in journalism and Communication Studies. For his contribution to French culture he was honoured by the French Government on 27th October, 1989 as “Officer of Academic Laurels.”
He had more than thirty-six publications in books and reputable local and international journals. The bulk of his publications in communication was on International Communication and the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO).
Prof. Ansah was constantly in demand and he travelled extensively within and outside Africa giving lectures and acting as Consultant in the areas of Press Policy and the training of journalists. He was a world authority on rural communication.
He was well known and respected all over Africa, Europe and the USA for his academic work. Prof. Ansah was external examiner to several universities outside Ghana and held a number of consultancies for foreign governments and various organizations including the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Inter Press Service (IPS), Pan African News Agency (PANA), Botswana Press Agency (BOPA) and Malawi News Agency (MNA).
Prof. Ansah organized and directed several training workshops in various African countries from Cape Verde, to Mauritius and Botswana. He read several invited papers at conferences and seminars in many countries including Austria, the USA, Kenya, Cameroun, Namibia, Sweden, South Korea, Rwanda, Tunisia, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada and Thailand, to mention a few.
Prof. Kwame Karikari
Prof. Karikari served as the Ag. Director of the School from to 1995 and from 1997 – 2000. Prof. Karikari holds a BA (City University of New York) and an MS (Columbia University, New York). He is the Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa and Editorial member of several international journals, e.g. World Bank Development Outlook, Journalism, etc.
Prof. Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh
Currently on contract, Prof. Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh was the Director of the School from 2000 to 2005. He holds a BEd (Cape Coast); Grad. Dip. (Lib) (Ghana); MSc. Mass Comm (Lagos); MEd. (Alberta); PhD (La Trobe).
His specialization includes Indigenous Communication Systems, Research Methods and Public Opinionpolling.
Dr. Anthony Bonnah Koomson
Now on retirement, Dr. Anthony Bonnah Koomson held the Ag. Directorship position of the School on two occasions (1995 - 1996 and 2005 - 2006). He holds a BA (Ghana); Grad. Dip. (Journalism)(Ghana); MSc (Ohio); PhD (Ohio). His areas of specialization include Research Methods, Communication Theories, International Communication and Media Ethics.
Dr. Audrey Gadzekpo
Currently on Sabbatical Leave, Dr. Gadzekpo is the immediate past
Ag. Director (2006 -2010). She holds a BA (Ghana), MA (Bigham Young), PhD Birmingham). Before 2006, Dr.Gadzekpo had headed the School as the Ag. Director for one year (1996 -1997).
Her specialization includes Print Journalism, Gender Studies, Media & Governance and Media and Society.
