Adelphi University Announces New Dean of College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Sam L Grogg

Adelphi University has announced the appointment of Dr. Sam L Grogg to the position of dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dean Grogg will begin his duties on June 1, 2011.

Grogg has had a long history of service in education. He is currently the dean of the School of Communication of the University of Miami and has held the post since 2005. Grogg has led revolutionary changes while at the University of Miami expanding its campus media, establishing the Knight Center for International Media, executive producing One Water, a television special narrated by Martin Sheen, and overseeing a complete revision of the School’s curriculum and greatly increasing philanthropic support. In 1993, Grogg was named the founding dean of the School of Filmmaking at the North Carolina School of the Arts. While dean at NCSA, Grogg continued to produce, focusing on television movies. In 1999, Grogg rejoined the American Film Institute (AFI) as dean of the AFI Conservatory.

Early in his career, Grogg wrote for a daily newspaper and co-hosted both a public broadcasting radio and television show focused on popular culture and motion pictures. As the American Film Institute’s executive director of national education during the 1970s, Grogg served as education editor of American Film, a monthly national magazine, and edited three editions of The AFI Guide to College Courses in Film and Television. In 1972, he co-founded The Journal of Popular Film and Television, which is considered as one of the leading academic journals in its field.

“My leadership role as dean of Adelphi’s College of Arts and Sciences represents a remarkable opportunity and I look forward to collaborating and furthering its accomplishments with the outstanding faculty and dedicated students,” said Dean Grogg. “The College is known for providing knowledge and inspiration that launched thousands of lives—an invigorating responsibility for all involved. I cannot wait to be on deck with my new colleagues at Adelphi University.”

“Dean Grogg is a man with exceptional creative accomplishments who has used these talents to support innovation in student learning with a deep respect for the liberal arts,” said Dr. Gayle D. Insler, Adelphi provost and senior vice presidentfor academic affairs. “We are fortunate to welcome someone with Dr. Grogg’s perspective and experience, and expect Dean Grogg will bring thoughtfulness, energy, and vibrancy to the University as well as the College.”

Grogg’s financing and producing credits include Kiss of The Spider Woman andThe Trip To Bountiful, both pictures garnered numerous Oscar nominations and received Best Actor and Best Actress Academy Awards. He has executive produced or produced numerous theatrical and television films, including Da, Patti Rocks, and Spike of Bensonhurst. In 1989, he and Oscar-winning visual effects artist John Dykstra founded Magic Pictures, where Grogg executive produced and produced numerous visual effects productions, television commercials, large format presentations for theme parks and other productions while serving as president of Apogee Productions and Magic Pictures.

Over the course of his career, Grogg has won several prestigious awards, including being honored by the Directors of the Online News Association for his work to advance multimedia journalism in 2010; William R. Butler Award for Support of Student Government in 2006; Ray and Pat Browne Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the study of popular culture from the National Popular Culture Association in 2005; and by the AFI Board of Trustees in 2004 as the fourth “Master” teacher and filmmaker to lead the Conservatory since its founding in 1967.

Grogg holds a Ph.D. degree with a specialization in popular culture and film from Bowling Green University. His wife Susan, is a teacher, acting coach, and former stage and motion picture actress. They have two children, Zubin and Brady.

To learn more about Adelphi University, visit adelphi.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

For 115 years, the Adelphi University College of Arts and Sciences has offered students a rigorous education in the liberal arts and sciences. Today, the College enrolls more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offers degrees in a wide variety of disciplines. Students study and conduct research with award-winning and well-known faculty scholars and artists in a diverse and welcoming setting. Hundreds of internships and field opportunities enable students to apply their knowledge in their chosen careers. The College’s undergraduate curriculum, which includes a broad general education program and advanced courses in each discipline, prepares graduates who are critical thinkers and leaders ready to address the needs of an increasingly global society. Working closely with faculty mentors, graduate students gain the expertise and skills essential to further career advancement.