SUNY Oswego - Alumni Association

May 2010 • Vol 6 No 2

Oswego Names CMA Dean

Fritz Messere ’71, M ’76 was appointed founding dean of the new School of Communication, Media and the Arts this month.

CMA Dean Fritz Messere '71, M '76 “In a very strong pool of candidates from across the nation, Mr. Messere stood apart in his vision for the future of the school as well as in his national reputation as an expert on current and emerging issues in media,” wrote Susan Coultrap-McQuin, provost and vice president for academic affair, in a campus announcement. "With a connection to SUNY Oswego that dates back to his days as an undergraduate here in the 1960s, Mr. Messere knows the institution intimately and has exhibited a passion to see his alma mater grow in distinction."

A member of the communication studies faculty since 1977, Messere is a former coordinator of its broadcasting and mass communication program and two-time department chair, and has served as interim dean of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts since it was established in January 2008. Recognized as a national expert on telecommunications policy, he is the co-author of a leading text on broadcasting in the cyber age.

"Oswego is blessed in so many ways," said Messere. "We have a forward-thinking administration, a wonderful, creative faculty who are leaders in their fields and who take time to nurture students, support creative endeavors and challenge students to do their best work.

"And, we have a remarkable group of alumni who have become leaders in their fields and in the arts. What a tremendous combination of riches for our students!" he added. "As an alumnus, I know how much Oswego helped shape my vision of the world and the role media plays in our culture. I look forward to working with President [Deborah F.] Stanley, Provost Coultrap-McQuin and our amazing faculty to make Oswego the very best public institution for the study of communication, media and the arts. "

PHOTO CAPTION:
Fritz Messere ’71, M ’76

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Who doesn’t want to save the world? Michael Kite ’02 does that for a living through World Wildlife Fund.

As marketing specialist for one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, Kite and his team of three work to raise more than $5 million each year. The majority of that money comes from licensing partnerships and promotions with the likes of Barnes & Noble, Gap, Hewlett-Packard, Dial and Coinstar.

Retail partnerships help WWF spread its message to the general public and raise funds for its conservation work around the globe. For example, Bank of America contributes $100 for every special Visa account opened and Nabisco is supporting WWF’s “Year of the Tiger” initiative with special packaging and a $100,000 donation. The new CVS Green Bag Tag program rewards reusable bag-toting customers, and generates five cents for WWF for each tag sold.

All support WWF’s mission of protecting the future of nature, down to the finest details, Kite said.

“We like to see that the product is made from recycled material and is recyclable itself, and somehow ties into our mission,” Kite said. The Green Bag Tag, for instance, is made from a corn-based material and features a 100 percent recycled silicone lanyard.

As a broadcasting major at Oswego, Kite got involved with WRVO-FM and WNYO-FM.

“I think it gave me a lot more confidence in talking to people,” he said. It was an important part of his early career in broadcast sales and remains an important piece in the message he “sells” today.

“The best part of my job is seeing a product in the store with the WWF logo after months of working with a company to launch it,” said Kite, who joined the organization in 2006. “It’s rewarding to give people a fun, unique way to protect our planet.”

— Shane M. Liebler