Patricia Stout, who has been a professor in the department of advertising and public relations since 1984, was named chair of the department Wednesday. Stout said she looks forward to taking on the new position during a time of growth in the college.

“Advertising is a large department … [and] we are at a very strong point relative to the students in our major,” Stout said. “We have a really great group of faculty and I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the role of chair of the department.”

Stout will replace advertising professor and current department chair Isabella Cunningham, who will return to full-time teaching.

“I have done it for 20 years and I am happy to have done the job,” Cunningham said. “I’m looking forward to working with my graduate students and my undergraduate students, and I’m excited about being able to develop the internship [program] more.”

Stout said she her first goal for the coming year is to focus on encouraging faculty and students in the department to keep using their strengths and adapting to new media.

“Technology drives how persuasive messages are delivered and the need for creating innovative messages,” Stout said “I’m anticipating our students will be prepared and take a lead in the evolution relative to technology, communication, advertising and public relations.”

Advertising senior Alysia Chen said she enjoys how professors try to make classroom knowledge applicable to real world situations, but she hopes advertising students can take public relations classes and have better access to software.

“I think it could be really useful to have a class or at least more access to programs like the Adobe Creative Suite … and free printing,” Chen said. “I think that those who are not necessarily in the Texas Creative program, but want to pursue a career in that area should have the opportunity to do so.”

During her time as chair, Stout said she wants to interact with students both formally and informally.

“I know there are a lot of student organizations that are a part of the college and part of our department and to be able to interact with them and understand more of what the goals are for those groups,” Stout said. “Our students are really super [and] I’m very impressed with [them] at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral level.”