RIT Names Jonathan Schroeder as the New Kern Professor of Communications

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Jonathan Schroeder

Jonathan Schroeder, an internationally recognized expert in branding and currently the chair of marketing at the University of Exeter in England, has been named the new William A. Kern Professor of Communications at Rochester Institute of Technology.

As Kern Professor, Schroeder will teach courses and conduct research in visual communication, advertising ethics and the intersection of art and commerce, while also promoting additional research and teaching opportunities with local advertising agencies, marketing firms and arts organizations. The position is made possible through RIT’s William A. Kern Endowment.

“I am extremely honored to be selected for this post and look forward to working with the faculty and students of RIT to further the development of academic scholarship in communication, marketing and advertising,” Schroeder says.

“Professor Schroeder has earned significant international notice for his educational and research work and will be an asset to the Department of Communication and RIT as a whole,” notes David Neumann, professor of communication at RIT and chair of the Kern search committee.

Schroeder is the author or editor of a number of books, including Visual Consumption and Brand Culture, and is currently the editor in chief of the international journal Consumption, Markets and Culture. Prior to joining the University of Exeter, he served as a professor of marketing at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and at the University of Rhode Island. He has also held visiting appointments at the University of Auckland, New Zealand; the Indian School of Business, India; Bocconi University, Italy; Gothenburg University, Sweden and Wesleyan University in the state of Connecticut.

The William A. Kern Endowment was established at RIT in 1971 by the Rochester Telephone Co. to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary. It was named in honor of the Rochester Telephone executive who served as chief executive officer from 1959 to 1964. The Kern Professorship has been under the Department of Communication since 1986.