Rate My Professor Kathleen McElroy

Kathleen McElroy is a professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin, where she holds the Frank A. Bennack Jr. Chair in Journalism. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism from Texas A&M University in 1981, a Master of Arts from New York University with a focus on race and media in 2010, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. Her doctoral thesis examined Black columnists and their role in shaping racial discourse. Prior to her academic career, McElroy worked for nearly 20 years at The New York Times in management positions including associate managing editor, dining editor, deputy sports editor, and deputy website editor. She also held editorial roles at The Bryan-College Station Eagle, The Huntsville Item, the Austin American-Statesman, Newsday, and The National Sports Daily. McElroy served as director of the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin from 2018 to 2022. In 2023, she was selected to lead the revival of Texas A&M University’s journalism program but ultimately remained at the University of Texas at Austin after the hiring process encountered complications.