James Simon (journalist)
Dr. James Simon is an award-winning journalism professor, Dean of the College of the Arts and Sciences and Chair of the English Department at Fairfield University located in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Academia career
Before coming to Fairfield University, Dr. Simon taught journalism at Rutgers University and the University of the Pacific. Dr. Simon received the National 2003 small college Teacher of the Year award by the Small Program Interest Group of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). He was a recipient of a national fellowship in the Institute for Journalism Excellence awarded by The American Society of Newspaper Executives.[1] He also serves as faculty adviser to The Fairfield Mirror, the student newspaper.
Professional career
Dr. Simon spent many years covering statehouse politics for the Associated Press. He covered New Jersey State House politics, while serving as New Jersey State News Editor from 1974 to 1978; Rhode Island State House politics from 1979 to 1981; and Massachusetts State House politics from 1981 to 1987. He also served as the Massachusetts State House AP bureau chief from 1983 to 1987 .[2]
Following his political journalism career, Dr. Simon was appointed by Governor Michael Dukakis to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Environment for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1987. During the 1988 United States presidential election, he served on the environmental issues committee for Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis. And from 1989 to 1990, he served as the Director of Public Relations for the Massachusetts Hospital Association.[2]
Education
Simon received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, journalism and urban teacher education from Rutgers University in 1974 where he was co-founder and managing editor of the weekly newspaper on the Rutgers/Livingston campus. Simon also received a Master of Mass Communication degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1990 and a Doctorate from the School of Public Affairs in 1993 at the Arizona State University.