Dr. Scott C. D鈥橴rso is the acting vice provost for graduate and professional studies and dean of the Graduate School. An associate professor of communication studies, he previously served as the associate dean for academic affairs and student development in the Graduate School and led the Graduate Student Success Team.

D鈥橴rso joined Marquette鈥檚 faculty in 2004 in the Department of Communication Studies, where he served as chair from 2014-2022. He also served as department chair for Strategic Communication from 2021-2022. He has chaired the Committee on Academic Technology and was a vice chair for the University Board of Graduate Studies.

Having a passion for teaching and students, D鈥橴rso has taught several courses in communication at the undergraduate and graduate level. D鈥橴rso was the founding co-director of the Communication Leadership program in the Diederich College of Communication. He was awarded Dean鈥檚 Recognition awards for service (2014), faculty adviser (2008 and 2013), and research excellence (2010). In addition, D鈥橴rso is a member of the National Communication Association and the Council of Graduate Schools. He also serves as an editorial board member of Management Communication Quarterly.

As a scholar, D鈥橴rso鈥檚 research focuses on corporate and organizational communication, as well as the intersection of communication technology use in and by organizations. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in journalism and a Master of Arts in communication from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Ph.D. in organizational communication from the University of Texas at Austin.