College of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Social Work

Dr. Vickie Rutledge Shields is Dean of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Social Work, and Professor of Communication Studies.

Prior to moving to Washington state and joining EWU, Dr. Shields worked for 12 years at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH where she held the positions of Assistant/Associate Professor of Telecommunications/Women's Studies, Director of the Women's Studies Program and Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences for faculty, curriculum and general education where she led a successful general education reform.

She has taught a wide range of courses in speech communication, feminist media studies and qualitative research, ranging from introductory courses through doctoral advising and seminars.

An internationally recognized communications and feminist media scholar, Dr. Shields writes from a cultural perspective on gender media content and media audiences specifically in the areas of advertising, television and film. She is also an expert in theoretical and methodological approaches to visual literacy.

She is the author of Measuring Up: How Advertising Affects Self Image, published by the University of Pennsylvania Press as well as over 50 articles, chapters and presentations in media and cultural studies. Measuring Up was the winner of the 2004 Award for Outstanding Research in Visual Communication by the Visual Communication Division of the National Communication Association.

In 2010-11 she served as President of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS), the leading national organization of arts and sciences deans. 

Vickie Rutledge Shields received her M.A. and PhD degrees in Communication from the Ohio State University. Prior to receiving her doctorate she was awarded The Ohio State University Presidential Fellowship, one of 30 full fellowships awarded annually by The Graduate School, The Ohio State University in a university-wide competition, to doctoral candidates in the final year of dissertation research who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly accomplishment and potential.   She received her B.A. in communication from Boise State University where she was named BSU Alumna of the Year in 2005. In that same year she completed the Management Development Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Vita