A message from Vincent Shaikh, dean, Media, Trades & Technology division:
It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Charles Kopun as the new associate dean, School of Media, effective August 3, 2021.
Charles has been a professor at Niagara College since 2011. He was also the coordinator of the Journalism program from 2015 to 2020 and was the managing editor of Niagara News, the college’s national-award-winning community newspaper and online news site. As coordinator, he worked on a number of committees, including the President’s Advisory College Council (ACC), the Dean’s Engagement and Retention Committee and a cross-college working group that reviewed Niagara’s Students’ Strength Inventory (SSI).
He has led collaborations with industry partners, broadened student field placements, proposed and developed new programs, and promoted Niagara College on the national stage. His most-recent contribution includes the development of the Social Media Management (SMM) graduate certificate program.
Prior to his arrival at Niagara College, Charles held various leadership roles in the Canadian media industry. Before moving to senior management, he held various positions, including news reporter, sports editor, arts reviewer, columnist, magazine copy editor and designer, art director and copy chief. He was part of the team that launched the National Post, where he became an art director and design editor when the publication was named the Best Designed Newspaper in the world. In 2006, Charles was appointed an assistant managing editor at the Toronto Star, then Canada’s largest newsroom, where he led a department of about 50 designers, graphic artists, photographers, editors and multi-media producers into a new digital environment, winning dozens of national and international awards. He was directly responsible for multi-million-dollar budgets and has also led a number of new product designs and prototypes.
Charles has also been an adjunct professor at Ryerson University and taught first year core courses in writing and reporting, culture of news, media law, visual journalism and research methodology. Charles has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University, and a Bachelor of Journalism from University of King’s College.
Please join me in welcoming Charles to his new role at Niagara College.
Vincent Shaikh
Dean, Media, Trades & Technology
