The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, which is housed in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, has announced Peter Loge will be its new director.
Loge, who was elected by the SMPA faculty, will take on the role for the next three academic years, effective July 1.
Current SMPA Director Silvio Waisbord said Loge brings extensive experience in the world of politics and strategic communication, as well as academia.
“It has been my great pleasure to work with Professor Loge, especially as we collaborated on multiple activities in recent years,” Waisbord said. “I have no doubts that he will be an exceptional leader in the years ahead, as we continue to chart our future. Professor Loge has deep knowledge of political communication and media, as well as the administrative and management experience for the job.”
Loge has more than 30 years of experience in politics and communications, including serving in senior positions for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, three members of the U.S. House of Representatives and at the FDA during the Obama administration.
Loge has taught at SMPA for two decades, originally as a part-time adjunct, and full-time since 2017. He has also served as associate director since 2021 and serves as the founding director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication. He regularly appears in national media, has continued to advise campaigns and organizations and is a senior fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center in Bilbao, Spain.
In addition to his work on Capitol Hill and in the Obama administration, Loge has led, helped lead and advised a number of organizations in the public and private sectors. His experience includes directing the Justice Project, serving as a senior vice president at a national communication consulting firm, founding his own public affairs firm and leading external relations at the US Institute of Peace.
As a consultant, his clients have ranged from America’s Funniest Home Videos and American Farmland Trust, to the World Wildlife Fund and WickedCoolStuff.com. His book “Soccer Thinking for Management Success” debuted as a #1 new release on Amazon in 2018.
Waisbord expressed his gratitude to faculty, students, staff and alumni for his tenure as director of SMPA since July 2020.
“On a personal level, I wanted to thank everyone for your support, trust and friendship,” Waisbord said. “All of you are essential to making SMPA a special, remarkable community of learning and practice. It has been my honor to serve this community as director. I will go back to teaching, research and writing, with a few projects in mind, and the incredible opportunity to be the next President of the International Communication Association.”
