Your business owns WIBW-TV and Washburn University.

WIBW-TV General manager Roger Brock has promoted the Patriots anchor/reporter Melissa Brunner To the position of news director. Brunner succeeds John Jens, who is retiring after 24 years of 51 years as a journalist, leading 13 news teams. She will continue to host Eye on Northeast Kansas and co-host 13 NEWS at 6 pm with David Oliver. “I look forward to continuing the tradition of strong local news that WIBW-TV has always been known for,” Brunner said. We have a fantastic team working to deliver quality journalism every day. It is a pleasure to work with them,” he said. Brunner has been with WIBW-TV for 27 years. Her work has won numerous awards from the Kansas Society of Broadcasters and the Kansas City Press Club; She was part of a team that won six Heartland Regional Emmys for best newscast. Her anchoring and reporting work earned her two Emmy nominations. And she won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for writing. Brunner is a native of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She and her husband, WIBW-TV chief photojournalist Doug Brown, live in Topeka.

Washburn University It has announced several promotions as follows.

• He added the appointment of Provost to the appointment of Vice President for Academic Affairs. Laura Stephens. She will continue in the same roles and responsibilities as Chief Academic Officer, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the academic enterprise at Washburn University and Washburn Tech. Stephenson is filling the role on an interim basis while a national search is conducted for a permanent provost and vice president for academic affairs.
• It has been named. Danny Wade Assistant Provost for Faculty Development. This new position will include a focus on the recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, tenure and promotion process for new faculty, as well as the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning. Wade serves as the point person for student academic affairs in the Office of the Provost. Wade joined the Washburn faculty in 2008 as an assistant professor and coordinator of the English Studies program. In the year He accepted tenure at Washburn in 2012 and was promoted to full professor in 2021. He served as chairman of the English Department for five years.
• It has been named. Beth O’Neill Assistant Provost for Curriculum and Program Innovation. This new position will include a focus on new program analysis and development, program review and evaluation, reporting and support of faculty management structures in curriculum evaluation. O’Neill joined Washburn in 2018 as an assistant professor of social work and will remain until 2023. She has served as Program Director in the Department of Social Work and is currently Washburn’s Director of Evaluation.
• It has been named. Kelly Erb Interim Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences. Erby earned her bachelor’s degree in history and English from The Ohio State University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Emory University. In the year A nationwide search for a permanent dean will be held in the coming academic year.

Topeka area hiring, promotions, retirements and other announcements can be sent to iyb@cjonline.com.