Earlier this month, GSU Law welcomed aboard LaVonda Reed as our new dean. As the former Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs at Syracuse University, our new dean is an experienced leader and administrator. But did you know that Dean Reed is also an accomplished scholar?

One of Dean Reed’s research interests is Communications Law, especially as it relates to broadcast regulations. In Radio Regulation: The Effect of a Pro-Localism Agenda on Black Radio, she examines the effect of the FCC’s ownership regulations on radio stations serving the African-American community. Although Reed sees potential negative effects from deregulatory moves allowing for greater concentration of radio ownership, she simultaneously questions whether a pro-localism agenda limiting that concentration would, in and of itself, promote minority ownership. Instead, Reed argues that the FCC should explicitly pursue a goal of greater racial diversity in broadcast ownership alongside any such a pro-localism agenda, seeking “diversity in ownership, a diversity of sources, and ultimately, diversity in programming choices.”

Dean Reed has also written about the effect of FCC indecency regulations on political speech. In a 2010 article, she looked at the dilemma posed by “truly indecent” political advertisements, examining a potential conflict between statutes requiring broadcasters to give reasonable access to candidates for federal elective office and statutes prohibiting them from broadcasting indecent materials.

Another scholarly interest of Dean Reed’s relates to the regulation of clean energy. In Dirty Dishes, Dirty Laundry, and Windy Mills: A Framework for Regulation of Clean Energy Devices, she uses her familiarity with the telecommunications regulations to suggest that the FCC rule protecting a homeowner’s right to install satellite dishes might serve as a useful blueprint for a similar rule protecting the right to install solar panels, windmills, and other clean energy devices.

Here at the law library, we’re excited about Dean Reed’s leadership and scholarship. What about her deanship excites you? Would you like to see more blog posts discussing our faculty amazing’s scholarship? Let us know in the comments!