Barbara O'Keefe

Barbara J. O'Keefe is a Professor of Communication Studies, Annenberg University Professor, and Dean of the School of Communication at Northwestern University. She earned her A.B., A.M., and Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. O'Keefe has held faculty positions at Wayne State University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Michigan. Before joining Northwestern, she served as Director of the University of Michigan Media Union, focusing on interdisciplinary study and application of emerging digital media. Her extensive research includes over 60 technical publications and two edited books, primarily concentrating on content analysis in communication and the application of interactive computing to enhance cooperative work and learning. She was a co-PI on Project CITY, which studied human-centered design for collaboration technology in public works management. Dr. O'Keefe has also developed computer-based tools for communication and engineering education and managed advanced technology facilities at the Media Union to support faculty in using web technologies effectively.