Emerita Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Jerilyn McIntyre

Dr. Jerilyn McIntyre joined the University of Utah Department of Communication faculty in 1977, where she taught for 23 years. During her time here she served as the Vice President for Academic Affairs (1990-98) and Interim President (1991 and 1997). She was the first woman to serve in either of those positions. Before joining the University of Utah Department of Communication faculty in 1977, Jerilyn McIntyre taught at the University of Iowa School of Journalism from 1973 - 1977 and at Chico State College in California from 1968 - 1970. She is a former correspondent in the World News Bureau of McGraw-Hill Publishing Company in Los Angeles. Her bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degree in journalism are from Stanford University. Her Ph.D. in history and communication is from the University of Washington. She is the author of numerous monographs, articles, and papers on communication history, journalism ethics, and higher education issues.

Dr. McIntyre was also the 13th president of Central Washington University and a professor of communication there. Prior to her appointment at CWU in July, 2000, she served for 23 years at the University of Utah in several capacities, including twice as interim president and for seven years as vice president for academic affairs. She was the first woman to serve in any of those administrative positions. The Department of Communication honors Dr. McIntyre's contributions via the McIntyre classroom located at LNCO 2850.

In retirement, Dr. McIntyre has focused on a career as a writer and publisher. She has worked in several genres, from personal essays and memoirs, fiction (including a romantic short story set in Florence), and humorous stories chronicling the adventures of Harley, a charismatic black cat. Harley’s exploits in Italy were also the focus of two independently published novellas for middle grade readers— “Paws in the Piazza” and “The Shadow of the Unscratchable.” (Paws was also translated into Italian.) Her most recent middle grade novella is “Enchanted:Time and the Mountain,” a time travel fantasy. “Through a Lens: A Florentine Romance,” a novel for adult readers, was published in 2024 by Flock Publishing Company. Currently in the works is “Four-Leaf Clover,” a story about several families living in the Midwest in World War II and post-war America. You can learn more about Dr. McIntyre's creative works here.

With her husband, author and editor David Smith, she is co-founder of Bristlecone Peak Books.