Mark Lukasiewicz
Mark Lukasiewicz

Mark Lukasiewicz, who left NBC News last year after a 17-year run, will become dean of Hofstra University's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication on July 1.

At NBC, Lukasiewicz was executive-in-charge of the news group's transformation project, senior VP of news specials and the unit's first VP for digital media.

He produced and planned coverage for Osama bin Laden's death, Pope Francis' visit to the US, Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding and interviews with former presidents Obama and Bush II.

“Mark Lukasiewicz is an outstanding journalist and dynamic leader whose career has been defined by his ability to embrace technology and harness its power to tell some of the most important stories in the world,” said Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz in a statement.

Hofstra's search committee said Lukasiewicz got the job due to his "deep experience as a broadcast journalist, production executive and transformational newsroom leader known for his innovative methods of integrating digital media and traditional television platforms."

Prior to NBC, Lukasiewicz spent 11 years with ABC News and began his career as a reporter/columnist with The Globe and Mail and later as a senior producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.