Scott Talan

Assistant Professor
School of Communication

• Scott Talan, MPA, is a full-time professor of Public Communication. He has worked in media, PR, and communications in four distinct fields: TV News, Politics, Nonprofits and Higher Education. Scott worked at the United Nations, Harvard University and the New Mexico Legislature. He recently served as the Dir of Communications for the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs.
  
  Talan has worked as a writer at ABC News Good Morning America. He's also reported on-air for local TV news stations in several states (Florida, New Mexico, California) covering politics including the 2000 presidential recount story.
  
  Before news, Talan was as an elected city council member and Mayor of Lafayette, California. His first career was in nonprofit communications working for the March of Dimes.
  
  Talan received his Master in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, studied broadcast journalism at Stanford after getting his BA from the University of California at Davis.
  
  Prior to joining American University Scott was an adjunct faculty member at George Washington and Johns Hopkins.
  
  Professor Talan also serves as a Faculty in Residence living on campus and extending learning outside the classroom. He is also the adviser to the student run Social Media Club. Talan has also taught media courses at Xiamen University in China as well.

• Degrees

  Harvard-Master of Public Administration
  Stanford-Broadcast Journalism Certificate
  University of California Davis-Bachelors of Arts