Roosevelt "Rick" Wright, Jr. is a professor in the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where he teaches courses in radio and television announcing and performance, radio and television commercial and continuity writing, and radio station operations, management, programming, engineering, and finance. Before joining the Syracuse faculty in 1975, he was an adjunct professor of radio, television, and film at Howard University, assistant professor of educational media, radio and television at North Carolina Central University, director of educational media at Delaware State University, and instructor of educational media and associate director of the audiovisual center at Elizabeth City State University.
He received the bachelor of science degree in industrial arts technology from Elizabeth City State University in 1964, the master of arts degree in educational media and commerce from North Carolina Central University in 1969, certificate for advanced graduate studies in educational media at Virginia State University in 1970, and the doctor of philosophy degree in instructional technology and radio broadcasting from Syracuse University. He has also completed advance courses in electronics and missile engineering at the U.S. Army Air Defense School at Fort Bliss, Texas, and courses in U.S. Navy recruiting, media, and public affairs at the U.S. Navy "NORU" school, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.
He has been active in professional broadcasting, serving as general manager, program director, account executive, DJ announcer, chief engineer, and local sales manager for a number of radio stations. Some of the radio stations where he has worked are WGAI-AM, Elizabeth City, NC; WRAP-AM, Norfolk, VA; WLLE-AM, Raleigh, NC; WSRC-AM, Durham, NC; WDNC-AM/FM, Durham, NC; WAFR-FM, Durham, NC; KELP-AM, El Paso, TX; WNDR-AM, Syracuse, NY; WOLF-AM, Syracuse, NY; WTNJ-AM, Trenton, NJ; WRC-AM/WKYS-FM, Washington, DC. He has served as Faculty Manager for WAER-FM, Syracuse, NY; and in his present capacity, he serves as faculty advisor/license for student owned and operated WJPZ-FM at Syracuse University. He has also provided radio consultancy work for communication corporations such as NBC, ABC, CBS, Park Broadcasting, Buckley Broadcasting, Rollins Broadcasting, New York Times, Broadcast Enterprises Network, and Westwood One.
His research and creative interest are in the areas of radio station operations, instructional broadcasting with an emphasis on radio delivery and programming formats, college and university radio broadcasting stations, history of African-Americans in radio broadcasting, and U.S. Naval and Military history topics. He has published articles in Audiovisual Instruction, Billboard Magazine, Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, Broadcasting Magazine, National Naval Officers Association Newsletter, All Hands, Navy Recruiter, Jet Magazine, and Black Collegian. Numerous newspaper articles have been written about him, and published in Central New York newspapers. He is presently writing a book on College and University Radio Station Operation, and A History of African-Americans in Radio Broadcasting.
He is also active with the U.S. Navy, serving as media consultant for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Campus Liaison Officer for the U.S. Navy Recruiting Command, and Public Affairs Officer for various U.S. Navy activities, such as the Annual Great Lakes Cruise. He has been named Campus Liaison Officer of the Year for the U.S. Navy, and has received three Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal. His present rank is Captain (0-6), and he serves on the national RDA advisory board for the commander of the U.S. Navy Recruiting Command, Washington, D.C.
He is an active community worker, where he serves on the board of directors of the Hiawatha Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and member of the NAACP, American Heart Association, National Council of Negro Women, Navy League of Central New York, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Society of Broadcast Engineers, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, National Naval Officers Association, Reserve Officers Association of America, U.S. Naval Institute, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, The American Legion, National Association for College Broadcasters and The Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
His hobbies include photography, aviation, radio DXing, sports, music, collecting audio visual equipment, and studying the applications of instructional technology for educational purposes.
