Mary Dedinsky, MSJ, is a long-time editor and reporter and was the first woman to be named managing editor of a major U.S. newspaper, the Chicago Sun-Times. At the Sun-Times, she was also an education reporter, investigative reporter, editorial writer, metropolitan editor, and director of editorial operations. For her work at the Sun-Times, she was elected to the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame. She has twice served as a Pulitzer Prize juror.

After the Sun-Times, Dedinsky became associate dean and associate professor of journalism at the Medill School in Evanston, IL, where she taught media management to graduate students and news writing to undergraduates for 10 years. She also directed the Teaching Media Program, in which undergraduate students worked for a term at a newspaper, magazine, television station or website. Before joining NU-Q, Dedinsky served as the metro web editor, Chicago bureau chief and associate metro editor for the Chicago Tribune. She has consulted for the Associated Press and numerous newspaper companies, among other things facilitating a major reorganization of a client's editorial staff. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Medill.