Kimberly Moffitt, Howard class of 2000 alumna, was appointed dean of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications and will officially step into her new position on Aug. 1.
Moffitt currently serves as dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she said she oversees 25 departments, seven research centers and three scholars programs.
Moffitt expressed excitement over the opportunity to “dive in deeper and focus more attention on the discipline of media and communication studies.” She said she is eager to create new programs and initiatives specific to communications students, as well as conduct some of her own research in the field.
“I want to see the school of communications elevate its status and reputation so that as soon as you say ‘Howard University’ and ‘communications,’ everyone knows what we’re talking about and has a clear sense of who the students are and what they represent,” Moffitt said.
Moffitt said stepping into this new position is particularly special to her because she is a Howard graduate herself. She said she appreciates Howard because it gave her an opportunity to better understand herself, and taught her the importance of using her voice to speak up for good.
“I got my Ph.D. there and Howard is where I became the thinker and scholar that I am today,” she said. “The opportunity to return back to that spot and do the same for the next generations of thinkers, producers, creators and practitioners of media and communication in general is really exciting to me.”
She described the opportunity as a full circle moment, expressing enthusiasm over being able to return to a place she considers home and give back to the university.
Moffitt’s plans for the school are student-centered. She said she aims to make sure student’s voices are heard and engage with as many as possible, learning from their academic experiences to help them be successful.
Further, she said she plans to support faculty leadership and professional development through initiatives like supporting colleagues with their conference travel and fundraising.
“My responsibility through fundraising is to ensure that they have additional funds to carry out the research projects that benefit them professionally, and also benefit our students because we want students to be working with faculty members and have learning experiences also outside the classroom,” Moffitt said.
Moffitt said she also wants to encourage alumni involvement, creating opportunities for them to connect with and support students. She also aims to further develop the pipeline for students to secure internships and job opportunities.
“There’s so much that I want to contribute, there’s so much more that Howard School of Communications has to contribute, and we already have the foundation for it, it’s just about us elevating and making sure people know just how good we are,” Moffitt said.
Anthony Wutoh, provost and chief academic officer, said he plans to work closely with Moffitt. Wutoh emphasized research, fundraising, providing internship opportunities for students and support for faculty as top priorities for the school that he anticipates Moffitt to address.
“She is very student-centered and is going to solicit input and feedback from students and I think that will be a great opportunity for students to get to share what their priorities are as well,” Wutoh said.
Farah Pope, assistant dean of multimedia, chief technology officer and building manager for the school of communications, expressed excitement over Moffitt’s appointment as the new dean.
“She is going to be a great companion to the other deans and as well as our provost and president. She’s going to help lead our school of communications into the future. We’re going to turn things around, raise the bar, get our alumni more involved, raise money,” Pope said.
Being a part of the team conducting interviews for the new dean, Pope heard from Moffitt about a lot of the initiatives she is focused on for the upcoming years. Pope’s enthusiasm reflects a broader sense of optimism among faculty and staff, who see Moffitt’s leadership as a turning point for the school.
“She’s going to teach students how to do research, how to raise money, how to fund projects. That’s huge. Whatever they know now, she’s going to take it to the next level,” Pope said.
Ingrid Sturgis, chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film, recognized the need for a dean that will help further develop their leadership team, and anticipates that Moffitt will fill the role effectively.
“We’re a growing school and we always need more resources, but I don’t know what that’s going to mean, given our political environment and the new administration that we have in office. So I’m looking for somebody who can think creatively about bringing the resources that we need,” Sturgis said.
Faculty expect that Moffitt’s experience and vision will help address longstanding challenges and bring innovative solutions to the school.
“She has an analytical mind, she’s focused and transparent, and has well developed communication skills, which will translate to our staff and our students, meaning a brighter future. The students are going to love her. This is exactly what we need and we’re just so blessed to have found her,” Pope said.
Moffitt’s vision extends beyond the school itself. She sees Howard as a powerful voice in defending press freedom and the importance of open discourse.
“I see a real need for us to be a voice in the wilderness, so to speak…I’m really interested in Howard being a voice to show the value of freedom of press and speech,” Moffitt said.
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
