Message from the Dean

Welcome to the spring semester and Happy New Year! As we begin 2026 together, I'm reflecting yet again at how fortunate I am to be a part of the remarkable Annenberg community and how our students, staff members, faculty, post-docs, alumni and supporters of ASC continue to sustain me.

This past fall marked a major milestone at the Annenberg School: the launch of the new Master of Communication and Media Industries (MCMI) program. The energy around this new degree has been extraordinary. Our master’s alumni have responded with enthusiasm, and we have received applications from prospective students around the world. Right now, we are in the process of selecting our inaugural cohort for Fall 2026. I am looking forward to welcoming these accomplished recent graduates and young professionals into our community soon, who will undoubtedly bring new perspectives and rich experiences that will expand our classrooms in new ways.

The MCMI program is part of my broader strategic vision plan that I’ve been developing with our faculty, staff, students, and alumni which will be announced later this semester. This five-year vision is grounded in our core values of intellectual rigor, social responsibility, academic freedom, and a deep commitment to creating a community where everyone belongs. It will serve as a guide for our efforts in producing cutting-edge research and contributing meaningfully to the public good. Since Ambassador Annenberg established the school in 1958, the Annenberg School has been driven by a commitment to building a more just, informed, and connected world. This vision will provide a framework to continue that work, and will be represented this spring in our multiple ways of telling the Annenberg story, from our annual magazine, Connections, to our podcasts, our videos and our many events we will be hosting throughout the semester. 

2026 begins with challenges that impact our intellectual community in a variety of ways; some of these challenges feel abstract and institutional, while others are closer to home, affecting our sense of belonging and safety. Yet despite these challenges, I begin the new year with active, critical hope. Our community’s courage, curiosity, and generosity of spirit are the foundation of our success. Whether through teaching and mentoring, groundbreaking research, creative collaborations, or meaningful service, each of you contributes to the power of ideas and the transformative potential of education to change lives. 

Our alumni, faculty, students, and staff members’ commitment to the field of communication, to defending the work we do, to creating a community of care and support is what fills this semester — and every semester at Annenberg — with so much promise. I can’t wait to see what comes of it. 

Here’s to a spring filled with discovery, connection, and bold pursuits of knowledge.