Dear UT Community,
It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Jay Bernhardt will step down as Dean of Moody College of Communication after the spring 2023 academic term to become President of Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He will begin his new role on June 1, 2023, and a national search to identify his successor is already underway.
Since becoming Dean in 2016, Dean Bernhardt has had a significant impact on Moody College and its advancement as one of the nation’s top institutions for communication, speech, media, and entertainment. Under his leadership, the college has hired almost 40 new tenured and tenure-track faculty members, added over 20 full-time professional-track faculty members, and increased its four-year graduation rate to over 80%. Moody College has also launched innovative new academic programs, raised over $150 million to support its students and mission, and developed numerous centers and institutes, such as the Center for Health Communication, the Texas Immersive Institute, the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research, and many more.
Dean Bernhardt’s appointment as the next President of Emerson College is a testament to the outstanding leaders we attract and develop here at UT. He has been an exceptional leader and has helped position Moody College for continued success and impact well into the future. I am grateful for his effort, partnership, and service to our university and look forward to working with him over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition in Moody College.
Please join me in thanking Dean Bernhardt for his service to UT and congratulating him on his appointment as the next President of Emerson College.
Sincerely,
Sharon L. Wood
Executive Vice President and Provost