Morgan State University President David Wilson announced Jacqueline Jones will serve as the new dean of the School of Global Journalism and Communication on Tuesday in a president cabinet meeting.

Previously serving as the assistant dean for programs and chair of the department of multimedia journalism for eight years, Jones will start her new role Aug. 1.

“While this is exciting news for me, personally, I am especially excited for the opportunity to engage faculty, staff and students in taking our program to the next level of excellence. SGJC made rapid progress in a relatively short time under Dean Wickham, and I look forward to taking the baton from him and moving us ever forward,” Jones said in a written statement. 

Jones has a vast amount of journalism experience as she worked at a variety of newsrooms including the Baltimore Evening Sun, Detroit Free Press, New York Newsday, The Philadelphia Daily News, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Washington Post. 

She came to Morgan in 2012 as an associate professor in the department of communication studies prior to the establishment of the School of Global Journalism and Communication in 2013. 

DeWayne Wickham, current dean of the School of Global Journalism and Communication, noted Jones was an integral part of building the school and expressed it would not be where it is today without her.

Wickham said, “We were a great compliment. There were things she was especially good at, to which she was uniquely connected that I wasn’t good at or well connected to, and there was things I was well connected to and particularly good at that she didn’t have with her. So, the combination of those allowed us to really move the school forward at light speed.”

In her time at Morgan, the school raised millions of dollars to support academic programs, partnered with several media organizations, and received accreditation from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Wickham, along with supporting faculty and students at the School of Global Journalism and Communication, expect great success from Jones in her new position.

Micah Caldwell, junior multimedia journalism major, said, “I’ve known Dean Jones since before I began my freshman year, and she truly looks out for the best interest of all SGJC students. She’s the best person to fulfill this role and I’m so excited to see her begin this journey.”