I am pleased to announce that, following an international search, Dr. Marnel Niles Goins has been named the next dean of the School of Communication. She will begin her new position on July 1, 2024.

Dr. Niles Goins comes to us from Marymount University, where she is dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities and professor of communication. She oversees a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in this role. Under her leadership, the college has established four new majors and one school, improved retention and enrollment, and increased fundraising and scholarship production. Prior to her tenure at Marymount, Dr. Niles Goins was a full professor in the Department of Communication at California State University, Fresno.

A recognized communication scholar, Dr. Niles Goins has provided extensive service within the field. She is the current president of the National Communication Association, where she has held several other leadership positions over the years. She is also past president of the Organization for Feminist Research on Gender and Communication (formerly the Organization for Research on Women and Communication) and past president of the Western States Communication Association. 

Dr. Niles Goins specializes in racial and gender dynamics in organizational settings, including higher education. Through her work, she brings to light the intersections of varying oppressions. Her scholarship in Organizational and Small Group Communication engages the Black and Black female communities and aids in increasing the understanding of them as individuals, groups, and organizations. She has remained active in publishing, attending conferences, and serving as a reviewer for communication journals since becoming an administrator. 

Dr. Niles Goins earned her PhD in Organizational and Small Group Communication from Howard University and BA in Communication (with a minor in Mathematics) from Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) in Alabama.

I am deeply grateful to Leena Jayaswal for her many extraordinary contributions as interim dean since May 2023. I have greatly appreciated the active engagement of SOC faculty, staff, and students throughout the search process. Special thanks to the members of the search committee, led by chair Filippo Trevisan, for their commitment and hard work in recruiting this outstanding new dean for SOC. 

Please join me in welcoming Marnel to American University!