Diversity at Grady College

From the Office of Dean Charles Davis: Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, one of the nation’s leading schools of its kind, views faculty, staff, and student diversity and inclusion to be core values of our work and learning environments. Diversity creates opportunities for intellectual stimulation, tough conversations, learning, growth, and innovation that subsequently enable our students to become effective leaders and well-rounded citizens. The College counts among its alumni Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63), the first African-American woman to attend the University of Georgia.  We know our history and we know that at Grady College, diversity, intersectionality, and inclusion make us stronger.

Being a state institution we aim to serve the population of all corners of our state. As Georgia and our nation become more diverse, we must reflect the communities, stakeholders and audiences we serve and the students we teach. We recognize that diversity empowers excellence in our core missions of teaching, research, and service and that it is supported by actively ensuring underrepresented voices are heard and varied experiences valued.

While our commitment to diversity is evident in the many programs and initiatives we have developed, there is still more work to do to make it an ingrained, everyday part of our culture. We look forward to your partnership to create opportunities and to build an inclusive culture for our College and, as a result, for our professions and industries.


Statement of reflection after the verdict in the George Floyd murder trial. (April 21, 2021)

Statement of support for, and solidarity with, our Asian and Asian American students, staff and faculty. (March 19, 2021)

Letter from Dean Davis in Sept. 2020 about DEI initiatives.

Diversity and Inclusion Mini-Grants for Faculty

Faculty can apply for one of these mini-grants to help offset expenses of bringing speakers to Grady College to discuss topics of diversity and inclusion.

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Graphic with an image of Anushka Jariwala with Text that reads: InternViews, Anushka Jariwala, AMC Networks.
Grady InternViews: Anushka Jariwala
This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their summer internship experiences.   Anushka is a fourth-year advertising student working with AMC Networks as an […]
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A graphic of Adam Pawlus that reads "Pride Month Profile: Adam Pawlus (MA '01)
Profile: Adam Pawlus, executive director, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists
For the past 20 years, Adam Pawlus (MA ‘01) has dedicated much of his career towards advocating for proper coverage of members of the LGBTQ community and promoting the need […]
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A graphic of Jim Farmer that reads "Pride Month Profile: Jim Farmer (ABJ '88)
Profile: Jim Farmer, director of Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival
Every fall, audiences gather for Out On Film, an 11-day, in-person and virtual film festival annually featuring more than 150 films by, for and about the LGBTQ community and its […]
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Mennah Abdelwahab stands in front of Grady College.
Student plans to change the world one policy at a time
Mennah Abdelwahab grew up in Bogart where she was one of the few Arab Americans in town. Her parents were raised in Egypt and her family is Muslim. She said that […]
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Graphic recognizing Ciera Walker being named a Disney UNCF Corporate Scholar
Journalism student Ciera Walker named 2022 Disney UNCF Corporate Scholar
Ciera Walker, a Journalism student from Columbus, Georgia, has been selected by the Walt Disney Company and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to be a 2022 Disney UNCF Corporate Scholar. […]
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#ProfilesOfTenacity: Sherry Liang
Why did you choose Grady and your course of study? The only class I enjoyed in high school was newspaper, so I came into college as an intended-journalism major. I […]
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A graphic of all seven UGA 2022 MAIP Fellows.
7 Grady students recognized as 2022 Multicultural Advertising Intern Program fellows
Seven Grady College students have been selected by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) Foundation to participate as fellows in the 2022 Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP). These students, […]
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#ProfilesOfTenacity: Kacie Geter
Why did you choose Grady and your course of study? I chose Grady because since I was young, I always wanted to be a broadcast reporter or television personality. Grady […]
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#ProfilesOfTenacity: Smera Dhal
What does the word “tenacity” mean to you? Tenacity means bouncing back. What is your most memorable Grady experience? Through Grady study abroad, I spent this past summer at the […]
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A graphic highlighting Ph.D. student Farrah Youn-Heil
Ph.D. Profile: Farrah Youn-Heil
Growing up with immigrant parents, Aarum (Farrah) Youn-Heil said she feels like television and movies helped raise her. From a young age, it stuck out to Youn-Heil that not everyone she saw […]
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#ProfilesOfTenacity: Jillian Smalls
Why did you choose Grady and your course of study? I decided to come to UGA specifically to attend Grady College. Among all the colleges I was interested in, none […]
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Black History Month Alumni Profile: Yvonne Lamb
Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb (ABJ ’75) graduated from Grady College with a bachelor’s degree in newspaper journalism. She spent 22 years working as an assignment editor on the local news desk, […]
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Black History Month Alumni Profile: Angelique Jackson
Angelique Jackson (ABJ ’12) is a senior entertainment writer for Variety. She previously worked at Entertainment Tonight, where she was awarded two Daytime Emmy Awards as a segment producer. During […]
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Photo and quote from Armani Kardar
#ProfilesOfTenacity: Armani Kardar
Why did you choose Grady and your course of study?   I chose Grady and journalism because I love to talk and tell stories. I love meeting people and learning random […]
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Black History Month profile picture of Toyin Adon-Abel
Black History Month alumni profile: Toyin Adon-Abel Jr.
Toyin Adon-Abel Jr. (ABJ ’05) knew from a young age he wanted to work in marketing, but equally important to him was directing campaigns as a way to understand people […]
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Media and Leadership Academy

The Media & Leadership Academy is an intensive, residential one-week program open to rising high school sophomores to seniors interested in the mass communication field. Students take classes at Grady College in one of three offered tracks: Journalism, Advertising & Public Relations or Entertainment. Click below for details about this summer program.

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