New Media Institute

New Media Institute

The New Media Institute equips students with the skills to create digital solutions for tomorrow’s media landscape.

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overview

The New Media Institute (NMI) is an interdisciplinary academic unit dedicated to exploring the critical, commercial, and creative dimensions of emerging technologies. The NMI is committed to the teaching and training of new and emerging media professionals and to providing students with technical skills and knowledge. Curriculum focuses on critical investigations into the constantly changing technology and media landscape and the development of skills to design and build interactive digital products. As a key partner of the Innovation District, the New Media Institute connects our students with industry and university needs to provide interactive digital solutions to real-world problems and organizational objectives.

NMI offers the interdisciplinary NMI Certificate program for undergraduates, as well as residential and online Emerging Media master’s degrees for graduate students.

NEW MEDIA CERTIFICATE

The New Media Institute is home to the New Media Certificate, UGA’s largest interdisciplinary certificate. Classes in user experience design, web development, digital storytelling and emerging technologies, among others, are offered for certificate students.

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Perspectives

“By starting out with advertising as a major and venturing into the New Media Institute with classes like web development, I reignited my passion for computer science and now actively pursue it in my day-to-day through my organization, UGAHacks.”

John Atkinson

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Perspectives

“After I graduate with my undergraduate degree in December 2022, I will be pursuing a masters degree in Emerging Media as a Double Dawg at UGA. I’m really excited to learn more about how technology and design can make some cool, innovative projects for brands.”

Heaven Robinson

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Perspectives

“I love how it stands to represent all of the different ideas on campus and being able to say I have a small part in bringing together all of these students, faculty, alumni and community members in Athens.”

Esther Kim

TEDxUGA curator

Faculty

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    Chris Gerlach

    NMI Lecturer

    Chris joined the NMI in 2013 as a Graduate Assistant, equipped with a strong foundation in integrated marketing communications and a curiosity for emerging technology. During his undergraduate years, he […]

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    Tyler Mazurek

    New Media Certificate Faculty Advisor + Instructor

    Tyler was first acquainted with the NMI as an Entertainment and Media Studies student. To explore his growing interest in all things NMI, he became a member of the inaugural […]

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    Kyla Sterling

    Emerging Media and Double Dawgs Faculty Advisor + Lecturer

    As Faculty Advisor for Emerging Media and Double Dawgs, Kyla oversees students’ journeys from recruitment to graduation—and beyond! She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the […]

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    Megan Ward

    New Media Institute Director

    Originally from Jupiter, Florida, Megan Ward fled the Gator state to be a double-dawg, earning both her Bachelors and Masters in Public Relations from Grady College. An NMI alumna herself, […]

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    John Weatherford

    NMI Experiential Learning Faculty Advisor + Principal Lecturer

    As Principal Lecturer and Experiential Learning Faculty Advisor, John leads a variety of instructional efforts at the NMI. With a Masters and Bachelors degree in English from UGA, he combines […]

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    Barbara Bond

    Lead Business Manager

    Prior to Grady College, Barbara Bond spent the last ten years in the health care industry – nine years as a lead certified pharmacy technician and one year as a […]

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    Olivia Carino

    Part-time Instructor

    Olivia Carino (AB ’18, MA ’21) graduated in December 2018 with a degree in Communication Studies and a Minor in Sociology. In July 2019, she discovered her passion for web […]

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    Leah Spalding

    Part-Time Instructor

    Leah Spalding (ABJ ’15, MA ’17) is a part-time, remote instructor at the University of Georgia, as well as an assistant professor of UX Design at Western Kentucky University. Leah […]

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    Dayne Young

    Program Coordinator

    Dayne is the program coordinator and an instructor for the Carmical Sports Media Institute. He also serves as the producer of TEDxUGA for the New Media Institute. Dayne is a […]

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    Claire Jordan 

    NMI Instructor

    Claire is an NMI Instructor and proud NMI alumna, with a Bachelors degree in Public Relations and a Masters in Emerging Media from UGA. Her practical insights, drawn from her […]

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    Jake Troyer

    NMI Remote Faculty

    As a remote NMI Instructor, Jake teaches a variety of courses each year for the New Media Certificate and Emerging Media Masters. Through a project-based curriculum, Jake’s courses guide students […]

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    Lauren Baggett

    NMI Communications and Development Director + Instructor

    Lauren is an Instructor and the NMI’s Director of Communications and Donor Engagement. Lauren earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She […]

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The Latest

Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.

Read more about Grady InternViews: Heaven Robinson
A young woman with long dark hair and glasses smiles in front of greenery. Next to her, text reads: “INTERN VIEWS. Heaven Robinson, Breaktime Media.” Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia logo below.

Grady InternViews: Heaven Robinson

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their summer internship experience.   Heaven Robinson is an Emerging Media Masters student working with Breaktime Media […]

Read more about #ProfilesofTenacity: Rachel Ziner
A smiling woman with straight brown hair stands outdoors. Next to her is a red box with a quote by Rachel Ziner about embracing your unique journey and not comparing yourself to others.

#ProfilesofTenacity: Rachel Ziner

Rachel Ziner was taught the value of setting goals and achieving them from a young age. To her, tenacity comes after those goals are achieved. Ziner is a Double Dawg, […]

Read more about Emerging Media students create Historic Athens app
Three women stand in front of a screen and New Media Masters banners giving a presentation. One holds a microphone, while another holds a phone. Festive lights and a Historic Athens logo are in the foreground.

Emerging Media students create Historic Athens app

Using 21st Century technology to provide users with a sense of history from the 1800s and 1900s is the goal of a new Historic Athens app, created by a team […]

Read more about Innovative NMI student project teaches transferable skills, boosts employability
Five smiling young adults stand in front of a New Media Institute backdrop, each holding a certificate from the Emerging Media Institute. They are wearing conference name tags and casual clothing.

Innovative NMI student project teaches transferable skills, boosts employability

Identify a gap or problem, and find a solution. That’s one of the mantras of the New Media Institute (NMI), housed on the fourth floor of Grady College. And that […]

Read more about New podcast studio offers production space to students around campus
Four men in business attire sit around a wood table in a podcast recording studio with microphones, soundproofing foam on the walls, and soft lighting. They are smiling and facing the camera.

New podcast studio offers production space to students around campus

Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing ways of communicating and thanks to a partnership with the New Media Institute at Grady College and the Entrepreneurship Program at Terry College, there […]

Read more about NMI students build brand to support local Georgia seafood
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NMI students build brand to support local Georgia seafood

Eating your way through local seafood cuisine along the Georgia coast may sound like a dream come true, but for a group of Grady College students, it was another day […]

Read more about Stepping Stones UGA app traces history-making paths of UGA desegregation
White columns of a neoclassical building in sunlight; inset shows a magazine cover with the title STEPPING STONES and an image of a stone entry gate with a red-accented background.

Stepping Stones UGA app traces history-making paths of UGA desegregation

Following the steps that Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63) and Hamilton Holmes took leading to the UGA Admissions Building…the terrifying night of riots at Myers Hall…and the refuge of the Killian […]

Read more about NMI students thrive in Innovation District
Four people have a discussion in an office with the word METROPOLIS on the glass wall. One person gestures while others listen, with whiteboards and brick walls visible inside the room.

NMI students thrive in Innovation District

Nicholas Kreitz pours a cup of coffee, exchanges a few words with his boss as they pass one another by the kitchenette and slings his backpack over his shoulder as […]

Read more about #ProfilesOfTenacity: Rohit Rammohan
A man stands with arms crossed beside a quote on a red background that reads: Tenacity means striving despite the circumstances to be the best version of yourself. It is one of the most important characteristics you can have as a person.

#ProfilesOfTenacity: Rohit Rammohan

What does the word “tenacity” mean to you? I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot recently. In my mind, it means striving despite the circumstances to be the best […]

Read more about #ProfilesOfTenacity: Cesar Moncada
A young man smiles outdoors next to a red box with white text about helping others through advertising and branding. The name Cesar Moncada appears in bold. Background text repeats Profiles of Tenacity.

#ProfilesOfTenacity: Cesar Moncada

What are you passionate about? I am very passionate about helping others and using my skills as a form of service. The reason I chose to go into advertising and […]

Read more about New Media Institute publishes native apps from capstone class
Two women stand on a stage giving a presentation beside a large screen showing smartphone interfaces. Audience members are watching. Banners for the New Media Institute are visible on each side of the stage.

New Media Institute publishes native apps from capstone class

A new bar has been set by the New Media Institute capstone teams with the acceptance and publication of four new native apps in the Apple App Store. The mobile […]

Events

Woman sitting at a table laughs while registering students for an event. A sign that reads Intern Hours sits on the table.

Intern Hours

Join us for Intern Hours, a peer networking event for Grady College students. Each session will feature a group of current Grady students who had or have internships in Summer or Fall 2025 or Spring 2026. Get tips on how they found their internships, how to prep for your own internship applications, what they did in the role and more. See details on this month’s featured interns on Instagram @UGAGradyCareers.

Read more about Intern Hours

Prospective Student Day

Register here to join us at Grady College Prospective Student Day!

Read more about Prospective Student Day
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Spring 2026 Grady Convocation Ceremony

Grady College’s Spring 2026 Convocation Celebration will take place on May 6, 2026.

  • The ceremony will start at 2 p.m.
  • Graduates will have their names read in front of family, friends, faculty and staff as they cross the stage.
  • Dress is professional; caps and gowns are not worn for Grady Convocation.
  • Guests are asked to remain in their seats and not take pictures at the stage. Photos will be taken of each graduate crossing the stage and will be available free of charge after the event on the UGAGrady Flickr account.
  • The ceremony will be recorded and posted within 24 hours on the UGA Grady YouTube channel.
  • Students must register for convocation. Registration will open in April.
  • Tickets are not required for Spring Convocation.
  • Parking is available at one of several downtown parking lots. Please allow plenty of time to park and arrive as there will be convocation ceremonies downtown for other UGA units that same day.
More information can be found at https://grady.uga.edu/graduation/

Read more about Spring 2026 Grady Convocation Ceremony
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Spring 2026 Grady Graduation Celebration

Graduates and their parents are invited to celebrate with other graduates and faculty/staff at this drop-in celebration from 5 to 6:30  p.m. on May 8, 2026. Guests will enjoy light refreshments and photo opportunities with Dean Davis and others. Tickets are not required for the celebration at Grady College.

Read more about Spring 2026 Grady Graduation Celebration
Participants with the GAB Radio Talent Institute visit Truist Park during a Sports Broadcasting Day in May 2025.

GAB Media and Career Academy

The Georgia Association of Broadcasters’ Media and Career Academy is a chance for college students and recent graduates to network and connect while learning more about exciting opportunities in podcasting, television, radio, streaming, news/talk, sports, social media, sales, marketing, promotions and more! Industry professionals from around the country will bring their real-world knowledge to this intensive 6-day summer program. More details coming soon.

Read more about GAB Media and Career Academy

Entertainment and Media Studies Summer Academy

Are you interested in careers in the film, television, radio, online, mobile and other new media industries? In this course designed for high school students, participants will be introduced to the exciting entertainment field and what it encompasses.

They will gain valuable skills for conceiving what stories are worth telling while also gaining an understanding of the implications of visual storytelling in society. They will learn the basics of content production, from screenwriting to digital editing. Over the course of the week, they will work on a project to showcase in their portfolios.

For more details, visit https://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/youth-program/entertainment-and-media-studies-6-8-2026/

Read more about Entertainment and Media Studies Summer Academy
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Tedxuga

TEDxUGA brings together a carefully selected group of UGA faculty, staff, alumni and students each year to share ideas worth spreading. This university-wide program is coordinated through NMI.

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