Getting to Know the Annenberg Board Co-Directors
The newly launched Dean’s Advisory Board provides counsel and advice to the Dean in setting and achieving the strategic goals of the school, serves as a sounding board for initiatives, and works to connect the school to its alumni and the broader stakeholders in the field of Communication. Its members are academicians and policy and industry experts in the field of Communication and areas relevant to Annenberg's activities.
Amy Jo Smith (M.A.C. '88)
Amy Jo Smith is President and CEO of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, a leading trade group for the digital entertainment industry, and works with some of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies, consumer electronics manufacturers, platform providers, and technology companies. (A former White House communications advisor, Smith led the effort to promote home entertainment's evolution with the highly successful launch of DVD technology.) DEG has two working communities to focus on the ever-expanding digital entertainment ecosystem: the Direct-to-Consumer Alliance (D2CA) that works to help build a robust global marketplace, and the Advanced Content Delivery Alliance (ACDA) that enables improved content delivery and a better consumer experience.
What remains your favorite memory from your time at Annenberg?
Smith: In one of my first classes at Annenberg we were discussing the upcoming Super Bowl with ads priced at $1 million. Prior to that, I hadn’t thought much about the power of sports to engage huge numbers of eyeballs, nor, how much value that brings to a brand. I loved how relevant that was to everyday life, and it inspired me to pursue further study in media and communications.
How did your time here help with your career development?
Smith: Annenberg taught me how to think about the power of media and communications in everyday life and how to embrace that in the corporate world. I learned to think about things in a responsible and hopefully meaningful way.
What inspired you to connect back with Annenberg? And why is this tie with your alma mater important for you?
Smith: When then Dean Michael Delli Carpini reached out about my possible participation in the Annenberg Alumni Advisory Board, I was interested on first blush. But after attending my first meeting and hearing the Dean’s report of the school, I was wowed. It’s been wonderful to hear how the school is adapting to the changing landscape we live in to stay relevant and meaningful. I’m proud that I’ve been able to give back by providing insights and suggestions. And it’s been wonderful to connect with other alumni.
Nikhil Sinha (Ph.D. '91)
Nikhil Sinha has spent a career shuttling between launching and building global start-ups and leading various academic efforts, including as Vice Chancellor of Shiv Nadar University in India and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas. Most recently, he served as Chief Content Officer at Coursera, one of the world’s leading higher education platforms.
What remains your favorite memory from your time at Annenberg?
Sinha: My favorite memory is of all the evenings I spent in the basement in conversation with my fellow graduate students. The depth and breadth of the discussions were amazing, and those engagements, along with the classes and the culture of the school, were a major factor in my development not only as an Annenberg graduate but also as a professional in the field of communication.
How did your time here help with your career development?
Sinha: My first job after completing my Ph.D. was as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Radio-TV- Film (RTF) at the University of Texas at Austin. The RTF Department, in 1991, consisted of a wide range of areas of focus – critical and cultural studies, media industries, international communication, etc. Even though my own area of focus was political economy and communication policy, as an Annenberg grad I could engage in academic conversations with my colleagues across the department, whether their work was qualitative or quantitative or critical or administrative. And I also served on doctoral committees of many students whose work was outside of my own areas of focus. The intellectual rigor of the Annenberg program also served me well once I left academia and began a career in the private sector.
What inspired you to connect back with Annenberg? And why is this tie with your alma mater important for you?
Sinha: I never disconnected from Annenberg! From the time I left in 1991 to today, I’ve always remained connected in some form. Whenever I was in Philadelphia, I met faculty and students and attended events at the school. I’ve spoken on many alumni panels and have served on the Alumni Advisory Board for nearly two decades. This continuous and ongoing connection has allowed me to stay informed of the developments in communication, stay connected with the faculty and the ever-evolving student body, and provided me an opportunity to contribute to the school by sharing my expertise and experience.
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