Dr.Brooks called his decision to leave, “The most difficult professional decision I’ve ever had to make.”

“Dwight Brooks has played an integral role in the development of the Faherty Laboratory’s teaching, research, and service missions from the very beginning,” Dr. Ann Hollifield, Co-Coordinator of the Laboratory said. “He is a wonderful colleague, and the Faherty Laboratory and its students will continue to benefit from his contributions for a long time come. Although we are very happy for him as he accepts this wonderful opportunity, we are sorry to see him leave. Dr. Brooks will be greatly missed.”

Dr. Brooks joined the faculty of the Grady College in 1997 and has taught a variety of classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including Introduction to Telecommunications Programming and Management, and Media and Diversity. In recent years, he has been involved with two major projects involving media and diversity. The first with Dr. Christa Ward has focused on student engagement with a diversity course which included pedagogical strategies, measurign engagement levels, and reactions to videos. The second project involves undergraduate student's reactions to the movie Crash. This study will be presented to the National Communication Association's conference in November.

He goes on to say, “The past ten years have been great and I have accomplished most of what I had set out to do at the University. I will miss my colleagues, friends, students, and especially my church.”

He is pleased with his work in Grady, especially his work with race, gender, and media and the diversity committee, which touched all departments in Grady.

He cites the Faherty Laboratory as an important part of his professional career. “I have enjoyed working with Ann Hollifield, and I’m sure the Faherty Lab will flourish under her leadership and direction,” he said.

Dr. Brooks will continue to teach management and cultural studies classes at Jackson State in addition to his increased administrative focus. Jackson State has endured a lack of departmental leadership in the past few years. Dr.Brooks sees this issue as a professional challenges that he hopes to tackle in the coming years. He would like to set up a leadership institute within the Mass Communication department as well as create a media literacy program to help make the department stronger. During the next few years, he would like to update the labs and equipment as well as recruit new faculty. While he is sad to leave Athens, Dr. Brooks said he looks forward to a new challenge. “I’ve had ten wonderful years in Athens…maybe one day I’ll be back.”

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