Dr. Jennifer Vardeman, associate professor and director of graduate studies at the Valenti School of Communication, is one of nine scholars accepted into the coveted Institute for Diverse Leadership in Journalism and Communication (IDL), sponsored by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in 2018. Thirty-one applicants applied to the IDL for the 2018-2019 term.

The AEJMC IDL is dedicated to bringing multicultural ideas to the helm of academic units so diverse ideas are fostered and empowered throughout the faculty, staff, and student bodies. The institute focuses on increasing the number of people of color and women who serve as chairs, deans, directors, and endowed chairs in journalism and communication education. In addition to leadership training and mentoring opportunities, each scholar is granted the unique opportunity to shadow a dean in the field for a week. Among other things, participants learn first-hand about fundraising, team building, academic administration, and accreditation.  

Beyond her tenure at the Valenti School of Communication, Dr. Vardeman is an affiliate faculty member for the University of Houston’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. Her research interests include gender and intersectionality analysis,  risk and crisis communication, and public health and healthcare public relations. Her recent research and teaching projects include collaborations with University of Texas Medical Branch and the Texas Medical Center, the Houston Methodist Hospital, and UH’s Bauer College’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship. Dr. Vardeman was also awarded the Valenti Teaching Excellence Award in 2017.