Daryl Moore is the second and final dean candidate for Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication.
Moore met Monday with the university’s search committee, FAMU President Larry Robinson, SJGC faculty, staff, students, alumni and the board of visitors, in hopes of earning the open position. Moore’s background lends heavier toward graphic communication and design. He has an MFA in advertising design from Syracuse University, and a BFA in communication design with a minor in art education from Pratt Institute.
Moore had been a three-term elected chair of the department of art and design at Montclair State University in New Jersey and founding dean of the College of the Arts at California State University, Stanislaus and dean of the College of the Arts and Communication at William Paterson University, where he is now a professor and teaching faculty member.
Within the last five years SJGC students have seen four deans, including two interim deans. Bettye Grable, a tenured faculty member is serving as acting dean until a permanent dean is selected. Carrington Whigham, SJGC student and student body vice president, explained what the current consensus is for students after she conducted the candidate discussion on behalf of students.
“The general voice of student concern in regards to the new dean is making sure [the new dean] knows what kind of environment they’re coming into — meaning how diverse it is, the culture here, someone with charisma and can help us be competitive in the field,” Whigham said.
Moore put extreme emphasis on revitalizing the SJGC name in all facets. His goals within FAMU’s j-school are to create an “epicenter for the preparation of mindful and productive global citizens and aspiring journalists and graphic communications for success.”
The SJGC dean candidate also intends to move the program forward with a language that defines SJGC distinctly — distancing the school from its competition.
“I plan to lead the school with leadership that is forward-thinking, visible and collaborative — open to a diversity of possibilities while embracing traditional and emerging modalities of the creative process across the vital disciplines of SJGC,” Moore said.
Throughout his presentation Moore touched on the importance of journalism, especially during the country’s current chaos in Washington and the importance of reliable information during the pandemic.
“Journalism and graphic communication has never been more crucial than they are today,” Moore said. “Tapping into our collective humanity, they are a driving force in the sustainability of our complex, dynamic and evolving society — the platform for truth and change on the fertile ground of discovery, engagement and the exchange of ideas.”
Originally there were three finalists for the dean position, but due to a candidate dropping out of the process.
Moore and Craig Freeman are the finalists for the position. Whigham, who facilitated both student sessions, noted that student attendance wasn’t particularly impressive, but there were important and insightful questions asked.
“From my perspective the search for the new dean has been very thorough,” Whigham said. “I think that we are doing a great job to find a dean that will successfully fill the role for someone at FAMU— which is saying a lot because FAMU is no easy task considering how much culture and ambition there is here.”