08/24/2026
A welcome back to school message from MJF Department Chair, Dr. Rosemary Pennington:
Fall is my favorite time at the university. There’s so much excitement around the new beginnings and the new possibilities the academic year holds. My best friend in college always talked about how fall was a time to turn over a new leaf (though that new leaf wasn’t always intact later in the year).
That excitement is amplified for MJF as we settle into our new home in Bachelor Hall. Staff have worked through the summer to get our spaces up and running. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Bachelor, I’d encourage you to explore. You’ll find your professors’ offices on the bottom and the second floor of the building. The main MJF office is on the first floor, near the Humanities Institute. Be sure to check out MJF Day on Thursday, August 27th.
There’s a lot happening this semester. An open house on September 25th will allow the larger community to see what exactly MJF does with all these production spaces, in October Wil Haygood returns and will host a film series in the Bachelor Great Room, and soon MTN will begin recording its shows in the new TV studio. Several ambassadors will also be on campus this fall, including Mass Communication alum Ambassador Shefali Razdan Duggal. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to interact with these, and other, guests.
Later this semester I’ll launch “Coffee with the Chair.” You’ll occasionally find me on the bottom floor of Bachelor with coffee and donuts, ready to hear what you have to say about life in MJF and Miami at large. I’m also happy to talk about the Bengals, reality TV, fantasy/SciFi books, or any of your current media obsessions. The first one of those will likely happen early October.
Finally, I’d like to invite you to apply to join the Chair’s Student Advisory Committee. New last year, the group meets with me several times a semester to provide insight into the student experience in MJF.
Have a great first week of class!
