Jackie Alexander, director of student media at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has been named president of the College Media Association. Her appointment makes her the association’s first president of color. Alexander has been a member of the organization since 2012.
Alexander has served as director of student media at the University of Alabama at Birmingham since 2018. In this role, she oversees the university’s three student-run media outlets, Kaleidoscope, Aura, and UABtv, and guides students through all facets of the journalistic process. Before joining the staff at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she served as associate director of student media for Clemson University in South Carolina. In addition to her experience in higher education, Alexander has a background in print journalism.
“I’m trying to make sure we have people after graduation who are gainfully employed in the field of their choosing, in the job of their choosing, in a way that they can contribute back to our world,” said Alexander on her role as director of student media. “Whether that is being a storyteller or being in medicine, I want them to graduate as better people than when we first met. I want them to learn and grow holistically, to understand the world and contribute to the world in a positive way.”
Alexander earned her bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the University of South Carolina.