Nadine Barnett Cosby is slated to make Quinnipiac University history this June as the school’s first-ever Black dean.

Provost Debra Liebowitz announced in an email Monday that Cosby, Iona University’s associate vice provost for academic affairs, will take over as dean of the university’s communications school on June 15. 

Cosby, an associate professor of media and strategic communication at Iona, will also teach in the School of Communications’ film, television and media arts department.

Interim Dean Terry Bloom — the previous associate dean who was appointed interim in the wake of former Dean Chris Roush’s resignation last June — will continue to oversee the School of Communications until Cosby takes over. 

Cosby joined Iona in 2012 following a 20-year career in the media industry, according to her official faculty page. At Iona, she taught a range of courses in, among other things, broadcasting, production and television writing.

The writer, producer and director — who has dedicated her career to exploring media representation of marginalized populations — also co-chairs Iona’s diversity committee and co-founded the school’s minor in Black studies.

Cosby holds a doctoral degree in communication studies from Regent University. The accomplished academic, who completed her undergraduate education at Lehman College, also holds master’s degrees in public relations and media studies from Iona and The New School for Public Engagement, respectively.

Liebowitz said Cosby’s “blend of industry, academic and interdisciplinary experience and commitment to student success” stood out to the search committee.

“Dr. Cosby is a seasoned academic leader with a passion for fostering student success, faculty engagement and advancing the academic mission of higher education,” Liebowitz wrote in the Feb. 5 email to the Quinnipiac community. “A scholar of theory and practice, she brings a wealth of experience, combining academic expertise, practical skills and application, experience in communications industries, and a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”