URI names Kothari new Harrington School director

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Ammina Kothari, an associate professor and director of graduate programs at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Communication in Henrietta, N.Y., has been named the new director of the University of Rhode Island’s Harrington School of Communication and Media.

URI said Kothari was chosen from among three finalists after a search that began in January.

In leading the RIT Master of Science program in communication, Kothari developed multiple new courses and taught a wide range of journalism and communication curricula, URI said, including data journalism, communication theories, gender and media, and social media research.

URI said Kothari, in her new role, is interested in creating more collaborative opportunities among degree programs at the school.

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“In my work, I often leverage advances in technology to innovate curricular offerings and strive to create a more inclusive academic environment that fosters interdisciplinary learning and timely scholarship,” Kothari said in a statement. “At Harrington, I would also like to explore ways to build partnerships with other programs on campus and in the community.”

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.