Welcome to the Comm Lead Alumni Community!
No matter whether you graduated in the last five years or over 20 years ago, our goal is to maintain a sense of purposeful belonging for all alumni through outreach, gatherings, volunteer opportunities, and professional development workshops that foster deep connection and support you at all stages of your careers.
Alumni Voices & Volunteers
“I trust Comm Lead to also help me understand complex emerging technologies at a deeper, and more-nuanced level, than I could experience through ‘standard’ media consumption.” – MCDM Alum
Our alumni live across the world and work across sections in all forms of communication. Featured here is a cross-section of alumni who were featured in our quarterly alumni newsletter:
Alumni Fellows
The Alumni Fellows build bridges between Comm Lead alumni and student communities by offering workshops and professional support. Under the supervision of a returning Comm Lead Fellow Manager from the previous cohort, their mission is to connect with current Comm Lead students through leading industry-standard workshops, a December First Friday, and being available as professional sounding boards. Applications are accepted every spring and a new cohort launches each July.
In addition, Fellows design an Alumni Gathering in May and work closely with the Head of Outreach to advise on alumni engagement. In essence, Fellows foster community and help prepare students and support alumni as they creatively navigate the contemporary professional communication landscape.
Current Fellows
To learn more about becoming an alumni fellow, contact Liyao Zhao.
Mentor Program
The Comm Lead Alumni Mentor program runs annually from November to May, during which mentors are paired with one to two students based on the specific interests of the mentees. The format and frequency of interactions between students and their mentors may differ, but most groups typically meet three or four times, either in person or virtually, throughout the academic year.
For more information about being a mentor, email commlead@uw.edu.
Gatherings & Continuing Professional Development
“The most valuable and interesting Comm Lead alumni opportunities are keeping up with emerging ideas with cross-generational and cross-cultural perspectives.” – MCCN Alum
Connect through social gatherings
Throughout the year, Comm Lead hosts events that are intended to be welcoming to alumni: from Comm Lead Autumn Social, to a dedicated mixer for alumni every spring. There are online First Friday sessions on Zoom that are open to all, class visit invitations each Fall Quarter in COMMLD 501, and alumni serve as valuable judges every June at Comm Lead Screen Summit.
Connect through professional development opportunities
In addition to social gatherings, Comm Lead hosts professional development activities throughout the year: from Comm Lead Fellow-hosted workshops, to Comm Lead Connects every Winter Quarter. Keep an eye on our events calendar for speaker Q&A collaborations with Town Hall, regional and global professional development meet-ups, and certificate programs designed by Comm Lead in conjunction with the UW Continuum College.
Show Your Support & Stay Connected
“Comm Lead alumni live all over the world.” – MCCL Alum
Comm Lead News & Events
There are many ways to stay in the loop on opportunities to gather, learn, and connect across the Comm Lead community. To start, Subscribe to our quarterly alumni newsletter to enjoy faculty and alumni profiles, event reminders, and much more. Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates, and bookmark our Communication Leadership’s Eventbrite. Finally, subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the latest videos
Share your Ideas
We love hearing from alumni, so please reach out at commlead@uw.edu with ideas, feedback, or opportunities for the program. Or just to let us know what you’re up to! Your news is always welcome.
Careers
Join our LinkedIn Comm Lead Professional group to connect with fellow alumni and expand your professional network. This is a great group for posting questions, sharing job openings, and seeking insights across the broad Comm Lead community. Make sure to list the UW and Comm Lead on your Education section of LinkedIn, using this handy guide to help other alumni find you and all you have to offer.
Invest in Comm Lead
Your donations support transformative experiences and innovative programs like our in-house Communications Consulting. To date our students have worked with over 100 organizations in a mutually beneficial relationship that grows their expertise while at the same time delivering tremendous benefit to clients. Make a gift online to support this kind of applied learning that links Comm Lead to the broader Puget Sound community. Thank you for your support!
UW Alumni Association Update your contact information with the University of Washington Alumni Association. Keeping current helps you receive relevant information from the UW and us!
University of Washington
Department of Communication