COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina's journalism school has named Dr. Damion Waymer as its new director.
Waymer was born and raised in Orangeburg, and now after 20 years working across the nation, he decided to come home. He is stepping into a new role as the director of USC's journalism school.
“I wear Orangeburg proudly. I’m proud to be from Orangeburg," he said.
He previously served as the senior associate dean for the College of Communications and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. He also served as the department chair for advertising and public relations at Alabama and as the department chair for liberal studies at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State, among other teaching and administrative roles.
“I think about my community back home. I want people who grew up like me to see that there are other avenues to being successful, to giving back to your community," said Waymer.
He says he plans to continue pushing the journalism program forward and making sure underrepresented students are given equal opportunities.
One of the ways he plans to do this is by advancing the school's dual-degree partnership with Claflin University.
“You have a strong Black and brown population within the school but I don’t know if they are as visible and so I want to make sure those students and their talents and their abilities are showcased," said Waymer.
Waymer says this is part of his greater plan for the school to become recognized as one of the top journalism and mass communications schools in the country.