School of Journalism and Mass Communication names Knight Innovator in Residence

De Carvalho recently sat down with FIU News to answer five questions about the Knight Innovator in Residence and what he expects out of this one-year appointment.

1.       What exactly is a Knight Innovator in Residence?

Alex de Carvalho
Knight Innovator in Residence, Florida International University

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and FIU have partnered to create the first-of-a-kind position to develop new media projects, courses and teaching techniques at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Akin to an “Entrepreneur in Residence,” this position provides consulting, mentoring and networking to FIU students, faculty, as well as the media and new media community at large.

In particular, I am excited about developing closer ties and partnerships with media companies, organizations and potential partners off campus, including both traditional and new media; well-established and startup companies; and large and small outfits in a variety of technology and media-related fields.

2.       What are your plans for this year?

Our objective for the next 12 months will be to develop the Knight Innovator’s multiple roles as educator, catalyst and scholar. As an educator, I will work together with faculty members to identify opportunities in the curriculum and to develop seminars, projects, workshops and traditional/nontraditional courses that will help fill those curricular gaps.

As a catalyst, I will work to create new initiatives and to accelerate existing innovation programs, including the Media Innovation Incubator Lab, as well as to develop ties with outside constituencies.

As a scholar, I look forward to working with students and faculty to develop projects rooted in real-world problems and questions, helping to solidify the school as a solutions center for the community and media. Additionally, we will help advance South Florida’s thought leadership by organizing events, conferences, seminars, symposia and hackathons at the school and jointly with other organizations.

3.       Why do you think social media is important to journalism and other communication positions?

Ultimately, the media industry, companies of all sizes and knowledge workers will only succeed based on their capacity to learn, adapt and adopt new digital communication technologies. In the last decade, a wave of innovation in digital technologies has transformed the way we produce, deliver and consume media. As digital services and smart devices grow in features and sophistication, the media industry must continue to adapt and redefine how they employ new technologies – or they will inevitably fall by the wayside. Companies of all sizes must also learn to employ, master and innovate digitally if they are to effectively compete in a faster and more crowded communications landscape.

4.       What is your biggest accomplishment to date?

Over the past eight years, I have created professional associations and tech events, such as RefreshMiami, Social Media Club South Florida, BarCamp, Social Media Day, and Ignite Miami. Through my successive work experiences, the common thread has been helping companies and people communicate better and more effectively online. My experiences in the United States and in Europe as the founder of media-related startups; as a business strategy and marketing consultant; as an adjunct professor; and small-business educator; and as a published author with McGraw-Hill have all rewarded me with insights obtained from looking at similar problems from various angles.

5.       What do you hope to teach students?

Throughout the course of my career, I have found myself in mentoring positions. It was a calling I didn’t realize I had. I am thankful for this opportunity to develop and mentor others and to help make an impact on a greater scale, with the objective of developing future communication professionals in South Florida. My hope is that everyone involved will have access to fresh ideas, and will learn new skills and technologies that will have a lasting impact on their careers.

Previously, De Carvalho served as the Regional Director for Constant Contact in South Florida. He has taught at the Uni­ver­sity of Miami’s School of Com­mu­ni­ca­tions and co-authored “Secur­ing the Clicks: Net­work Secu­rity in the Age of Social Media,” pub­lished by McGraw-Hill. Based in Miami, De Carvalho founded Social Media Club, Bar­Camp, Ignite, Social Media Day, and Mobile Mon­day events for South Florida new media pro­fes­sion­als. He is a found­ing mem­ber of RefreshMiami. He serves on the Advisory Board of FIU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the New Leaders Council and Life is Art. He also speaks English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Finnish. Connect with him on Twitter (@alexdc)