Jay M. Bernhardt serves as the 13th president of Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, a position he has held since 2023. Before this prestigious role, he was the dean of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, where he established the Center for Health Communication. His extensive career includes impactful roles at the University of Florida, the University of Georgia, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Originally from New Jersey, Bernhardt actively participates in numerous honor societies and serves on the boards of several high-profile organizations. He has received widespread recognition for his contributions to academia and leadership, especially in health communication. He fervently advocates for mental health, supporting various charities and nonprofit organizations. He also profoundly appreciates the arts, theater, and culinary exploration. At Emerson College, which also includes California and Netherlands campuses, Bernhardt is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes academic excellence and personal development. He succeeded Bill Gilligan, who served as interim president since 2021. Before his tenure at Emerson, he led the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin starting in March 2016. There, he also initiated the Center for Health Communication and served as a professor in both the Department of Communication Studies and the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations. In 2011, he founded Digital Health Impact, Inc. in Gainesville, Florida, focusing on consulting in digital health technologies and health communication. His tenure at the University of Florida was marked by his leadership in developing digital health-focused academic programs and research initiatives. He earned his Ph.D. in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.P.H. and B.A. degrees from Rutgers University. His accolades include the John T. McGovern Health Communication Award and the Charles Atkin Outstanding Translational Health Communication Scholar Award. Residing in Boston with his wife, Cassandra, Jay M. Bernhardt continues to integrate his professional life with his interests in the arts and philanthropy, embodying the values he promotes at Emerson College.