Boston University associate journalism professor Nick Mills will serve as the new interim director for BU’s Washington Internship Program, Associate Provost for International Programs Ben DeWinter announced in an email to faculty last Thursday.
Mills is stepping in after former director Linda Killian stepped down earlier this month.
‘The search for a new director of the Boston University Washington Center will commence in early January,’ DeWinter said in the email. ‘Until a new director is appointed, Professor Nick Mills will serve as Interim Resident Director of the Boston University Washington Center.’
Mills, a former broadcast journalist, served as interim director in Washington in the summer of 1999 and interim director of the London Internship Program in 1998.
He has ‘worked closely with International Programs in many capacities over the years,’ DeWinter said in the email.
‘They contacted me because I had been interim director before,’ Mills said. ‘I would have been director of the journalism program next semester as well, if we had one.’
The Washington Journalism Center, a program of WIP, was canceled for spring 2010 due to poor enrollment.
Mills said he was surprised to learn the journalism program was canceled and hopes to work on attracting more students for fall 2010. Spring enrollment tends to be lower, he said, as many seniors who might be interested in internships want to spend their last semester on campus.
‘I am going to Washington on the 16th to talk to Linda Killian to get briefed on what I have to do,’ Mills said. ‘We will talk about ideas to increase enrollment.’
Mills said he also plans to meet with COM Dean Tom Fiedler to discuss how to increase awareness of the program. He said many students may not have applied due to financial constraints.
‘I don’t have actual numbers, but enrollment slipped overall for International Programs this year,’ Mills said. ‘We will do a deeper analysis and figure out how we can increase the numbers.’
This version corrects an earlier version of this story that incorrectly stated Mills would be only interim director of the Washington Journalism Center.