Beverly Kirk named Director of Washington Programs

Newhouse School dean Mark J. Lodato today announced that Beverly Kirk, a seasoned professional with more than two decades of experience in journalism, has been named Director of Washington Programs. In this position, Kirk will expand and lead the Newhouse School’s Washington, D.C., student programs across multiple communications majors with a primary focus on journalism. She will be based at the Center for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, a joint initiative of the Newhouse and Maxwell schools.

“As we look forward to launching the new Center for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship with the Maxwell School, we are excited to have Beverly join us as a key player in those efforts,” Lodato says. “Her extensive Washington experience, her knowledge of journalism and communications and her passion for educating and shaping the next generation of journalism leaders combine to make her the ideal candidate for this position.”

Beginning in 2023, Kirk will also lead the Newhouse School’s Washington Capstone, which allows broadcast and digital journalism graduate students to spend a summer reporting from the capital.   

Kirk is currently executive director of JOURNEY to Lead, a nonprofit women’s leadership initiative, and is also a non-resident senior associate of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) International Security Program. She previously was fellow and director for outreach for the CSIS International Security Program and director of the CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative, where she hosted the “Smart Women, Smart Power” podcast featuring women leaders from around the world who are experts in foreign policy, national security, international business and development. Before that, she was director of the CSIS multimedia production and design studio iDeas Lab.

Before joining CSIS, Kirk was a journalist working for local and national news organizations including NBC, NPR and PBS. She spent much of her career focused on domestic and international politics and government. She also founded a media consulting company and has expertise in media curriculum design. She is a member of the national advisory board of the University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and a member of the board of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security.

Kirk holds an M.A. in diplomacy and international commerce from the University of Kentucky and is a summa cum laude graduate of Western Kentucky University with degrees in history and broadcast journalism.

“I am honored to join the Newhouse School and to be a part of the new Center for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship,” Kirk says. “The opportunity to help expand Newhouse’s presence in Washington and work with the next generation of journalists is very exciting.”