Tulane School of Liberal Arts receives $1 million gift from marketing executive and alum Alison Friedman Brod

Tulane University's School of Liberal Arts has received a $1 million gift from Tulane alumna, parent and marketing executive Alison Friedman Brod to support a media and communication wing in the newly renovated Newcomb Hall on the university's uptown campus.

The space, which will be named the Alison Brod Media and Communication Wing, will include media production studios, a digital editing lab, flexible collaboration spaces, a recording studio and technology that supports emerging forms of storytelling and scholarship. From film editing to podcast creation, from digital journalism to multimedia research, the wing's resources will mirror professional standards and prepare students to engage meaningfully with the rapidly evolving landscape of communication and media.

Brod, who graduated from Tulane's Newcomb College in 1991, made the gift in celebration of her 35th Class Reunion. She said the gift reflects both a personal milestone and a deep desire to invest in the students, faculty and programs that shaped her Tulane experience.

"This is a tremendously exciting gift for the future of the liberal arts at Tulane," said Robin Forman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "The renovation of Newcomb Hall represents our commitment to giving our faculty and students world-class spaces that match their ambition, creativity and curiosity. Alison's gift ensures that faculty and students studying communication and digital media will explore, learn, create and collaborate in a vibrant environment designed for innovation. We are immensely grateful for her support, her vision and her willingness to lift the university at such a pivotal time."

Brod's gift will support construction, program enhancement and the long-term vision of the School of Liberal Arts. The Alison Brod Media and Communication Wing will be located on the fourth floor of Newcomb Hall, which is undergoing a renovation that will reimagine the historic structure as a dynamic home for creativity, collaboration, digital scholarship and humanistic inquiry.

Brod is the founder and owner of Alison Brod Marketing + Communications, one of the country's most influential public relations and brand marketing firms. She is also a Tulane parent and serves on the President's Council and the university's Family Leadership Council. She credits her Tulane education with helping set the stage for her entry into the communications and creative industries.

As the founder of a major New York agency known for launching early-career talent, she has long been an enthusiastic supporter and employer of young professionals - including fellow Tulane graduates - who pursue careers in public relations, marketing and media.

"Tulane opened doors for me in ways I could never have imagined as a student," Brod said. "I'll always remember two unique classes that created the foundation for my career success: Professor Van Cagle's famous pop culture course, as well as my class on rhetorical communication, which focused on ethos and pathos to create persuasive arguments.

"This gift is my way of honoring that experience and ensuring future generations have access to the most forward-thinking spaces for creativity, communication and collaboration," she said. "I'm thrilled to support the renovation of Newcomb Hall and to help create a wing that will inspire students for decades to come."

School of Liberal Arts Dean Brian Edwards expressed deep gratitude for the impact this gift will have on both the school and its students.

"Alison Brod's inspiring gift allows us to bring together two of our most dynamic programs under a shared roof, both literally and figuratively," Edwards said. "The Alison Brod Media and Communication Wing will be one of the most innovative and high-energy spaces in Newcomb Hall. Here on the transformed fourth floor of the building, scholars and practitioners working in a wide range of fields - from cinema studies to video gaming, and global media studies to journalism - will share space. We expect that the proximity and commingling of research and practice will elevate the way our students create, collaborate and communicate and help prepare them for leadership in a world driven by media, storytelling and connection."