Alicia Nails

Alicia Nails serves as a Professor of Teaching in the Department of Communication at Wayne State University, where she directs the 40-year-old Journalism Institute for Media Diversity. This program prepares students from underrepresented backgrounds for careers in journalism and media. An Emmy Award-winning journalist, Nails has extensive experience across major networks including NBC, CBS, PBS, and FOX.

Her academic credentials include a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School (1995).

Nails' research and teaching focus on systemic inclusion in media, emphasizing representation across races, genders, gender identities, and cultural backgrounds. She develops curricula for courses like Reporting Race, Gender, and Culture and Law and Ethics in Journalism, addressing media bias and ethical frameworks for equitable storytelling.

She received an Emmy Award for journalistic excellence and serves on the Detroit chapter board of the National Association of Black Journalists. Her community leadership includes roles with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and The Links, Incorporated.

Professor Nails directs high-impact initiatives including Wayne State University's 'Salute to Emery King', the 'Salute to 25 Year Journalists', and UNCF Mayors' Balls. She has executed city-wide PR campaigns for the African World Festival and Detroit Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, demonstrating commitment to professional development and community engagement in journalism.