DCAL's New Communications and Marketing Coordinator

We are pleased to announce that Jessica Maloney has joined DCAL as Communications and Marketing Coordinator! In this new position, Jessica will develop and implement a comprehensive, strategic communications plan aligned with DCAL's learning innovation portfolio, educational development programming, and the priorities of the institution. Jessica kindly answered a few questions to help us get to know her. Please join us in welcoming Jessica to Dartmouth!

What values guide your work?

My work is guided by curiosity, compassion, and a deep respect for the activities of teachers and learners, creators and audiences. Communication is never one-size-fits-all—audiences are multifaceted, shaped by their lived experience, cultural context, and even just their emotional state of the moment. On the surface it seems simple, but communication is so complex! When you layer in today's relentless information overload, the challenges of teaching and learning are pretty intense.

I try to be intentional about what is shared and how we share it. I love working with experts to untangle complex ideas and find a simple and economical way to make a message land. When I'm designing something or working on strategy, I'm always asking: Who needs to feel seen here? What's the clearest, kindest way to say this? How do I make people feel invited and excited rather than talked at?

What makes communications an area of interest or passion for you?

I've always been obsessed with language—with how the words we choose and the stories we tell actually shape what people believe is possible. Growing up overseas, I got to see that up close. As an outsider, you notice how certain narratives stick. They become part of how people think.

As an adult, I became interested in social justice work, and that's when communications clicked for me as a tool. I realized I could use framing, design, and plain language to make important conversations and learning feel accessible, not gatekept. For me, communication is about building bridges—between disciplines, between people, and between conceptual thinking and real change.

What excites you about joining Dartmouth?

I'm excited to be joining an institution that's so deliberate about creating belonging and that prides itself on being bold and adventurous. The commitment to inclusive learning and scholarly rigor is huge for me.

Having graduated from high school in New Hampshire, there's also a personal sense of homecoming. The natural beauty of the Upper Valley, the vibrancy of the campus, and the warmth of the community make it feel like a very special place. 

What is something new you are learning in your life?

This summer, I decided to improve my French language skills. Not just Duolingo points, but real fluency. It's been humbling. I'm slogging through grammar textbooks, but I'm also listening to News in Slow French, binging French shows, and listening to audiobooks.

What's great is when a breakthrough hits—when you suddenly understand something without translating it word for word in your head. Those moments are exhilarating. I have so much respect for bilingual and multilingual people, especially those living as non-native speakers. It's an incredible feat.

What are you reading?

I'm always juggling multiple books—one for the day, one for bedtime, and an audiobook for the car. Right now I'm reading Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin. It's poetic and the main character is unflinchingly optimistic, which feels like such a great antidote to daily life.

I'm also reading The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairytales—folk tales from the 1800s that were only recently published. The anthropologist in me is fascinated by what people cared about back then and their moral logic. And the casual cruelty in some of these stories jolts me out of my comfort zone in the best way.

And I'm listening to Higher Magic by Courtney Floyd—one of my new Dartmouth colleagues!