CAROLYN MALACHI

Context
In 2025, I was selected to join the Howard University cohort of the 2025–2026 Breaking the M.O.L.D. (Mellon Opportunities for Leadership Diversity) initiative. This prestigious program, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, cultivates the next generation of diverse senior academic leaders in the arts and humanities. As a newly appointed administrator, developing institutional strategy and senior executive skills is vital to realizing systemic change. This fellowship expanded my administrative capacity by aligning my leadership profile with national models for academic diversity and governance.

Effort
I engaged in a rigorous year-long executive training curriculum hosted across the campuses of Morgan State University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). My work focused on mastering senior administrative frameworks, university budget strategies, and systemic transformation models for the academic institutions. During this fellowship, I also advanced my emerging research initiative, "Resonance Lab: Prototyping a Neuroaesthetic System for Therapeutic & Immersive Storytelling."

Impact
This fellowship directly elevated my immediate administrative contributions as Assistant Chair while preparing me for future executive search opportunities. The initiative embedded me within a network of higher education leaders and enabled strategic dialogues with regional university presidents regarding institutional sustainability. Ultimately, this experience sharpens my ability to design resilient academic programs and manage departmental operations with a high-level, systemic perspective.

Link: https://breakingthemold.umbc.edu/howard-university-cohort/ 

Context
The CLA empowers administrators in new leadership roles at Howard University with the precise frameworks needed to manage complex departmental structures, maintain regulatory compliance, and drive strategic institutional alignment.

Effort
Throughout the 2025 - 2026 academic year, I actively participated in a rigorous series of monthly, advanced seminars running from August to May. My training specifically focused on core administrative competencies, including university budget management, strategic enrollment planning, faculty evaluation and development models, legal compliance, and conflict resolution frameworks.

Impact
This advanced training directly fortified my administrative and operational capabilities as Assistant Chair in the Department of Media, Journalism & Film.

Description
On March 15, 2026, I successfully completed a suite of six specialized research certifications required by Howard University.  Securing these credentials directly supports the scalability of my research agenda in Social Sonic Design, ensuring full compliance with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and federal research security standards.

Effort
I completed rigorous training modules and examinations across five distinct areas of research governance:

- Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research (1 - RCR Stage)

- Researchers

- Group 2.SOCIAL (Human Research)

- Research Security: A Basic Course

- Conflicts of Interest

- CITI Export Controls

Impact
These certifications formally clear me to design, lead, and publish human-subject studies within the immersive media lab. By mastering federal standards in ethics, conflict of interest, data security, and export controls, I protect Howard University from institutional liability. Crucially, these credentials fulfill the mandatory prerequisites required to serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on large-scale federal grant proposals (such as those from the NSF, NIH, or National Endowment for the Arts).

Context: On March 14, 2025 I completed advanced technical training at the 9th Edition of the AES Immersive Audio Academy, focusing on "Mixing Immersive Audio for Games".

Effort: Completed specialized modules in spatial audio engineering, interactive sound engines, and object-based audio mixing for gaming environments.

Impact: Expanded my technical expertise into interactive animation and game audio design. I refreshed my WWise platform proficiency and received a formidable introduction to Unreal Engine. This continuous training directly supports the ongoing technical execution of my Social Sonic Design framework.

Context: Achieved industry certification as an Avid Certified Professional in Pro Tools and Dolby ATMOS on February 19, 2023.

Effort: Completed intensive technical training under industry leader Dr. Leslie Gaston-Bird through her specialized Immersive and Inclusive program to master spatial audio mixing workflows.

Impact: Validated my high-level spatial audio expertise with the industry-standard certification for immersive sound. This elite credential forms the exact technical foundation needed to build my Social Sonic Design framework and engineer award-winning projects like The Sound of Toxic Stress.

Description
This trademark is registered under International Classes 35 and 41, explicitly covering audio engineering services, audio recording and production, events, and retail services featuring audio equipment.

Context
On January 2025, I successfully secured a federal Service Mark registration (Reg. No. 7,644,811) from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for CALL & RESPONSE. Securing intellectual property rights is a vital element of modern creative entrepreneurship and research sustainability. Registering this mark safeguards the commercial, pedagogical, and creative assets associated with my audio production frameworks and industry collaborations. This directly aligns with the Department's emphasis on advancing technical innovation and entrepreneurial practice within the media landscape.

Effort
I drove the multi-year legal and administrative pipeline required to obtain this federal protection. This involved managing the original application filing in October 2021, performing market and trademark clearance research, navigating federal registration classifications, and documenting continuous commercial use in commerce across the 2021–2024 review period.

Impact
This federal registration establishes absolute legal ownership of the "Call & Response" brand on a national level, preventing intellectual property infringement. For my professional development, it demonstrates a functional application of the legal and business mechanisms governing the music and audio industries. This specialized knowledge directly enriches my curriculum design and mentorship of students launching independent media startups.