Dean Harding, who has managed the Media Innovation Center since June 2024, is leaving his position at SUNY Old Westbury to become a producer at Comcast, which is a media company that collaborates with NBC, CNBC and other television channels. Harding’s last day will be Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.
Harding’s tenure at the center created something more than just a job, but a place where family is made in one space. A place where he set up classes and helped students, a place where he is proud of his efforts and impact.
“I always try to make sure that, especially with connections, I leave lasting ones,” Harding said. “So, people always know that even while I was here, I did great work.”
Harding said his goal at SUNY Old Westbury was to guide new media students so they can not only better their craft but also have a solid portfolio for when they graduate in the future.
“I had a mentor who helped me along, and they pushed me to do the best that I can do,” he said. “Being here, I kinda want to be that same person where people can confide in me and ask for advice and be a mentor, and I want these students to be the very best media makers that they can be.”
Despite all the hard work that Harding has done throughout his career, he has had his fair share of doubts in the process. The media industry, being so competitive, and Harding, being a person of color, were the factors that contributed to his doubts.
“Growing up Black and being the son of immigrants, you’re told that you can’t just be as good,” Harding said. “You have to be three times as good.”
Being a Black man in the media industry isn’t very common, he said. He got his bachelor’s degree in media and communications from SUNY Old Westbury, but because he didn’t get it from what he calls “a big-name school,” that exacerbated those doubts that he had. He questioned if he could keep up with his colleagues when they came from schools that were more well known for filming and media.
But he did keep up.
“It’s cool to see that, oh, that one thing I did, or this other thing I did, made it on the news or TV,” he said.
Back when Harding was a student, when the Media Innovation Center was only known as OWTV, he was taught and guided by others and professors as an aspiring media student. During that time, he found his path and journey to being named on the credits and the big screen.
“It really opened my eyes, like . . . this is exactly what I want to do,” he said.
At the age of 38, Harding today has learned the value of keeping a level head in tough situations.
One time he had to do that was when he was filming the Jan. 6, 2021, riots in Washington D.C. when the U.S. Capitol Building was stormed by Trump supporters, he said.
What made covering this event challenging was how it escalated so quickly and that he and his team had to cover it as efficiently and as accurately as possible. Because he focused on the goal and stayed calm during the situation, he said, he got the proper coverage he needed.
From Harding’s early days in the industry working at Zero Point Zero Production, CBS, Showtime and NBC, there is one thing that never gets old.
“I can see the credits, and see my name in the credits, and that was pretty cool, right?” said Harding.
Still, his love for SUNY Old Westbury drew him back with the goal of inspiring the next generation of media students the same way others had done for him.
“It just felt like it was a natural thing for me,” Harding said.
As his days at SUNY Old Westbury draw to a close, Harding said he hopes his students have learned that while it can be hard to dive into an unfamiliar or new space, it is something that can be a new opportunity to learn.”
“Just jump in the water,” he said. “Even if you don’t know how to swim.”
