I am pleased to announce that Cary Granat has been appointed dean of the Moody College of Communication, effective Monday, Sept. 28.
A prominent media executive, entrepreneur, educator, and institution builder, Cary brings more than three decades of experience at the nexus of storytelling and entertainment, with extensive experience creating and producing content, building and leading major companies, navigating emerging technologies and platforms, teaching and partnering with universities, and helping develop media industries around the world.
Cary is perhaps best known as the co-founder and CEO of Walden Media, which he built from an idea inspired by Henry David Thoreau into a global media enterprise reaching hundreds of millions of children and families. Across film, publishing, and educational programming, Walden became a widely recognized family media brand, producing films including “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Charlotte’s Web,” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” as well as oceanographic films with James Cameron.
Before Walden, Cary served as president and chief operating officer of Miramax-Dimension Entertainment, where his work included producing and developing successful films and franchises like “Scream,” “Scary Movie,” and “Spy Kids.”
Today, Cary is founder and co-CEO of Austin-based Egeria Media, a family entertainment studio. He is also a founding partner in “Eyes of the World: The Jerry Garcia Experience,” a new immersive touring production celebrating the life and legacy of Jerry Garcia.
Through EMH Consultancy Group, which he founded in 2012, Cary has worked with governments including New Zealand and Colombia to develop more sustainable media industries, including production infrastructure, incentive programs, and local creative talent.
In addition to Cary’s entertainment roles, he has also taught courses on propaganda analysis, media influence, and persuasion at Bar-Ilan University and developed research and educational partnerships with universities including Oxford, Harvard, Duke, and UC Berkeley. He served for 15 years on the steering council for Tufts University's Film and Media Studies program, helping develop its curriculum and support its growth from an experimental program into an academic major. His civic and nonprofit service has included serving for more than two decades on the board of World Information Transfer, a nongovernmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations.
Cary brings not only a deep understanding of how stories are created and shared, but also how ideas move from scholarship to practice, how creative enterprises are built and sustained, and how we can better prepare students to lead in the evolving fields they will enter. His appointment will also bring our students the benefit of a leader who understands these fields from multiple perspectives: as a creator, executive, entrepreneur, educator, and partner to universities and other institutions.
I want to express my deep gratitude to Anita Vangelisti for her dedicated service as interim dean since August 2024. During her tenure, the Moody College has continued to build on its academic strengths while creating new opportunities for students — including launching the Karch Gaming Institute, expanding programs in areas such as sports production and broadcasting, and establishing the $10 million Eastin Center for Career Readiness. The college also earned recognition as the No. 1 public university in the nation for communication and media studies in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
These accomplishments reflect the exceptional work of Moody’s faculty, staff, and students, as well as Anita’s steady stewardship during an important period of transition. I am grateful that we will continue to benefit from her experience, judgment, and deep commitment to our academic mission as she takes on a new role as senior associate dean for academic affairs.
Please join me in thanking Anita for her leadership and continued service to Moody and the University and in welcoming Cary to The University of Texas at Austin and the Moody College of Communication.
Sincerely,
