Monique Wingard
- Term: 2025-2027
Residence: Dayton, Ohio
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has appointed Monique Wingard of Dayton, Ohio, to a two-year term as a Graduate Student Trustee of the Â鶹¹û¶³ Board of Trustees. Wingard’s term began August 1, 2025, and ends May 16, 2027. She replaces Lara Shigo, whose term as a Graduate Student Trustee recently expired.
Wingard is currently pursuing her doctorate in communication and Information. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs journalism from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in social studies administration from Case Western Reserve University, and a master's degree in media arts and stydies from Ohio University Scripps College of Communication.
Wingard is a scholar, educator, and communication strategist dedicated to preparing the next generation of critical thinkers, engaged citizens, and future-ready professionals. Her research explores how technology, education, and community partnerships can help young people—particularly adolescent girls—develop digital confidence, leadership skills, and career readiness in a rapidly evolving world. Wingard’s academic and professional pursuits intersect around a central goal: to create learning experiences that empower students and communities to lead with purpose and adaptability.
Her professional foundation was built in public service and policy communication as a legislative fellow with the Ohio Legislative Service Commission in the Ohio Senate and former page in the Ohio House of Representatives. These experiences deepened her commitment to civic engagement, collaboration, and leadership development. She later expanded her work into digital media and higher education, serving as a graduate teaching assistant at Howard University Department of Communication Studies, formerly known as Strategic, Legal and Management Communication (SLMC), adjunct instructor at Cleveland State University, a graduate teaching assistant at Â鶹¹û¶³, and a digital media consultant for women-led companies and organizations.
Through SAVVY Consulting & Communications, the firm she founded in 2014, Wingard has led digital initiatives for clients across industries and trained entrepreneurs through the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), The BOSS Network, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SCORE Mentors. As a journalist, her work has appeared in EBONY, Blavity, WTTW-Chicago/PBS, Code Magazine and The Chicago Defender, amplifying stories that connect culture, education innovation, and impact. Her efforts inside and outside the classroom center on empowering young people to see themselves as informed, capable civic leaders, equipped to use technology and communication as tools for social change.
She has been recognized with the Graduate Dean’s Award and the Mary Ann Stephens and John R. Graham Award for Excellence in Graduate Research from Kent State University, the NABJ Scholarship from the National Association of Black Journalists, and the President’s Choice Award from the National Council of Negro Women, Cuyahoga County Section.