The new director of the Journalism Institute for Minorities, Sandra Combs Birdiett of Rochester Hills, brings with her 21 years of experience in newspaper editorial departments.

Birdiett understands the critical need for diversity in newsrooms, says Jack Kay of Farmington Hills, interim dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State University.

"Students, faculty and news professionals will be impressed with her expertise and concern for helping aspiring journalists prepare for leadership positions," he says. "She will do an outstanding job of advancing the institute's tradition of excellence."

Birdiett had been at The Oakland Press since 1978, most recently as an editorial writer/columnist. Before that she was at Florida publications - Fort Myers News-Press, Gainesville Sun and Independent Florida Alligator.

The institute, founded in 1985, is a media and university partnership designed to recruit and train top minority talent for the communications field. The media and sponsoring corporations see the program as a means of nurturing exceptional communicators to prepare them for the needs of the 21st century.

Birdiett brings other valuable experience to the institute. For the past 10 years she also has been minority coordinator for the Capital Cities /ABC internship newspaper program based in New York. It offers one-year internships to college graduates.

In setting up new goals for the institute, Birdiett says she plans to increase the number of companies that offer internships. She will look into areas outside metropolitan Detroit, possibly in Ohio. She plans to solicit more donors as well.

Birdiett says more students want to enter the all-tuition-paid, four-year honors program that admits 10 freshmen each year. Most students take 12 credit hours of classes, have an internship and a job and maintain a 2.5 grade point average.

She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida and a master's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. Birdiett received a Black Woman Achiever Award and a Community Service Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Birdiett lives in Rochester Hills. She succeeds Michele Vernon-Chesley, who stepped down to take a position in West Virginia.