The Communicator

Nihal Atawane, a Boston University (BU) College of Communication (COM) alumnus, returns to his alma mater from March 24 to 28 as the 2025 Writer in Residence to share his experiences as a successful advertising copywriter and provide insight into today’s media.

During his residency, he will lead classroom visits, workshops and one-on-one consultations. The highlight of the residency is his plenary lecture on Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. at BU’s Tsai Performance Center, where he will discuss navigating originality in the age of advanced artificial intelligence (AI).

“My hope is to build my plenary lecture around the concept of originality in the time that we’re in,” said Atawane. “I think it’s a great time to make writing extremely personal. My hypothesis is that originality, at this moment, is almost more important than quality. ChatGPT can replicate a lot, but it can’t write like you, because you haven’t given it that information yet. That, combined with my personal desire for more entertainment in writing, is what my plenary lecture will focus on.”

Atawane, currently a senior copywriter at FCB Chicago, has worked with more than 300 brands, including Bank of America, McDonald’s, Boeing, Microsoft, Bud Light, MTV and Fireball Whisky, across three countries and in multiple languages. He is a six-time Hatch Awards honoree and the recipient of the 2018 Walter Lubars Prize in Advertising, among other awards.

Following his graduation in 2019 with a master’s in advertising, Atawane has remained deeply connected to COM. In 2022, he returned to teach CO201: Introduction to Communication Writing as an adjunct professor.

“COM gave me the skills to not just write differently but also speak to people differently,” said Atawane. “I’m excited to come back again. It’s a way to revisit the journey I went through, and a way to continue learning. I think once you’re associated with COM, you never stop learning.”

Atawane’s appointment as this year’s Writer in Residence highlights the college’s commitment to showcase the importance of writing across a range of communications disciplines.  

“I think there’s something to be said about writers just being made, not born. I think the only way to get to good writing is to get the bad writing out of your system. So that’s what I think I would sum up my writing philosophy,” Atawane said.

Launched in 2022, BU’s Writer in Residence program was created to elevate the profile of writing at COM and provide students with real-world industry insights. Each year, the program spotlights a writer from a different field within communication connecting students with industry professionals through discussions and interactive sessions. The week-long residency has brought distinguished professionals to BU, including Emmy-nominated screenwriter Stacy Traub in 2024 and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Archibald in 2023.

“This year, we were looking for someone in the mass communication and advertising sphere,” said Michael Dowding, director of the COM Writing Program and member of the selection committee for the Writer in Residence. “We chose Nihal because he’s right in the middle of the advertising industry. He’s worked for some of the biggest brands imaginable. This is what he eats, sleeps, breathes and lives every day. I think he’s the ideal candidate to show our students what a writing career looks like and how writing can be absolutely central to your career.”

“You’re going to have to write whether you’re an ad copywriter, a screenwriter, or a journalist. If you’re a director of account services, you’re going to be writing. Trust me, it doesn’t matter what role you take,” Dowding said.

Attendance at Atawane’s plenary lecture is encouraged for COM students and the broader BU community alike.

“I’m hoping that my story can help give people confidence in their own writing,” said Atawane. “It’s kind of a miracle that someone like me is writing for a living in America. I’m hoping that I can help people just write without putting any judgment on whether or not it’s good. I think if even one student ends up taking pride in their own writing, their own voice, their own unique style, I would consider that a success.”

For more information about the COM Writer in Residence Program, click here.

Students in CM331 L1 conducted the interviews and wrote the press releases on which this story is based.