Vice President for Communications and Marketing - Announcement

Dear Colleagues,

I am very pleased to inform you that, after a national search, Melissa Connolly will join the University at Albany on January 30, 2023 as our next Vice President for Communications and Marketing. Melissa comes to UAlbany after nearly 20 years at Hofstra University on Long Island, where, since 2005, she has served as Vice President for University Relations.

In that role, Melissa has been responsible for all integrated marketing and communications at the university, including media relations, marketing, community relations, government relations, publications, web, social media, video production, advertising, and all creative functions. She has been named PR Person of the Year for the education category by PRWeek and received a Silver Circle of Excellence from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Melissa is a two-time Hofstra alumna, having earned both her bachelor’s degree in communication arts and master’s degree in fine arts there, with a focus on English and creative writing. Melissa also holds a certificate in digital marketing from Columbia University School of Business Executive Education.

Melissa knows New York and understands the opportunities and challenges of our market. She brings a wealth of experience in identifying what makes institutions of higher education distinct, articulating the value we create for our students and for society and telling those stories in compelling and engaging ways. Her skills and experience are exactly what UAlbany needs at this critical moment in our history as we launch new and innovative research and academic programs, seek to grow our enrollments, and cement UAlbany’s reputation as the leading diverse public research university. Melissa will join a team of committed and creative professionals in the Office of Communications and Marketing, and I have no doubt that together they will do outstanding work.

I want to especially thank the members of the search committee, chaired by Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Christakis, for their hard work to find us the leader we need, and Dawn Hubert, whose dedication ensured a smooth process for candidates and search committee members alike.

I hope you will join me in welcoming Melissa to the UAlbany community. We look forward to having her on campus.
 

Sincerely,

Havidán Rodríguez
President