Sarah Scalese Appointed Associate Vice President for University Communications

Sarah Scalese has been named associate vice president for University Communications. In this capacity, she will oversee the University’s Office of News Services, Office of Publications and the Office of Communications in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Sarah Scalese

In October, Scalese was appointed interim associate vice president, in addition to serving as Arts and Sciences communications director—a position she has held since January 2014.

“Sarah is a highly respected strategist who brings broad leadership experience to the University,” says Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Kevin Quinn, citing her background in political communications, broadcast journalism and public relations. “Her expertise in all aspects of integrated marketing communications, combined with a tireless work ethic and collaborative spirit, makes her well suited for this position.”

Karin Ruhlandt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, says Scalese’s strategic approach to communications and her experience counseling elected officials, CEOs and CMOs will enable her to be highly effective in this new role.

“Her enthusiasm is contagious—people genuinely enjoy working with her,” she says. “Sarah is an out-of-the-box thinker who gets results. In a relatively short amount of time, she has had a tremendous impact increasing visibility for, and awareness of, the depth and breadth of the college. I am grateful she will continue to play a leadership role in the college and am confident a hybrid communications model will bode well for the college and the University as a whole.”

In her new capacity, Scalese will develop plans and technologies that broaden the University’s internal and external communications, while improving its overall public relations effectiveness. She also will develop and deploy a strategy that positions the University’s intellectual resources as thought leaders among the local, regional, national and international media.

Scalese says she looks forward to partnering with her communications colleagues at a time of rich institutional momentum, to elevate the University’s global positioning.

“Under Chancellor Syverud’s leadership, all of us are writing the next chapter of the life of the University,” she says. “I am extremely honored—and excited—to help craft this narrative, and I look forward to meeting and partnering with faculty, students, staff and alumni to help them tell our compelling story. I am particularly eager to continue fostering collaborative relationships with my counterparts in the schools, colleges and other units as we collectively seek to execute a comprehensive results-driven communications plan.”

In Arts and Sciences, Scalese has successfully developed and implemented an integrated communications strategy, aimed at raising the profile of the college among its many stakeholders. This plan has involved strategic media relations, thought-leadership sourcing, and a robust content-creation and deployment strategy, leveraging all of Arts and Sciences’ digital properties, including social media and email marketing.

Prior to Syracuse, Scalese held leadership positions at Racepoint Global and Schneider Associates, both of which are Boston-based integrated marketing communications firms. Her higher education clients have included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Scalese formerly served as director of communications for the Massachusetts House Minority Leader, during which time she was named Press Secretary of the Year two years in a row by Boston’s State House press corps. Before transitioning into public relations, she produced and wrote newscasts for network affiliates in Boston; Albany, N.Y.; and Jacksonville, Fla. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Jacksonville University.