Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that, pending approval by the OU Board of Regents, Jennifer Hollingshead will join OU on August 21 as our new Vice President for Marketing and Communications. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education marketing and communications, Jen comes to OU from Rutgers University, where she serves as Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications. In this role, she oversees the marketing and communications functions for both Rutgers’ flagship campus in New Brunswick, as well as for Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.
We extend our thanks to the members of our search committee for their dedicated work throughout a national search process that attracted interest from over 200 candidates across higher education and the private sector. The 14 members of the search committee – chaired by Jennifer Schultz, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer for OU Health – included representatives from the Office of Human Resources, the Division of Enrollment Management, Administration and Finance, Athletics, the OU Foundation, the OU Health Sciences Center, the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Price College of Business, the HSC Graduate College, as well as faculty, staff, student, and industry representatives. The search was narrowed to 11 candidates with five semifinalists, with the search committee ultimately selecting three finalists.
As Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Jen will lead a university-wide Division of Marketing and Communications to cohesively manage and develop the OU brand across our entire institution, amplifying the prominence of OU’s life-changing impact and successes. One of her immediate priorities will be to fully unify marketers and communicators into a single division that will enable us to elevate OU’s already strong, globally recognized brand even higher.
At Rutgers, Jen led the development of comprehensive strategies to effectively advance the perception and reputation of both Rutgers-New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. This work included establishing key performance benchmarks, positioning the university as a major research engine, and refining its earned media strategy. She also developed the first-ever internal and external marketing campaign focused on Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences’ mission.
Jen’s higher ed experience also includes her time at the University of Missouri, where she served as Interim Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications during a period of transition for the Mizzou campus. She also previously served as the Chief Communications Officer for the University of Missouri System and was part of the marketing team within University of Missouri Health, a five-hospital academic medical center.
Jen began her career as a reporter for the Columbia Daily Tribune after earning bachelor’s degrees in journalism and sociology from the University of Missouri. She also graduated from Columbia College with a Master of Business Administration.
The relevancy of Jen’s background at multiple higher education institutions with AAU status and with Mizzou’s work in the SEC makes her a natural fit for the important work ahead. We are incredibly excited to bring such an esteemed marketing and communications leader to the University of Oklahoma. Please join me in welcoming Jen Hollingshead to the OU Family.
Live On, University,
Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President
