Contact
University Communications Staff
University Communications, a unit of University Communications and Marketing, informs both internal and external audiences about NC State’s achievements in solution-driven research, interdisciplinary innovation, experiential education, and partnerships with business and industry.
Mary Cole Pike, Executive Director of Communications and Chief of Staff
Leads efforts to advance NC State’s position as a top institution of higher learning and provides communications counsel and support to the university community.
office: (919) 515-6235
email: mcpike@ncsu.edu
News Services
Mick Kulikowski, Director of Strategic Communications and Media Relations
Leads the university’s media relations efforts. Covers the Provost’s Office, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the College of Engineering.
office: (919) 515-8387
mobile: (919) 218-5937
email: mick_kulikowski@ncsu.edu
Lauren Leslie Barker, Senior Media Relations Strategist
Serves as the liaison between NC State and broadcast media.
office: (919) 515-4734
email: lauren_barker@ncsu.edu
Tracey Peake, Public Communication Specialist
Covers the College of Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Graduate School.
office: (919) 515-6142
email: tracey_peake@ncsu.edu
Joey Pitchford, Public Communication Specialist
Covers the College of Education, the College of Natural Resources and the Wilson College of Textiles.
office: (919) 513-4798
email: jmpitchf@ncsu.edu
Matt Shipman, Assistant Director of Research Communications
Directs NC State’s efforts to build a research communications hub. Covers the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Poole College of Management, the College of Engineering and the Office of Research and Innovation.
office: (919) 515-6386
email: matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
Public Relations
Rachel Montesinos Jorro, Director of Public Relations
Leads the university’s public relations, issues management and crisis communications efforts through rapid, thoughtful engagement with emerging issues and public perceptions. Provides strategic communications counsel and support to the university community.
office: (919) 515-5691
email: rmontes@ncsu.edu
Vacant, Issues Management Specialist
Provides communications counsel and support to the university community.
Editorial Services
Brent Winter, Director of Editorial Services
Leads efforts to inform and engage key university audiences through targeted news and information channels.
email: brent_winter@ncsu.edu
Deborah Strange, Senior Editor
Chief copy editor and editorial brand manager. Oversees writing and editing services for campus clients, priority publications, the mass email distribution system and the central university calendar.
email: djstrang@ncsu.edu
Thyrie Bland, Writer and Editor
Edits the university calendar and provides communications support to University Human Resources.
office: (919) 515-5896
email: tbland@ncsu.edu
Tim Peeler, Communication Strategist
Leads strategic initiatives to promote the university’s impact on the state, region and nation. Creates news and feature content for a variety of print and digital platforms.
office: (919) 515-6251
email: tim_peeler@ncsu.edu
Patrick Smith, Internal Communications Lead
Leads efforts to enhance and support internal communications across the university. Chief editor of the Bulletin, the official news source for faculty and staff.
email: phsmith@ncsu.edu
Suzanne Wardle, Writer
Edits and distributes electronic communications to external constituents. Creates news and feature content for a variety of print and digital platforms.
office: (919) 515-8126
email: slwardle@ncsu.edu
Social Media
Megan Ellisor, Director of the Social Media Strategy Hub
Leads the Social Media Strategy Hub, an integrated marketing and communications center that brings together social media experts and cutting-edge technology to provide resources for real-time issues management and for developing and executing data-driven decisions for marketing and communications campaigns.
email: mnelliso@ncsu.edu
Molly Donovan, Assistant Director of Social Media
Leads the enterprise social media team, managing the university’s @NCState presence across platforms. Aligns the daily content strategy to the university’s strategic goals and works closely with the Student Creator Program to highlight the student experience online.
email: mbdonova@ncsu.edu
Victoria Bliss, Social Media Advisor for Student-Generated Content
Leads the Student Creator Program, managing a team of students who make content for the @NCState account and other accounts.
email: vbliss@ncsu.edu
Marketing Communications Staff
The Marketing Communications team brings together experts in all the communication disciplines: strategists, project coordinators, videographers, photographers, designers, writers and developers. We build campaigns that bridge the digital and the physical — and show the world what “Think and Do” means.
April Norris, Executive Director of Marketing
Leads the university’s creative and marketing strategy teams which help develop, initiate and execute marketing communications, advertising, digital strategy and other major initiatives centrally and for partners across campus.
email: adnorri2@ncsu.edu
Luis Chacon, Senior Director for Web and Digital Strategy
Directs, manages and implements the university’s web marketing and digital content strategy. Serves as a digital strategist, working with campus partners to advance the NC State brand.
office: (919) 513-3884
email: luis_chacon@ncsu.edu
Alastair Hadden, Director of Marketing Content
Creates marketing content to promote and celebrate the university. Writes and edits copy for all channels, including digital and print advertising for external audiences.
office: (919) 515-1005
email: aghadden@ncsu.edu
Mark McLawhorn, Creative Director of Marketing Communications
Leads creative direction for top-level university marketing communications projects and programs that directly support the university’s strategic plan and brand platform.
email: jmmclawh@ncsu.edu