Susan Rogers Appointed Vice Chancellor for Communications

PITTSBURGH—Susan Rogers, vice president for university advancement at The University of Texas at Dallas, joins the University of Pittsburgh March 31 as vice chancellor for communications. Rogers will be a member of the chancellor’s staff and will report to Senior Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Chief of Staff Kathy Humphrey.

Humphrey said that the appointment will serve Pitt’s new, aggressive approach to positioning the institution. Rogers will provide guidance and expertise in communications and marketing to the chancellor and senior leadership of the University and reorganize and lead the communications staff. She will be responsible for creation of a mission, vision, and strategic priorities for the communications effort that aligns with and supports the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of the University as a whole.

“Susan is a dynamic leader and change agent who will work with us to develop a vision for the branding, marketing, and communications efforts that will shape and advance the University of Pittsburgh’s story within our own campus community as well as across local, state, national, and global platforms,” Humphrey said. “She has demonstrated experience as a strategically minded communicator who can reinforce existing strengths in the division and further establish an innovative, substantive, and proactive stance.

“Susan’s work with faculty and other stakeholders in her current role is highly collaborative,” Humphrey said. “They describe her and her staff as partners. She has made particular efforts to cultivate and sustain beneficial and collaborative relationships inside and outside her university, an approach that we believe will serve Pitt well.” 

Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said, “Communication is a critically important tool for furthering understanding of Pitt and our vision for the future. We also owe it to our community to better convey the excellence of Pitt’s current and ongoing achievements. It’s absolutely necessary to the success of our strategic-planning efforts to have a coherent, collaborative approach to sharing our story, and Susan brings a long and successful experience in translating complex ideas and concepts into messages that support institutional advancement.”

Rogers said she was looking forward to working with those she has met and getting to know others.

“I am thrilled by the opportunity to work with the people who make up Pitt—an array of world-class researchers, high-achieving students, devoted staff, engaged alumni, and involved, caring volunteer leadership,” she said. “It will be a privilege to learn about, serve, and be a part of this community, particularly as the University works to develop the imperatives, action plans, and measurement metrics that will serve the strategic plan and inform the work of raising the University’s profile and asserting its value. Beyond the extraordinary quality and promise encompassed by the University community, it is exciting to be coming to Pittsburgh, a place with an amazing story in which Pitt takes a starring role. I will work to contribute positively to this developing narrative.”

Rogers joined UT Dallas in October 2006 as vice president for communications, taking responsibility for enhancing that university’s visibility among key audiences. She founded UT Dallas’ Office of Communications, creating a fully integrated organization including media relations, advertising, marketing, and web services, activities previously handled by a variety of departments.

In February 2015, UT Dallas appointed her vice president for university advancement. She led the reorganization of two university divisions to enhance efficiency through partnership among the offices of marketing, communications, development, periodicals, Web services, alumni relations, corporate and foundation relations, donor stewardship, and events management.

Rogers came to UT Dallas from the University of Arkansas, where she served as associate vice chancellor for university relations in the office of advancement. Prior to that, she served as director of marketing and communications in the Office of Development at Stanford University and as associate vice president for marketing and communications at the University of North Texas.

In addition to her work for educational institutions, Rogers has been a consultant to nonprofits including the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Central Park Conservancy, Long Island University, Lynchburg College, DePauw University, and the University of Delaware. She has extensive experience as a writer, reporter, and editor at media outlets including The Dallas Morning News, The Miami Herald, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Associated Press, and D Magazine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin and was selected to participate in the year-long Governor’s Executive Development Program at The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Pitt’s current Vice Chancellor for Communications Kenneth P. Service, who stepped in to guide the Office of University Communications as the transition in the chancellor’s office began, announced last July his retirement, slated for summer 2016.

Humphrey, senior vice chancellor for engagement and chief of staff, expressed her appreciation of Service’s work. “His professional expertise enabled the University to maintain key communications—both across the institution and in the broader community. His talents have helped to advance the University’s mission. He will be an invaluable resource for Susan as she begins to get to know Pitt.”

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