For higher ed and academic health systems, I'm a big believer in being a branded house, not a house of brands.

The goal for large, complex organizations should be reducing silos that interfere with strategic storytelling. That starts by integrating marketing and communications.

In a crisis, the steadiest institutions don’t rely on one heroic message or spokesperson. They use a triangle where the communications team explains, the president heals and the board chair stabilizes governance.

Last week I did something I almost never do: I ordered sushi. And not just any sushi; I ordered the VCU Roll.

Governing boards and executive leaders of institutions with research missions must make research a central part of their story, and insist that story be told clearly, consistently, and compellingly.

Branding your campus is an important, yet sometimes underappreciated, element of building your institution’s identity. At Virginia Commonwealth University, we’re intentional about finding creative ways to showcase the brand, ensuring that our on-campus and near-campus audiences experience who we are the moment they step onto our grounds.

Too often, branding myths prevent universities from creating and investing in their brands in ways that influence outcomes.

It's been a busy, stressful 2025 so far ... so I sent this message to the Enterprise Marketing and Communications division today. If only I had time to rhyme ...

As the headline says, brand building is art and science … and I've always been attracted to the science part, the data. That's why the results of our recent independent survey of Richmond-area residents about Virginia Commonwealth University are so exciting.

At VCU, we’re proud of the sophisticated, data-informed work we do every day to grow and protect one of the nation’s most innovative public university brands. But every now and then, it’s the simple things that make the biggest impact.