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Kristen Brown Named Associate VP of News, Communications and Media

Brown is currently assistant vice president for strategic communications and adviser to the provost at Caltech

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Kristen Brown

Kristen Brown, assistant vice president for strategic communications and adviser to the provost at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), will be Duke University’s new associate vice president for news, communications and media, vice president for public affairs and government relations Michael Schoenfeld announced Tuesday.

She will join Duke on Sept. 1.

As associate vice president, Brown will head the Office of News and Communications (ONC) and lead the university’s media relations and communications efforts, which connect Duke with audiences around the world through an expanding network of digital and social media channels. She succeeds David Jarmul, who stepped down in June after 14 years in the position.

“Kristen Brown comes to Duke with deep and wide experience in the most important aspects of communications,” Schoenfeld said. “She led the public transformation of the communications office at one of the top universities in the world with great creativity and innovation.  And perhaps most important, she is a gifted strategist and executive whose passion for Duke’s mission will energize all our efforts.”

“I am excited to join the talented team in the Office of News and Communications, whose work has increased awareness of the achievements of Duke’s scholars, students and alumni,” Brown said. “Duke has a commitment to creating knowledge in service of society and I look forward to partnering with the network of communicators across the university who tell Duke’s story to the world.”

Brown came to Caltech in 2010 to create the institute’s first comprehensive marketing and communications team, and oversaw media relations, digital and print publications, social media, crisis and issues management, research communications, and brand and identity.  Her department’s work has been recognized with numerous honors, including multiple CASE Circle of Excellence awards.  Brown also has been active on national issues through the Association of American Universities Public Affairs Network, the international research news website Futurity and elsewhere.

Prior to joining Caltech, Brown had senior positions in brand management and marketing at leading global organizations including Warner Bros. Entertainment and Nestlé USA.

She graduated from Smith College with a degree in American Studies and later studied architectural history at the University of Virginia.