UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS NAMES NEW ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas is pleased to announce Susan Rogers has been hired as the associate vice chancellor for University Relations effective September 8; her salary will be $114,000. Rogers succeeds Dr. Roger L. Williams, who resigned in May to become executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association.

"This is a wonderful opportunity. I look forward to working with David Gearhart and the division of advancement as well as with Chancellor John White, the faculty and the administration," Rogers said. "It’s an honor to be selected to become part of the future of a great university that serves a growing, promising state. I respect the achievements of my predecessor and hope to continue and build on his work."

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Rogers most recently served as a launch consultant with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas. She developed and managed a media campaign for the newly reopened museum, resulting in coverage ranging from Newsweek to The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times to National Public Radio and CBS’ The Early Show.

Prior to working with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Rogers held positions at Stanford University and the University of North Texas. In addition, Rogers has more than eight years of experience as a reporter and editor with The Miami Herald, The Chicago Sun-Times, D Magazine and The Dallas Morning News. She has also served as a consultant to a variety of non-profit organizations nationwide, winning numerous awards for her work in print communication on behalf of these agencies and institutions.

"Susan emerged from a field of more than 100 candidates as our top choice for the position of associate vice chancellor," Gearhart said. "Her extensive experience in the field of journalism, as well as a strong background in marketing and public relations consulting, will be invaluable to continuing the mission of our University Relations efforts. Susan has extensive experience in university relations programs at first-rate institutions and brings a wealth of knowledge to our division and university."

During her five years as associate vice president for marketing and communication at the University of North Texas, Rogers and her staff increased regional and national media mentions of North Texas by 900 percent in a single year, and achieved national media coverage of research and achievement that included stories in The Wall Street Journal, and on Paul Harvey and CNN. Rogers was a founding member of Service Advantage, a campus-wide program to improve services to students and relationships among campus departments.

Working with the development office at Stanford University as director of marketing and communication, Rogers developed a branding campaign for a newly developed annual fund effort, and coordinated plans for media coverage and expert commentary surrounding a $150 million gift, at that time the largest ever to Stanford and the fifth largest to any university. She served in an advisory role in the early stages of Stanford’s current $1 billion Campaign for Undergraduate Education and took a significant role in crisis management following the September 11 terrorist attacks.