Strategist Kathryn Meier said her communications strategy is informed by “the different needs of different disciplines.” (Photo courtesy of Lafayette Communications)

Lafayette College named a new vice president for communications last Thursday, giving the communications division its first permanent leader since 2022. Kathryn Meier, currently the top strategist at Drexel University’s flagship engineering school, will begin her tenure on March 31.

“I would say that I’m thrilled to join the president’s cabinet and share more about my background, but I actually believe this role is really about the voices of Lafayette,” Meier said. She added that representing a college with a mission “focused on the liberal arts and engineering,” drew her to Lafayette.

“I think there’s a palpable excitement around the bicentennial and other strategic initiatives, and really just the chance to draw on Lafayette’s unique and authentic history,” Meier continued.

Meier’s selection caps a search that both went longer and started later than anticipated. Pete Mackey, the consultant who filled the position on an interim basis for over two years, stepped down in December before a replacement was named.

“Kathryn went through an extensive interviewing process,” said college President Nicole Hurd. Hurd also praised Meier’s “extensive experience” in an email sent to the campus community on Feb. 20.

As the chief strategist of Drexel’s engineering college, Meier helped implement its recent strategic plan. The dean of the school, Sharon Walker, added that Meier “set up a culture of communications as an institution” by improving structures for internal communication and expanding the communications team.

“She’s been a wonderful right-hand person for me over the last six years,” Walker said. Meier was promoted to vice dean under Walker, becoming her “person on the horizon” for strategy and communications. Meier spent almost all of her career before Drexel serving in strategy-related roles at her alma mater, the University of Delaware.

Meier said the most important thing she can do when she gets to Lafayette is “listen and learn.”

Meier will inherit a communications division facing tumultuous Trump administration policies and the fallout of a successful faculty no-confidence vote against Hurd.

“There’s so much going on, both within the institution, but also across higher education more broadly,” Meier said. “Part of this role is to be able to have that bird’s eye view and be able to respond accordingly and appropriately to different things.”

College spokesman Scott Morse, who is serving as the communications division’s acting vice president, responded to a request for comment but did not provide his comment.

Isabella Gaglione ‘25 contributed reporting.