Chautauqua Institution today announced the appointment of Emily F. Morris, Ph.D., as vice president of marketing and communications and chief brand officer. Morris is an experienced leader and executive in higher education, having previously served in similar roles at nearby universities St. Bonaventure and Edinboro. She is currently executive communications director at Kent State University.

“I’m elated that Emily has agreed to join our team and help us continue to raise Chautauqua’s profile as a national leader in curating conversation on matters that shape our world,” said Michael E. Hill, president of Chautauqua Institution. “Her extensive experience in communications, marketing and branding in the higher-education space is the perfect fit for where we are right now. I’m excited for her to lead our talented Marketing and Communications staff, and to partner with her on initiatives that will help us continue to enhance Chautauqua’s brand promise, and then deliver on it at an increasingly high level.”

At Kent State, Morris supports the advancement of the university’s strategic priorities through executive communications and related initiatives, working closely with the university president. Prior to her current position, Morris served as vice president for university relations at St. Bonaventure, where she engineered and implemented the university’s first integrated marketing plan. During her more than nine years of service, she also provided executive leadership for the university’s Advancement and Enrollment departments in addition to her role as chief marketing and communications officer. She previously served for nearly 12 years as the executive to the president for university communications and administrative initiatives at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

“It is an absolute privilege and honor to come to Chautauqua Institution at such an exciting moment in its history,” Morris said. “I am energized by Michael Hill’s vision to expand the Institution’s reach and impact at a time when the nation and world are calling for trusted and inspiring forums for civil dialogue. I am excited to be part of the team that will make this happen.”

Morris earned both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in communication from Edinboro and her Ph.D. in higher education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She will begin her work at Chautauqua on May 1.