Vice President for University Marketing and Communications
Nicole Szymczak
Nicole Szymczak joined The University of Toledo in July 2026 as vice president for marketing and communications. She provides strategic leadership for the university's integrated marketing and communications enterprise, advancing initiatives that strengthen UToledo's reputation, support enrollment, and tell the university's story. She also oversees marketing and communications for UToledo Health, aligning the academic health enterprise with the university's broader strategic priorities.
Szymczak came to UToledo from Michigan State University, where she served as senior
director of communications and marketing for MSU Health Sciences. In that role, she
led a communications and marketing function supporting the colleges of Human Medicine,
Osteopathic Medicine, and Nursing, MSU Health Care, and the broader health sciences
enterprise, advancing shared priorities across the organization. She also co-directed
communications for the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
partnership, including the launch of its Research Center in Detroit.
Previously, Szymczak led communications for Michigan State University's College of
Communication Arts and Sciences, home to WKAR Public Media, the university's PBS and
NPR affiliate stations. She also reorganized and led an award-winning in-house communications
agency, spearheading the college's rebranding efforts while developing a student-led
creative team. She began her higher education career as director of communications
at Lansing Community College after working as a broadcast journalist and executive
producer at major television stations in Detroit and Las Vegas, earning two Emmy Award
nominations.
Beyond her institutional leadership, Szymczak has served on the planning committee for the American Marketing Association's Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education and co-founded the Capital City Film Festival. A former Emmy Award-nominated journalist, she remains passionate about helping universities tell authentic stories that strengthen institutional reputation, inspire pride, and deepen connections with the communities they serve. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University.