Joel Seligman
Joel Seligman is a higher education communications leader with more than 20 years’ experience as a senior manager and consultant. Over the course of his career, he has held progressively more senior communications positions at Cornell University, Boston University, and the University of Chicago leading complex projects and teams in branding, alumni engagement, and related advancement functions. Joel holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cornell, where he studied communication planning and strategy. Under the supervision of Robert Zemsky, he earned a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania meriting distinction for his dissertation, entitled “Institutional Strategy and Communications as Catalysts for Philanthropic Support of Private Research Universities in the United States” (2009). Joel’s research interests center on the role of formalized and disciplined strategic planning and communications as they relate to advancing higher education. Prior to joining Maguire Associates, Joel has led consulting projects at the Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Northeastern University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Chicago (prior to his employment there), and the University of Oregon. Since joining Maguire Associates in 2011, he has worked on projects for Boston University, Saint Anselm College, the University of Michigan, Capital University, Cornell University, and Swarthmore College. Joel serves on alumni advisory boards at Cornell and Penn. He is an alumnus of LeadBoston and a member of the executive board of the Public Relations Society of America’s Counselors to Higher Education Section. He has also served on the faculty of conferences and workshops sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and won CASE awards for communications materials and faculty service. Joel is based in Washington, DC, where he enjoys rowing, cooking, and choral music. He can be reached at jseligman@maguireassoc.com.