Following a comprehensive and competitive nationwide search, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) President Grace J. Wang, Ph.D. has appointed Bryce Hoffman as the university's new Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (VP, CMCO). A seasoned professional, Hoffman brings over 19 years of experience in higher education marketing and communications and proven strengths in institutional branding, enrollment marketing, advancement communications, data-informed strategy, and creative development to his new role at WPI.
"Bryce Hoffman is a strategic thinker and effective leader who has the talent, experience, and ambition to increase WPI’s national and global visibility as a truly distinctive STEM-focused university and a leader in transformative education and research,” said President Wang. “I am confident that Bryce will greatly amplify awareness of WPI’s unique curriculum, our impactful research and innovation, and our highly immersive and inclusive campus environment. I am excited to welcome him to the WPI community.”
As Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Hoffman will be responsible for all strategic marketing and communications efforts at WPI. He will provide leadership and strategic direction to a division that offers expert counsel and agency-level services and plays a critical role in the pursuit of university goals—including increasing visibility and elevating WPI’s reputation in the world, driving revenue, and building community.
“True distinction in higher education is rare,” said Hoffman. “WPI has it. This university can make a bold claim to leadership in global, project-based learning and as a hub for STEM-focused education, research, and innovation. I am beyond excited to work with the Marketing Communications team and the WPI community to tell our story in new and creative ways, here at home and in places where we aren’t as well known. I look forward to helping share WPI with the world.”
Hoffman began his career as a newspaper reporter and eventually transitioned into the higher education sector at Cornell University in October 2005; there he spent five years as a content creator and message strategist for the Division of Alumni Affairs & Development. Today, he serves as the Assistant Vice President of Integrated Marketing at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), a position he has held since March 2023. As UNH’s chief brand strategist, Hoffman has conducted the largest market study in the university’s history, completed a brand positioning overhaul, and launched two omni-channel brand lift campaigns. UNH’s use of TikTok influencer collaborations was recently selected for presentation at the AMA Higher Education national conference.
Prior to joining UNH, Hoffman was at UMass Lowell for nearly nine years. He began his tenure there as the Executive Director of Marketing and was promoted to the role of Associate Vice Chancellor of Marketing. While at UMass Lowell, Hoffman focused on building a national brand through successive national advertising campaigns informed by large-scale market research. He and his team also responded to demographic challenges with an intensified focus on enrollment marketing that successfully leveraged digital channels and created a more personalized approach for prospective students. Hoffman also secured UMass Lowell’s recognition as a United Nations Academic Impact institution, led teams and projects that won more than 60 prestigious awards, and coordinated the university’s successful bids for the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT into Diversity Magazine and 2021 “Top Colleges & Universities” recognition from Black EOE Journal, Hispanic Network Magazine, and Professional Woman’s Magazine.
Before joining UMass Lowell, Hoffman served as the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for three and a half years at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh (SUNY Plattsburgh) where he led marketing, public relations, and crisis communications. Within a two-year span, Hoffman and his team won the SUNY Council for University Advancement’s Best of Category awards for total advertising and for internal communications.
Hoffman earned a B.S. in Journalism from Eastern Michigan University in 2000, and a M.S. in Communication from Cornell University in 2011 with a thesis that examined the effects of digitally mediated communication on subconscious bias and intergroup prejudice.
A bicycling enthusiast, Hoffman was appointed to the Massachusetts Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board by Gov. Charles Baker where he served from 2018-2023 in advising the Commonwealth on active transportation, infrastructure, policy, engineering, and messaging for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. He is also a League of American Bicyclists certified safe cycling instructor and has served as a volunteer at The Bike Connector, a nonprofit that provides free bicycles, safe cycling instruction, and training in repairing bicycles to city youth.
President Wang’s selection of Hoffman was informed by a search advisory committee composed of faculty, students, and staff, representing diverse backgrounds and perspectives within the WPI community.
Hoffman will officially join WPI on December 1, 2024, and will succeed Eileen Brangan Mell, who has been serving as Interim Vice President of Marketing and Communications.