Villanova University Names Liz Kennedy Walsh as Vice President for University Communication and Marketing

VILLANOVA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Villanova University has announced the appointment of Liz Kennedy Walsh ’89 MA as Vice President for University Communication and Marketing, effective Aug. 17, 2026. The appointment follows a national search that attracted a highly competitive pool of candidates from across the country. Walsh brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience in integrated marketing, communications and enrollment strategy within mission-driven institutions of higher education.

“I am pleased to welcome Liz back to Villanova in this important leadership role,” said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, President of Villanova University. “Liz’s deep understanding of Villanova, her strategic vision, and her demonstrated leadership at the Cabinet level distinguished her throughout the search process. Her expertise in reputation management, executive communications, and institutional positioning will be invaluable as Villanova continues to advance its mission and strategic priorities.”

As Vice President for University Communication and Marketing, Walsh will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and as Villanova’s chief communications and marketing officer. She will lead the University’s centralized communication and marketing organization—including public relations, marketing, publications, web, social media, content strategy and advancement and college communication—and serve as a strategic adviser to senior leadership on brand, reputation, public affairs, and issues management. In this role, she will partner across the University to strengthen Villanova’s visibility, articulate a compelling institutional narrative, and support the goals of the University’s strategic plan, Rooted. Restless.

Walsh currently serves as Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications at St. Joseph’s University, where she leads an integrated organization spanning marketing, communications, enrollment and financial aid. In this Cabinet-level role, she advises the President and senior leadership on institutional positioning and issues management and has led major enterprise-wide initiatives, including enrollment growth efforts, executive communications strategies, and merger and integration communications.

From 2007 to 2021, Walsh served Villanova University as Associate Vice President for University Communication and Marketing, helping to build a centralized, full-service communication operation and guiding the University’s brand, reputation and issues management during a period of significant growth. An alumna and the parent of two Villanova graduates, Walsh brings a deep personal connection to the University and a strong commitment to its Augustinian Catholic mission.

“I am beyond thrilled to return to Villanova, a place that has shaped both my professional life and my family in profound ways,” said Walsh. “I am honored to return to the University and to work alongside Father Peter, University leadership and colleagues across campus to help advance Villanova’s mission, amplify its impact and tell its story with clarity and purpose during this important moment in the University’s ongoing evolution.”

Walsh graduated from University of Scranton in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in English/Communications. She would go on to earn a Master of Arts in Theatre from Villanova University in 1989.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.