Sandy Genelius

Sandy Genelius

Chief Communications Officer

I lead the extraordinary team responsible for strategically telling the story of Amherst College. We do this with many tools, on many platforms, and to many audiences. Our responsibilities include the College’s website, social media, media relations, event production, overall editorial content (including Amherst magazine), photography, videography, graphic design, crisis communications, internal communications and marketing consulting. As a member of the College's senior staff, I also work closely with Amherst’s president and other colleagues to help implement the College’s strategic plan and, toward that end, partner with most divisions across campus on a wide range of projects.

Pronouns: she/her/hers 

Lawrence Kluttz

Lawrence Kluttz

Associate Chief Communications Officer

79 South Pleasant Street Room 322

I help to guide the strategy and work of the Office of Communications, with a particular focus on messaging, digital identity and design, campus partnerships and events, and external engagement.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Marcus D. DeMaio

I produce, direct and edit videos that support the Communications strategy, telling the Amherst story to prospective students and alumni. I pitch and conceptualize video ideas, document and live-stream events, and provide footage for off-campus agencies (news organizations/schools/etc.). I also manage and mentor student videographers and coordinate projects with outside production agencies/freelance vendors as needed.

Roberta L. Diehl

Roberta L. Diehl

Director of Digital Communications

As Director of Digital Communications, I lead the creative team responsible for producing digital, print, photography, and video content, setting strategies, prioritizing requests, and recommending and implementing tools to improve the efficiency of our work. I also collaborate with staff in departments and programs across campus to support their digital and print-based communications projects.

In addition to a B.A. in Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, I hold an M.F.A. from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Contact me about related to digital, print, photography, or video projects. 

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Katherine D. Duke

Among other responsibilities, I research and write feature-length and shorter articles for Amherst magazine and for the College’s website. I edit and proofread the magazine, as well as web pages, posters, event programs and calendar listings. In addition to a B.A. in English from Amherst (class of 2005), I hold an M.A. in creative writing from Lancaster University in England.  

Pronouns: she/her/hers 

Caroline J. Hanna

Caroline J. Hanna

Director of Media Communications

I joined Amherst in 2007 after working in the communications offices of two other prestigious universities. In my current job, I focus on protecting and bolstering the reputation of the College by identifying, developing and pitching stories to the media that reflect Amherst’s strategic priorities. I serve as the main contact for the local, regional and national press; coordinate interviews and visits with reporters; and, in partnership with Conferences and Special Events, help promote select special events. I also write for the website and other College publications, and play a major role in shaping Amherst’s communications strategy in emergency and crisis situations. As a member of the Town of Amherst’s Business Improvement District Marketing Committee, I embrace opportunities to collaborate with local businesses and Five College counterparts, in addition to my College colleagues.

Contact me with story ideas about the following departments/offices: President's Office, Beneski Museum, Biology, Environmental Studies, Geology, Neuroscience & Psychology, Physics & Astronomy and Biochemistry & Biophysics.

Pronouns: she/her/hers 

Amanda L. Huhmann

Amanda L. Huhmann

Associate Director, Special Projects

I act as a project manager for a wide variety of Communication projects, both within the division and across campus. I work with colleagues across the College to develop comprehensive strategic communication plans that include writing, design, and the creation of other materials as needed.

Austin J. Huot

Austin J. Huot

Director of Conferences and Special Events

79 South Pleasant Street Room 226

I oversee the planning, logistics, marketing and execution of major events that are produced at Amherst College, including Convocation, guest speakers, multi-day symposiums, Fall Festival, City Streets, Lit Fest, the Pindar dinner series and Commencement. In addition, I serve as the campus administrator for Amherst College’s room reservation software (EMS), providing support and training to campus users and working with departments to enhance operations. During the summer our team’s focus transitions to the College’s summer programs operation, hosting 40+ programs in 10 weeks.

Pronouns: he/him/his 

Willa W. Jarnagin

Willa W. Jarnagin

Director of Web Design & Communications Services

As a web developer and digital designer, I contribute to many aspects of Amherst’s digital presence—from web design and content strategy to promotional graphics and more. 

Working with the Web Services team in IT, I specialize in CSS and UI/UX design. For departments, I provide a variety of web support, including assistance with visual design, content flow, usability, accessibility, and search engine optimization. Additionally, I build custom WordPress sites (see The Common and Hidden Drives). With a background in graphic design and illustration, I can also create graphics for your department or project. 

Contact me with requests related to College websites, graphics, or Amherst’s Visual Identity Toolkit.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Alyssa Kelleher

Alyssa Kelleher

Events Coordinator

79 South Pleasant Street Room 226

As an Events Coordinator for the Office of Conferences and Special Events, I support the execution of special events on campus, including guest speakers, academic symposiums, multi-day conferences and festivals. I also help to support outside athletic and educational programs that occur on campus during the summer months.

Rebecca Kennedy

Rebecca Kennedy

Associate Director of Institutional Events

79 South Pleasant Street Room 300
Christina M. LaDue

Christina M. LaDue

Associate Director of Conferences and Special Events

79 South Pleasant Street

I coordinate the 40+ educational and athletic programs that make Amherst College their home during the summer months. I enjoy collaborating with campus partners to maximize space on campus, and I secure new business by promoting Amherst as a choice location for summer programs. During the academic year I support the Conference & Special Events (CASE) team’s execution of campus events including guest speakers, academic symposiums, multi-day conferences and festivals. My favorite spot on campus is the view from the top of Memorial Hill.

Madeline Levine

Madeline Levine

Communications Coordinator

79 South Pleasant Street

As Communications Coordinator, my role involves doing a little bit of everything in order to facilitate the goals of our division and ensure we’re working together as efficiently as possible. This includes various administrative and organizational duties for the office, project management oversight, editorial work, and managing general correspondence. I’m likely to be the first line of communication here, and I’m always happy to talk if you have a question or something you’d like to share with us. I look forward to hearing from you!

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Joanna Mahoney

Joanna Mahoney

Graphic Designer

79 South Pleasant Street
Paula A. Mieczkowski

Paula A. Mieczkowski

Room Reservations Manager/Special Events Specialist

79 South Pleasant Street

My responsibilities include scheduling functions during non-class time for class-required events, major college events, student groups, faculty/staff-sponsored events and external groups. I also advise the campus on space availability, suitability, room arrangements, a/v supports and college policies on the use of space. In addition, my work involves setting standards for use of campus space by external clients, issuing contracts and guaranteeing insurance compliance and external billing. I advise and collaborate with internal and external event planners, coordinate support services that maximize the use of campus resources to achieve client satisfaction, provide support for the director of CASE, assist with annual and special College events, process all billing for events and purchase event supplies. I assist with Commencement housing, and with faculty/administration regalia for Convocation and Commencement.

Contact me to book the Alumni House and Johnson Chapel and all campus space for all non-academic hours.

Maryjane Placzek

Maryjane Placzek

Events Coordinator

79 South Pleasant Street

As an Events Coordinator, I am responsible for designing, planning, and supporting events produced by the Office of Conferences and Special Events. These include talks given by high-profile speakers, academic symposiums and conferences, seasonal festivals, institutional events, and special events. During the summer months, I provide operational support for the Summer Programs Office, including serving as a liaison to assigned clients. 

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Stephanie J. Ramirez

Stephanie J. Ramirez

Associate Director of Social and New Media

79 South Pleasant Street

As Associate Director of Social and New Media, I manage the central Amherst College social media accounts on FacebookTwitterInstagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. This means setting the social media strategy; monitoring the social media landscape; reporting analytics and developing data-driven goals and tactics; brainstorming ideas and campaigns for social and seeing those ideas through; drafting day-to-day content; answering messages; and everything else in between. I also work closely with campus partners to help build cohesion across Amherst accounts, set internal guidelines, and share key campus messaging. Lastly, I manage an incredible team of student interns who develop content for the College accounts.

Michael J. Reid

Michael J. Reid

Senior Digital Communications Specialist

In my role as the Senior Digital Communications Specialist, I directly support the College’s digital communications efforts, focusing on the overall appearance, production and maintenance of the College’s web, mobile, digital signage, and map applications. I also assist colleagues across campus regarding content, technical issues, analytics, digital design and digital communication strategies for outreach to current students, faculty and staff, prospective students and their parents, and the Amherst alumni community.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Maria Stenzel

Pronouns: she/her/hers 

Katharine H. Whittemore

I write articles for the College's website and alumni magazine on a truly gratifying range of topics. I also do some editing (headline-writing is a specialty). My time at Amherst began in early 2017, after having been an editor at several great-but-now-defunct magazines (including New England Monthly and Wondertime) and a writer for dozens of publications (such as The Boston Globe and Salon.com). If you think there's a story to cover about the Amherst community, please let me know!

Pronouns: she/her/hers