Carrie Rulli
South Bend,Indiana
Summary
Strategic marketing and communications professional with expertise in communications planning, content marketing strategy, and public and media relations. Experienced in developing and executing integrated social media and digital marketing initiatives that increase engagement and strengthen institutional brand visibility. Skilled in creative copywriting, editorial and journalistic writing, and audience-centered documentation. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and complex communications projects through effective program and project management, delivering clear, compelling messaging aligned with organizational priorities.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Communications Program Director, School of Architecture
University of Notre Dame
08.2022 - Current
- Under the direction of the Dean, lead and coordinate the internal and external communications strategy for the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, with the goal of strengthening the School’s national and international visibility. My work includes the development and management of print and digital communications, faculty and student news features, publications, event promotion, and donor-facing materials. These activities account for approximately 70–80% of the School’s outward-facing communications content and support recruitment, alumni engagement, and institutional advancement.
- Directed the comprehensive redesign of the School’s website in 2024, coordinating faculty input, external design consultants, and technical implementation, improving the organization, accessibility, and visual presentation of 100% of major academic program pages, strengthening the School’s digital presence for prospective students, alumni, and external audiences.
- Direct management of the social media strategy for the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, overseeing content development, platform management, and analytics across the School’s primary channels, including Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. In this role, I coordinate 100% of the School’s official social media communications, developing and scheduling content that promotes faculty research, student work, lectures, publications, and institutional initiatives. Through consistent editorial planning and visual storytelling, these efforts account for approximately 80–90% of the School’s digital outreach to prospective students, alumni, and professional audiences. I also monitor platform analytics and audience engagement to guide content strategy, resulting in an estimated 80% increase in overall engagement across platforms during this period and a sustained expansion of the School’s visibility within academic, alumni, and professional architectural networks. Collectively, these efforts position social media as a primary channel for communicating the School’s mission and amplifying the work of its alumni, faculty and students to a global audience.
- As Executive Editor of ANTA, contributed to the launch and ongoing promotion of the School’s academic journal, published two times a year, helping to establish its communications framework and supporting outreach to contributors and readers. Through targeted communications and integration with the School’s media channels, these efforts have helped expand awareness of the journal within academic and professional architectural networks.
- Coordinate communications and logistical planning for approximately twelve public lectures featuring internationally recognized architects and scholars, representing the School’s primary platform for intellectual exchange and public engagement; drawing a 40% participation increase from students, faculty, alumni, and members of the professional community
- Organize and promote a wide range of School events—including exhibitions, symposia, and public programs—designed to highlight faculty research and student work and thereby contributing to the visibility of the School’s academic culture and strengthening connections with alumni, practitioners, and donors
- Supervise a communications team consisting of one full-time staff member, along with student workers and contract employees; coordinate and delegate editorial priorities, project timelines, and production workflows across digital media, publications, and event programming, ensuring consistent messaging and high production standards
Editor / Assistant Marketing Director
Saint Mary’s College
10.2020 - 08.2022
- Served as editor of the College’s monthly alumni publication, directing editorial strategy, production, and distribution for each issue and overseeing 100% of the publication’s editorial workflow from concept development through final production. I supervised a distributed production team of up to twelve contributing writers, graphic designers, photographers, and members of the alumnae relations staff, coordinating content development and publication schedules. In collaboration with the alumnae relations office, I aligned editorial planning with advancement priorities by shaping feature content and thematic coverage that supported approximately 60–70% of advancement-focused storytelling within the magazine, strengthening alumnae engagement with institutional initiatives and events. I also authored one to four feature-length articles per issue, contributing approximately 25–40% of the magazine’s long-form editorial content for an international readership of more than 50,000 alumni and supporters. Coordinated communications associated with the publication contributed to an estimated 25–30% increase in participation in annual reunion weekend programming during this period.
- Led the launch of a new college-wide website, coordinating with campus partners and administrative units to develop and implement content across 100% of the site’s primary programmatic and institutional sections. The redesigned platform introduced improved navigation, expanded representation of academic and student programs, and strategically placed application pathways throughout the site. These changes strengthened the College’s digital presence and improved access to information for prospective students, alumni, and external audiences.
Communications & Marketing Specialist
Independent Contractor
07.1991 - 08.2022
- Developed and implemented strategic marketing and communications initiatives for a range of corporate and nonprofit clients, including Whirlpool Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies, General Electric, and Cherry Capital Foods, as well as several early-stage startups.
- Services included the development of integrated communications strategies, digital marketing initiatives, and media outreach programs designed to strengthen organizational visibility and audience engagement. Across these engagements, I produced and managed the majority of communications collateral associated with assigned projects, including web content, feature articles, press materials, and institutional announcements, while coordinating messaging across digital platforms and public relations channels.
- Technical writer and documentation specialist responsible for producing customer-facing product documentation across the full development lifecycle. This work included the preparation of white papers, product materials, user guides, online help systems, and technical reference documentation in collaboration with engineering, product management, and customer support teams. I also maintained an active record of freelance journalism, authoring hundreds of articles for community newspapers, regional publications, and national outlets, contributing recurring feature content for award-winning regional magazines. These roles required managing multiple concurrent projects, coordinating with diverse stakeholders, and delivering high-quality editorial and technical content on deadline.
Education
B.A. - English, Political Science, Minor in Philosophy
Western Michigan University
MBNA - undefined
University of Notre Dame
03-2026
Skills
- Strategic messaging
- Brand development
- AP-style writing
- Editorial planning
- Internal communications
- Storytelling
- SEO-aware content writing
- Technical communication
- Presentation development
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Deadline management
Certification
- Environmental Communicator of the Year, Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation
- Leadership Grand Traverse, Grand Traverse Chamber of Commerce
- Detroit Free Press Excellence in Student Journalism, Detroit Free Press
Timeline
Communications Program Director, School of Architecture
University of Notre Dame
08.2022 - Current
Editor / Assistant Marketing Director
Saint Mary’s College
10.2020 - 08.2022
Communications & Marketing Specialist
Independent Contractor
07.1991 - 08.2022
MBNA - undefined
University of Notre Dame
B.A. - English, Political Science, Minor in Philosophy
Western Michigan University