People believe research matters. What they don’t always see is how it shows up in their lives.

In this episode of Pulse Check: The Reputation Rethink, host Dayana Kibilds digs into one of the clearest findings from Ologie’s national study: across politics, geography, and education level, the public overwhelmingly agrees that research — especially in STEM and medicine — is higher education’s most important contribution beyond teaching.

And yet, only about two-thirds of people believe colleges and universities are actually making an impact through research.

So what closes that gap? Clearer storytelling.

Day is joined by two higher ed communications leaders who have built national campaigns around that exact idea:

• Marina Cooper, Senior Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Brand at Johns Hopkins University, behind the Research Saves Lives campaign
• Kamrhan Farwell, Senior Vice President of University Relations at Boston University, behind the You Are Why campaign

Together, they unpack how research storytelling can:

• Make complex work feel real and relevant
• Build public trust without politicizing the message
• Mobilize partners across campus, government, and advancement
• Energize internal communities as much as external audiences

Guest Bio (Marina Cooper): Marina Cooper is the Senior Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Brand at Johns Hopkins University. With more than two decades of experience in strategic communications and brand leadership across higher education and the public sector, Marina has built a career at the intersection of storytelling, reputation, and impact. Before joining Johns Hopkins, she served as Vice President for University Marketing and Communications at Towson University. Named a 2024 Woman of Influence by I-95 Magazine, Marina remains an active voice in the higher education marketing community, serving on national boards and contributing her expertise to organizations such as the American Marketing Association and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Guest Bio (Kamrhan Farwell): Kamrhan Farwell is Senior Vice President of University Relations at Boston University, overseeing marketing and communications, as well as federal, state and local government relations. She joined Boston University in April 2025, following top leadership roles at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Missouri. Prior to her 14-year career in university communications, Farwell served as education editor for a decade at the Dallas Morning News.

Host Bio (Dayana Kibilds): With 15 years of experience, Dayana Kibilds has led award-winning work with universities around the world. An international keynote speaker and one of London, Ontario’s 20 Under 40, she is known for making complex ideas clear, practical, and possible. She loves to teach and share what she knows through her email book Mailed It!, as well as through her workshops, courses, her work with young professionals at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Summer Institutes, and her weekly newsletter. A lifelong immigrant who grew up in six countries, Day is now happily Canadian and lives with her husband, Bruno, and son, Romeo.

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Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

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