01/17/2023
By Julie Chen
Currently the vice president of marketing and communications at Simmons University, bec has decades of experience advocating for higher education, health care and non-profit organizations with international impact as well as experience as a journalist.
Prior to leading branding, marketing and communications at Simmons, rollins served as the top marketing and communications leader at the Appalachian Mountain Club following a similar role at Partners in Health. She has also succeeded as the chief global communications officer at Pathfinder International, which Ragan Communications highlighted when it listed rollins among its national Class of 2022 Women in Communications Hall of Fame.
For more than a decade in Harvard University’s news operations, rollins led the transition of that office into the video and digital era. She gathered, produced, wrote and reported daily news stories for live television and radio news programs in Boston, Charlotte, and Nashville and served as media relations manager for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
A graduate of Smith College, rollins is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Press Photographers Association.
UMass Lowell’s students, faculty, researchers and staff have powerful stories to tell and in bec rollins we welcome an outstanding leader and gifted storyteller. As we continue our remarkable 15-year transformation into a nationally recognized research university, we are fortunate to pair bec’s leadership and expertise with a strong University Relations team.
Finally, I want to express my thanks to search co-chairs Sandy Richtermeyer and Steve O’Riordan and all search committee members for their service in identifying this critical role as well as to John Feudo for serving as interim vice chancellor for University Relations for these six months.