U. spokesperson Mbugua to leave U. for Carnegie Mellon in February

Martin Mbugua, Director of Media Relations and University spokesperson, who has held the position since 2011, will leave the University to join Carnegie Mellon University as Assistant Vice President for Communications.

Mbugua will start in his new position Feb. 1, 2016.

“It is an excellent opportunity for me to, under one role, bring together skills and experience that I have gathered over the years in different capacities throughout my professional career while still serving higher education,” Mbugua said.

He explained that he decided to relocate because he could use more of his writing, editing, social media, leadership and speaking skills at Carnegie Mellon. He added that he is very excited about joining the Carnegie Mellon team, but the transition is bittersweet because it means saying goodbye to friends and colleagues at the University.

Steve Kloehn ’87, Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Carnegie Mellon, said that Mbuguawill be a key advisor to him and a senior manager within Marketing and Communications. Mbugua will supervise internal communications, staff in media relations and issues management,magazine and home page content and social media. He added that Mbugua will work closely with all of the departments within Marketing and Communications.

Daniel Day, Assistant Vice President for Communications at the University, said that the operational structure of the University Office of Communications will stay the same after Mbugua’s departure.

Currently, the media relations team within the Office, which Mbugua heads, is constituted of two people and is in charge of managing and responding to media inquiries, according to Office of Communication's website.

He explained that he hopes to begin a search process for Mbugua’s replacement by posting the new position before the holidays. Interviews for candidates will ideally begin before Mbugua leaves in the latter half of January.

“Martin is very well-known and very well-liked all across campus. A lot of people will miss him because not only does he have great professional skills, but he is also a delightful person and a wonderful colleague,” Day said.

Kloehn said that Carnegie Mellon held a nationwide search with more than 100 applicants from different backgrounds and from across the United States to before choosing Mbugua for the position.

“At the end of the day, Martin was the best candidate and the best fit for what we need here,” Kloehn said.

He added that Mbugua is one of the most outstanding communicators in higher education today.

“He obviously has a proven track record at Princeton, dealing with sensitive issues, working to build consensus among senior leaders and speaking on behalf of the University,” he said.

Kloehn said that Mbugua will bring some outstanding talents as a writer, a speaker and a strategic thinker. On top of these strengths, he called Mbugua an outstanding teammate and collaborator as well as having a great presence.

Mbugua said that his most memorable moments at the University were times when the community came together during times of challenge, noting the meningitis outbreak as an example, and other situations in which he saw the can-do spirit across campus in full force.

Even in difficult situations, the collective positive spirit directed at making a difference made it possible to move forward with a positive attitude, he said.

“To see so many units, offices and departments represented, and everyone offering to do their very best to make sure we get things done and address the issues was very inspiring to me, and it showed the true teamwork and collaboration that makes Princeton a wonderful place to work,” Mbugua said.