The IU School of Medicine Dean’s Office of Strategic Communications manages internal and external communications, including public and media relations, marketing and branding. The team also oversees and provides training and support for digital platforms, including the website, social channels, email messaging and more.
Dean's Office of Strategic Communications Team
Media Inquiry
To reach the media relations team at IU School of Medicine, please contact Christina Griffiths, media relations specialist, by phone at 317-671-3114 or by email with the link below.
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Katie Duffey, Executive Director
As executive director of communications, Katie Duffey is responsible for helping lead a team of communicators tasked with executing strategies designed to engage internal and external audiences—telling the stories and sharing the successes of work being done every day at the school. A Hoosier native, Katie returned to Indiana after graduating from Ohio University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as a reporter, page designer and editor in Indiana newsrooms before joining the strategic communications team at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2018.
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Lynn Boak, Communications Support Specialist
Lynn serves as the communications support specialist to the Office of Strategic Communications and Visual Media. Along with coordinating internal office operations, Lynn provides support for the development and implementation of communication initiatives that support IU School of Medicine’s strategic plan. Lynn holds a BA in anthropology from DePauw University.
Communications
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Hannah Calkins, Department of Medicine
Hannah Calkins is the Communications Manager for the Department of Medicine. Her academic and professional background is in health communication. Prior to joining the Department of Medicine, she worked in communications at the American Psychological Association in Washington, DC, and as an independent writer and editor. She has an MA in Communication, Culture & Technology from Georgetown University.
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Sonder Collins, Radiology & Imaging Sciences and the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
Having joined IU School of Medicine in 2016, Sonder uses a poetry and theatre background to help bridge the academic world with the creative. A graduate of University of Evansville, he works with faculty and academic staff to formulate unique, marketing ideas that engage the public with innovative research at IU School of Medicine. From writing stories on groundbreaking equipment to orchestrating digital marketing strategies, Sonder collaborates with experts across the school to help departments thrive in their marketing and communication ambitions.
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Laura Gates, Senior Writer
Laura Gates is a senior writer with the Office of Strategic Communications. A native Hoosier, she has 25 years of experience in communications, having worked with newspapers and other media organizations in Indiana and Florida, along with small businesses, community groups and non-profit organizations. Before joining IU School of Medicine in January 2020, she was editor-in-chief of a lifestyle magazine serving the community of Estero, Florida.
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Christina Griffiths, Media Relations Specialist
Christina Griffiths is a media relations specialist with the Office of Strategic Communications. She coordinates media relations efforts for the school, including promoting news about the school to media and scheduling interviews with faculty. Before joining IU School of Medicine, Christina worked as a producer for a local television station in Indianapolis where she won a regional Emmy for Best Weekend Newscast. She also spent time as a producer, reporter and anchor for a local television station in Tallahassee, Florida where she won a Florida Associated Press Award for Best General Assignment Reporting. Christina earned an MA in Media and Communication Studies from Florida State University and a BA in Journalism from DePaul University.
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Ben Middelkamp, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Neurology and Neurological Surgery
Ben Middelkamp is the communications manager for Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, the Department of Neurology and the Department of Neurological Surgery. Before joining IU School of Medicine as a communications coordinator in December 2019, Ben spent nearly six years as a newspaper reporter in two Indiana cities. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Convergent Journalism from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2014. Ben enjoys translating his background in journalism to the communications and marketing needs of the school and its physicians and researchers.
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Caitlin VanOverberghe, OB-GYN and Orthopaedic Surgery
Caitlin VanOverberghe is a communications coordinator for the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she supports the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Having earned degrees in journalism and telecommunications from Ball State University, Caitlin worked for newspapers in Indiana and Michigan before joining the Office of Strategic Communications. Her goal is to use creative writing and marketing to effectively share stories about the important work happening within the school.
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Andrea Zeek, Assistant Director of Research Communications
Andrea Zeek is the assistant director of research communications for IU School of Medicine. In her role, Andrea works closely with the Executive Associate Dean for Research Affairs, researchers across the school, and her colleagues in the Office of Strategic Communications to elevate IU School of Medicine’s research reputation. Andrea first joined IU in 2012 and has held various communications roles throughout the university, including the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing and the Office of the Vice President for Research. She has also worked as a science writer at the University of Iowa and as a newspaper reporter in Indiana. Andrea earned a master’s degree in journalism with a concentration in health and science communication from IU Bloomington and a bachelor’s degree in news-editorial journalism from Ball State University.
Internal Communications
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Teresa Dunn, Internal Communications Manager
Teresa Dunn joined IU School of Medicine in November 2021 after serving as the Associate Director for the Integrated Program in the Environment at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Teresa is a graduate of Indiana University and received her master’s degree from IU in 2017. She’s a native Hoosier and lives in Brownsburg in an historic home with her fiancé, Mark, and their two dogs.
Digital Marketing
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Chris Cline, Assistant Director of Digital Marketing
Chris is responsible for monitoring, reporting and providing direction on how Indiana University School of Medicine can extend its reach and impact through its digital marketing channels. Prior to joining IU School of Medicine in 2015 as a Web Analyst, Chris worked as an SEO Consultant for a local digital marketing agency. In this role he provided consulting services for some of the nation’s top brands and Fortune 500 companies. In 2005, Chris earned an undergraduate degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. Upon graduating, Chris spent the next decade owning and operating a photography and graphic design studio.
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Alyssa Geisler, Content Manager
Alyssa joined the Office of Strategic Communications in 2019 as the content manager. She recently moved back to Indiana after seven years in Utah, where she told stories about research, education and clinical care at Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah. She also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Utahns Against Hunger. Alyssa holds a BA in public communications and literature from American University.
Visual Media
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Brandon Van Hook, Graphic Designer
Brandon is responsible for researching, strategizing, and designing print and interactive media, including ads, invitations, brochures, magazines, displays, digital signage, email communications, kiosks, websites, and more. Additionally, he coordinates vendors and stakeholders at the department, campus, and university level. Brandon has previous experience as a graphic designer and art director in higher education, commercial real estate, and marketing agency settings. Brandon joined Indiana University School of Medicine in 2022.
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Tim Yates, Photographer
Tim is a graduate of Herron School of Art and holds a bachelor degree in fine arts with a major in visual communication. After graduating, he began working for the Indianapolis Center for Advanced Research (ICFAR)—an affiliate of IU, Purdue, City of Indianapolis and the Indy Chamber of Commerce—where he served as as a graphic designer, photographer and illustrator for seven years. He then began his own freelance design business in Indianapolis and spent a decade working with a variety of clients, including Howard S. Wilcox, Sease Gerig & Associates, Ivy Tech, Riley Children’s Foundation, Indianapolis Public Library and Fairbanks Hospital. Tim returned to IU as a graphic designer and photographer in the IU School of Medicine Office of Visual Media. In his current role, he works with faculty and departmental leaders to provide photography for communications and fundraising materials. He also served for three years as an adjunct professor teaching third- and- fourth-year medical students introduction to medical illustration, photography and Adobe Creative Suite.
Additional Communications Contacts
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Robyn Hawn, Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI)
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Michael Schug, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Michael Schug, an award-winning communicator, is the communications manager at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this role, he promotes the important research generated by the nearly 240 research members of the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center – one of only 70 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the nation. He works with reporters as they develop stories for print, broadcast and social media outlets about the center’s research. He also develops content about the center, its programs and its researchers for internal IU communications channels. Schug is a member of the Public Affairs and Marketing Network (PAMN), which is composed of cancer centers designated by the NCI or that are members of the Association of American Cancer Institutes. He served on the PAMN steering committee for six years. He holds a BA in journalism from Franklin College and an MA in public relations from Ball State University.
Interview an IU School of Medicine Expert
Schedule an interview with an IU School of Medicine faculty member or receive material and resources about a specific area of medical research and education by contacting Christina Griffiths.