Office of Marketing and Communications

Office of Marketing and Communications

Marketing and Communications team


The Office of Marketing and Communications is composed of dynamic storytelling professionals dedicated to sharing the university’s distinctive Franciscan heritage, timeless core values and transformative education model to a wide range of internal and external audiences.


As dynamic problem solvers and campus partners the office leverages news and media relations, marketing, branding, photography, videography trademark and licensing, website and social media to help the university accomplish its strategic priorities.


Mission Statement: Through the execution of strategic, creative and collaborative initiatives, the ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû¾«Æ·¸£Àû Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) advances the university’s mission through the curation, stewardship and elevation of the Alvernia brand.

Meet the Team

Kristin Eck 2024

Kristin Eck

Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist Office of Marketing and Communications
| 610-790-1938
Jon Fassnacht 2023

Jon Fassnacht

Director of Website and Editorial Content Office of Marketing and Communications
| 610-796-8208
Lynn Gano 2023

Lynn Gano

Senior Director of Creative Services Office of Marketing and Communications
| (610) 796-8240
Sarah Matarella 2025

Sarah Matarella M.A. '22

Senior Associate Director of Communication and Social Media Office of Marketing and Communications
| 610-796-8344
Adam Pivirotto 2025

Adam Pivirotto

Multimedia Marketing Manager Office of Marketing and Communications

Our Work:

Alvernia names new Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Attorney and Professor of Business Mary Ellen Wells, JD, LLM most recently served as Interim Provost and Associate Provost.

Mary Ellen Wells commencement

Over 90 Students Awarded at 2026 Honors Convocation

2026 Honors Convocation

Alvernia confers record 800 degrees during commencement

Customers Bank’s Jay Sidhu offers advice; first Alvernia physician associate students earn degrees

Bernie 2026 Commencement

18 honored at second annual Student Leadership Recognition Luncheon

Students recognized for impact on the student body

2026 Student Leader Award Luncheon
Brady DeGroodt Fire Museum

Firefighters museum enjoys revival thanks to O'Pake fellow

PHOTO: Bill Sheeler, from left, John Trimble, and Brody DeGroodt '24 MBA '25 at the Reading Area Firefighters Museum. In a way, the Reading Area Firefighters Museum was facing a three-alarm fire. It needed a strategic plan to keep the 16-year...

  • 2026
Michael Barnwell

History major, an Air Force veteran, relishes in-person connections

Most adult students prefer the flexibility of online courses, which allow them to tailor learning to their schedules.Michael Barnwell ’26 sought the opposite, seeking the interaction he thrived on during 20 years in the U.S. Air Force.“I wanted th...

  • College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences
  • 2026
Brody DeGroodt

O'Pake Institute work helps MBA student stockpile experience for future career

In his years at ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû¾«Æ·¸£Àû, Brody DeGroodt ’25 has had many rich experiences — four years as a baseball player, academic excellence that included the History Achievement Award at the Honors Convocation, and deep friendships.But perhaps th...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2026
Lilibet Perez

Transfer student follows mother's footsteps to find community and a full-time job

The journey of transfer student Lilibet Perez '26 to Alvernia wasn’t exactly traditional. She originally thought she wanted to be an elementary school teacher, only to realize a year-and-a-half into her college journey that her heart wasn’t in it....

  • College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences
  • 2026
Brett Berger ’22, Dr. Rodney Ridley, Joern Tinnemeyer and Leah Kemper ’21 work with engineering equipment in an Alvernia lab.

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû¾«Æ·¸£Àû Magazine

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû¾«Æ·¸£Àû's Office of Marketing and Communication produces Alvernia's annual alumni magazine.