Rick Ayers

Associate Vice President, Marketing
University Marketing

CONTACT: rla167@psu.edu

As associate vice president for marketing, Rick collaborates with academic, administrative, and communications and marketing leaders and staff across Penn State to promote the University’s global impact in teaching, research, and service. In Strategic Communications, he provides vision and strategic leadership for a team of professionals in the areas of brand strategy, enrollment marketing, content creation, creative design, and web development to drive greater visibility of Penn State’s unique characteristics among external and internal constituencies.

A senior-level marketing and strategic communications professional, Rick previously served as the chief marketing officer and assistant dean for strategic communications in Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, overseeing a comprehensive, data-driven effort to position the college as a leader in business education.

Prior to joining Penn State, Rick held numerous leadership roles in the non-profit healthcare industry, including as vice president for public relations and marketing at WellSpan Health. He also served on the board of directors of the American Hospital Association’s Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development and has presented nationally on the topic of strategic branding and marketing for healthcare organizations.

Rick earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in health administration from Penn State.