Michael Hotchkiss, who as director of media relations has been Princeton’s primary point of contact for international, national, local and student press, has been named the University’s assistant vice president in the Office of Communications.

In his new role, Hotchkiss will oversee the general management and strategic direction of the Office of Communications. He will report to the University’s vice president for communications and government affairs, Gadi Dechter.

“Mike is a trusted counselor to administrative leaders and department heads, a talented communicator, and a gifted leader,” said Dechter. “I am grateful for his willingness to lead the Office of Communications and extend its crucial stewardship of Princeton’s reputation on campus and in the world.”

“I appreciate the opportunity to take on this leadership role in the Office of Communications,” Hotchkiss said. “I look forward to working with our excellent team and building on the office’s strong relationships across the campus community to tell the University’s story as one of the world’s great teaching and research institutions.”

Hotchkiss has served as the director of media relations since 2022 and a University spokesperson since 2018. He has represented the University to the media on issues of national interest in higher education, including academic freedom and the preservation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections; provided media relations counsel to senior University leaders; and managed international media attention for a range of situations, including announcements of five University-affiliated Nobel Prize winners.

He joined Princeton’s Office of Communications in 2012 as a social sciences writer, developing news and editorial content about the research, teaching and service missions of the University. He was named deputy University spokesperson in 2018.

Before joining Princeton, Hotchkiss spent more than a decade as a reporter and editor, most recently at The Wall Street Journal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri.

Hotchkiss and his wife, Carrie, are graduates of Brandon High School.