Acorn

What do you do when your image is tired and old? President Bob Weisbuch knew. He hired an architect to give Drew a makeover.

Weisbuch announced in a campus-wide e-mail Tuesday that David Muha will join his cabinet as chief communications officer March 13.

Drew�s reputation is like its coffee mug, according to Weisbuch.

�While you sip from it, the Drew emblem faces you,� he said. �But we know how great Drew is. We need to get our name out around the world. Drew needs to give itself more credit and act more aggressively.�

Muha, 41, of Basking Ridge, will create and implement �an integrated media strategy� for Drew�s three schools, according to the e-mail. From creating new mailings sent to prospective students to speaking to the media, Muha�s ideas will shape Drew�s public image.

Muha has served as director of communications for Rutgers Business School for the past seven years. Before that, he was vice president for communications for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and has served as the acting president for the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.

�[Right now] is a great time for Drew,� Muha said in a phone interview. �It has a great story to tell. I am really excited to be a part of that.�

Muha first plans to find out why students and faculty like Drew, he said. �You need to grab the attention of prospective students, and keep their attention until after they graduate,� Muha said.

�What really stands out about Drew is that the University � cares about each student as an individual,� Muha said. �Rutgers says that they care, too, but they have classes with 350 people in it. Here, that connection is real.�

After reviewing hundreds of applications, the search committee spearheaded by Vice President of the College Peggy Howard narrowed it to four candidates, who were then presented to Weisbuch. �It was a tough, unanimous choice,� Weisbuch said. �[Muha] has a perfect background and he is an unflashy, quiet and intelligent man.�

Muha replaces Tom Harris, who retired in December as the former assistant vice president for University relations. �It�s a different position than we�ve had in the past,� Weisbuch said. �I�m hoping he will help shape our ideas [of Drew�s image], not just communicate them.�

The search committee interviewed Muha by phone in December, asked him to write a paper on a strategic program he�d been involved in and then brought him to campus for a five-hour interview in January. �Job interviews are usually associated with nerves�but I instantly felt comfortable at Drew,� Muha said. �Everyone I�ve met is enthusiastic about Drew, and I am just as enthusiastic to be joining their team.�

A New Jersey resident, Muha grew up around Drew. �I had friends who graduated from Drew and saw Barbara Bush speak in the Forum Series,� Muha said. �A friend of mine handed me the advertisement for the position, and [I] became really excited at the prospect of working here.�

Muha will meet periodically with Weisbuch until March 13. �I�m excited to get started,� Muha said. �I already began making lists of people I want to meet, and writing down ideas I had during my January interview.

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