Chris Stipes, a public relations leader and Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, has been appointed executive director of news and media relations in Rice University’s Office of Public Affairs. He began in this role Dec. 11 and succeeds Jeff Falk, who was recently named assistant vice president for strategic communications within Public Affairs.
The news and media relations team also added two other experienced, talented members recently. Brandi Smith joined as the inaugural multimedia journalist and Robert Premeaux has been named senior editor.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Chris, Brandi and Robert to the news and media relations team as we embark on an exciting new beginning in Rice Public Affairs,” said Melinda Spaulding Chevalier, vice president for public affairs. “Their diverse backgrounds in journalism, storytelling and multimedia production will be an asset to the university as we showcase Rice’s extraordinary achievements while fostering a deeper connection with our community and the world."
Stipes oversees a talented 10-person team of writers and editors that issues news releases, expert alerts and media advisories, responds to media queries and produces Rice News, Dateline Rice and @Rice. He serves as the university’s media spokesperson and also is a member of the Crisis Management Team together with Falk.
“Rice’s commitment to excellence in education and innovation is truly inspiring, and I embrace the responsibility of sharing our remarkable achievements and pathbreaking work with the world,” Stipes said. “Building strong relationships across our vibrant campus community is a top priority. Together, we will harness the power of strategic communication and compelling storytelling to amplify the already strong Rice brand.”
Stipes most recently worked as senior director of media relations at the University of Houston. Over the past seven years there, he maximized significant positive media coverage of the university and produced internal and external communications across all platforms.
Before transitioning to higher education, Stipes spent 18 years as a TV news anchor, reporter and sportscaster in Toledo, El Paso, Austin and Houston. He was honored with more than 40 professional journalism awards including three Emmys, two Edward R. Murrow awards and 15 awards from the Associated Press.
During his tenure at UH, he oversaw the production of the university’s national commercial and led the public relations campaign for the first new medical school in Houston in nearly 50 years. Earlier this year, his team was honored by the Public Relations Society of America Houston Chapter as the nonprofit communications team of the year.
As Rice’s first multimedia journalist, Brandi Smith will cover the arts and humanities beat. She joined the team Dec. 4 after almost seven years as a reporter and anchor at KHOU 11.
Smith spent the past 22 years finding and telling stories in her community after getting her start as a journalist in 2001 and covered communities in Idaho, Oregon and Texas as a reporter. She has experience in nearly every newsroom role and has worked as a public relations professional in agency and corporate roles.
Robert Premeaux began his role as senior editor Aug. 28 after nearly 18 years as the sports editor at the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
Premeaux has been a copy editor and writer in the newspaper business almost continuously since taking a part-time job at the Idaho Falls Post Register in the fall of his junior year in high school. Writing and editing has been his life’s work beginning with that first football season, most of it in sports working for the Bryan-College Station Eagle as a reporter and editor since the fall of 1997.