UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lawrence Lokman, vice president for Strategic Communications, has announced he will depart Penn State at the end of October following eight years leading the University’s central marketing and public relations division.
With extensive media relations, brand positioning, issues management, agency and cause communications experience, Lokman has made a mark leading large-scale reputation-building, public affairs and cause marketing campaigns throughout his 30-year career. Before coming to Penn State in 2014, Lokman was associate vice chancellor in charge of communications at UCLA for eight years.
At Penn State, Lokman oversees the Office of Strategic Communications, an award-winning communications unit that encompasses branding and marketing, issues management and internal communications, proactive and social media, campus and community events, and licensing for the University. In his eight years at Penn State, Lokman has led a series of initiatives to transform the University’s communications function and to promote Penn State as a top-tier university by strengthening its brand and protecting the University’s reputation.
“Lawrence’s contributions to telling Penn State’s story and to fostering a deep sense of the Penn State spirit within our community will be lasting,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “His creativity, thoughtfulness and drive have helped to position and bring greater recognition to our University as a leader among America’s premier institutions. I wish him all the best in his next endeavors.”
Lokman has chosen to step down as he looks forward to his next venture that includes a possible return to the West Coast, where he is from and where his family resides.
“This is the right time for me personally and professionally to transition. We have built a strong central communications foundation for the University and have outstanding team leaders in place who deserve much of the credit for our progress in helping to build awareness and recognition for Penn State as a world-class university and catalyst for positive societal impact,” Lokman said. “The future looks bright, and I am excited to see the progress that will continue to be made in support of President Bendapudi. This University, and this community, will hold a special place in my heart always and the friendships I have developed will last a lifetime. This work has been a highlight of my career.”
At the end of October, Rachel Pell, associate vice president for Strategic Communications, will assume the role of interim vice president for Strategic Communications.
Driving Penn State’s brand and reputation
As vice president for Strategic Communications, Lokman leads University Public Relations, University Marketing, Campus and Community Events, and Licensing Programs. A member of President’s Council, Lokman advises the president and senior leaders across Penn State’s campuses on communications strategy and key efforts.
During his time at the University, Lokman has focused on elevating Penn State’s state and national reputation through the introduction of the University’s first dedicated proactive media relations team and integrated marketing and public relations storytelling campaigns. These efforts have raised visibility and support for the University’s work to drive economic development and quality of life and prepare students for success in communities across the state and beyond.
Since 2020, Strategic Communications’ proactive media team has been involved in 1,800 national media placements with top-tier media, including 577 placements generating more than 250 million impressions in just the first half of 2022. Lokman initiated the creation of a recently completed broadcast studio located in the Bellisario College of Communication’s media center that will enable enhanced broadcast placements. Additionally, in 2019, Strategic Communications hosted the national ScienceWriters conference that helped raise the profile of Penn State research among journalists across the country.
Lokman initiated the naming and visual identity of President Emeritus Eric J. Barron’s entrepreneurial initiative as Invent Penn State, as well as related visibility work, which included multiple op-eds, brand and news stories that helped to drive awareness, interest and support as the initiative progressed.
Lokman introduced a brand impact campaign across the commonwealth anchored by a series of highly produced digital and television spots, which have been rolled out across the University and with voters and alumni, using a mix of animation and thematic storytelling. Stories include Redefining Legacy, Sustainability Means More, Protecting Pollinators, From the Waiting Room to the Living Room, Smart Fabrics, Forecasting Infectious Diseases, and Designing Sustainable Homes on Mars and Earth. These — and many other stories — have driven reputational improvements. A recent survey has shown increases in Pennsylvania voters’ perceptions of Penn State across a wide range of critical measures that have helped to shift public understanding of the University as a shared public asset. In 2020, a national survey by the Association of American Universities found adults rated Penn State 14th among America’s leading research universities.
Lokman was part of the University’s leadership response team for fraternity and sorority life reforms, and he and his team drove the national media strategy that helped achieve recognition of Penn State’s initiatives and support for reforms on a state and national scale, and positioned the University as a recognized resource for understanding the challenges and potential solutions.
Upon his arrival at Penn State, Lokman led the development of a formal University Crisis Management Team, including the preparation of formal crisis communications plans and protocols for all of Penn State’s campuses and the ongoing provision of media training for chancellors and campus communicators.
In addition, Lokman oversaw the development of a new academic logo and graphic identity system for the University that also anchored the introduction of the Penn State Health brand, and aligned the University, academic medicine and hospital network under a unified Penn State umbrella. With the launch of Penn State’s brand book, Strategic Communications provided a brand toolkit and workshops to communicators across Penn State to support consistency across entities.
Lokman initiated an optimization study that identified opportunities for a more effective and efficient set of coordination opportunities and controls across all Penn State communications units. Following the study, Lokman established a Lead Communicator Council, which serves as a resource for sharing best practices, offering opportunities for skills development, professional development and more for communications professionals across Penn State.
Strategic communications leader
Prior to coming to Penn State, Lokman led UCLA’s response to dozens of local, state and national issues and crises, as well as spearheaded the introduction of branding and digital communications initiatives that were profiled in Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal and Ad Age, and selected as a Google case study.
In Los Angeles, Lokman founded and was managing director of his own marketing agency, Window In Communications, which developed advocacy, brand and identity initiatives for a wide range of education and cause-based clients, including Stanford University, the California Coalition for Public Higher Education, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s Hilton Humanitarian Prize, among others.
He also has served as vice president of The Rogers Group, then the West Coast’s largest independent agency, where he co-led the team that secured and directed the agency’s largest account, a three-year $36 million First Five campaign to promote early childhood development. He also is former vice president of programs for The Century Council, where he developed national award-winning underage drinking prevention campaigns that also helped improve the image of the distilled spirits industry funders.
With a passion for service, Lokman has lent his expertise to support a range of social and philanthropic causes throughout his career. At Penn State, he has been a proud supporter of THON, helping to advise the organization on its communications efforts and even defending students involved in the philanthropy when faced with negative media comments. In addition, Lokman currently serves as secretary of the board of directors for Centre for Volunteers in Medicine and was vice chair of the board of Aviva Family and Children's Services, a community health nonprofit in Los Angeles.
He is a member of The Arthur W. Page Society, an organization composed of chief communications officers from major corporations and top government and education enterprises seeking to enrich their profession. Lokman is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he earned a degree in international relations.