Staff >>

A resource for news media and the general public, as well as for faculty and staff, the Office of Communications is the official source of general information, media relations, publications, advertising, and marketing communications for the School of Medicine.

Christine Morris
Associate Vice President for Communications

Christine Morris joined the School of Medicine as executive director of media relations in September 2001. She worked in the newsroom of The Miami Herald for 19 years, in a number of editing positions and most recently as medical writer. After graduating from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science, she worked as a reporter and editor at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. Her responsibilities include coordinating all communications and marketing activities for the School of Medicine, including basic science departments, clinical departments, centers, institutes, and hospitals. Areas of concentration and expertise include media relations, employee communications, publications, development communications, marketing, speechwriting, issues management, crisis communications, brand management, and advertising.

Phone: 305-243-6018
Email: cmorris@med.miami.edu

Jeanne Antol Krull
Executive Director of Medical Communications

Jeanne Antol Krull joined the University in March of 2001, after spending 22 years in television news. Her years in television were spent mainly as a producer and in news management, while her final five years were spent in health and medical producing at NBC6 in Miami. Working on the other side of the fence, she now helps members of the media access doctors and experts for their stories. Her television career started in Pennsylvania in 1979, the same year she graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia with a degree in Radio-Television and Film. She made the move to Miami in 1984.

Phone: 305-243-4853
Email: jkrull@med.miami.edu

Omar Montejo
Director of Media Relations

Omar Montejo manages media relations and public relations for the Department of Pediatrics and subspecialties such as Genetics. He promotes clinical and research activities at the Mailman Center for Child Development and the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute and often works with Jackson Memorial Hospital on stories and news conferences involving high profile pediatric cases. He joined the University in 1996. Prior to UM, Omar handled media relations for Miami Children’s Hospital, where he was spokesman for 11 years. He also worked for the news media, as producer for an all-news radio station in Miami, where he won numerous awards from the Associated Press Miami bureau.

Phone: 305-243-5654
Email: omontejo@miami.edu

Lisa Worley
Director of Media Relations

Lisa handles media relations requests, and writes about different medical specialties at the School of Medicine, with a special focus on the work being done at the UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.  She joined the Office of Communications in August of 2007, after spending 18 years in television news, most of it at WFOR, CBS4 in Miami.  Lisa was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale.  She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Communication Studies.

Phone: 305-243-5184
Email: lworley2@med.miami.edu

Dwayne Campbell
Director of Medical Publications

Dwayne Campbell joined the Office of Communications in May 2007 after working in journalism, most recently as a feature writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Before the Inquirer, he spent four years in Florida as a reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Dwayne graduated from Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater with a degree in journalism.

Phone: 305-243-2557
Email: dcampbell2@med.miami.edu

Blair Walker
Director of Advancement Communications

Originally from Baltimore, Blair S. Walker is a University of Maryland graduate who has worked as a journalist with New York Newsday, USA Today and The Associated Press, among other news organizations. A motorsports enthusiast who has raced cars professionally, Blair published a South Florida healthcare newspaper prior to joining the Miller School of Medicine’s Office of Communications.

Phone: 305-243-9929
Phone: 305-243-9478 (Tuesday and Thursday)
E-mail: bwalker@med.miami.edu

Daru Ransford
Assistant to the Associate Vice President

Daru Lane Ransford joined the UM Miller School of Medicine in February 2007 and serves as the office manager and assistant to the associate vice president for the Office of Communications. She previously worked in corporate development for the world's leading, international polymer manufacturing company where she traveled to support its multi-national offices. Daru graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, earning her Bachelor's degree in international business with a minor in Spanish.  After graduation, she worked in development for four years at the American Heart Association in Memphis before relocating back home to Miami.

Phone: 305-243-6018
E-mail: dransford@med.miami.edu

Jenny Prather
Senior Staff Associate

Jenny Prather joined the Office of Communications at the Miller School of Medicine in March of 2007. She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in pubic relations and advertising with a minor in psychology. After moving to Miami, she earned her behavior analyst license while working with dually diagnosed developmentally disabled adults. She later worked as a marketing executive with a local firm managing accounts for Miami-Dade County and other government entities. She enjoyed freelance writing for her university's newspaper and more recently expanded her writing to behavior modification programs, marketing campaigns, corporate promotional campaigns and issues management. Jenny writes for e-Update and performs a variety of other tasks including monitoring news media story placements.

Phone: 305-243-3249
E-mail: jprather@med.miami.edu

Joslyn M. Cassano
Editor

Joslyn Matthews Cassano provides public relations support for the Miller School and is the editor of Scrip, the newsletter for Miller School faculty and staff. Before beginning her career in public relations, she worked for several newspapers and magazines, including Bon Appétit. She earned her public-relations stripes at Ruder Finn Public Relations in Washington, D.C. and in the communications office at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services before moving on to her most recent position as Communications Director for Best Buddies International in Miami, where she oversaw all internal communications and media relations efforts for the global nonprofit. Joslyn received her journalism degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and her M.P.H. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Phone: 305-243-1271
E-mail: jcassano@med.miami.edu

UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Office of Marketing and Communications

Judy B. Hayden
Director of Marketing and Communications

Judy B. Hayden joined UM/Sylvester in November 2001. She has spent her entire career in planning and marketing, working in consumer products for 12 years and then transferring into health care in 1987. Her experience in health care is broad, including manager and director roles in a community hospital; The Detroit Medical Center, a seven-hospital academic medical center in Detroit, Michigan; OhioHealth, a multihospital health care system in Columbus, Ohio; and the Michigan Peer Review Organization, where she served as director of business development. Judy has considerable experience in the entire continuum of marketing, including strategic planning and business development. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration, from the University of Michigan and Grand Valley State University, respectively.

Phone: 305-243-5182
Email: jhayden@med.miami.edu

Felicia Lopez-Walker
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications

Felicia Lopez-Walker is Associate Director of Marketing & Communications at UM/Sylvester. She came to Miami in the fall of 2002 after a 15-year career in corporate, government, non-profit, and health care communications in Washington D.C. Her health care communications experience includes a 6-year stint with the American Hospital Association (AHA). While at AHA, Felicia worked in a dual role where she was a member of the Advocacy and Member Communications staff as well as Director of Communications for the Institute for Diversity in Health Management. Most recently, she worked as the Manager of Campaign Marketing and Communications for a $250 million fundraising campaign at Children's National Medical Center while dually serving as a member of the Public Relations and Marketing team. Felicia is responsible for marketing and communications at UM/Sylvester including serving as “editor-in-chief” for all internal and external communications, which includes the development and production of all publications, collateral, and graphic/style standards. She earned her B.A. degree in Communications from the University of South Florida and her MSB from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

Phone: 305-243-5181
Email: flopez1@miami.edu

Sandra Pérez Rhyneer
Associate Director, Marketing & Communications

Sandra Pérez Rhyneer joined UM/Sylvester in December 2005 as Associate Director of Marketing & Communications. With a diverse background in health care and non-profit communications, Sandra previously served as Communications Director for the largest regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation based in Seattle. She also held positions in New York with Hill & Knowlton and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide where she managed national and international public relations campaigns for pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson and Hoffmann-LaRoche. She began her career at the University of Miami School of Medicine, promoting a research and social services center for substance-exposed children. At UM/Sylvester, Sandra is responsible for the development and production of collateral including the center’s Website, and managing the advertising campaign. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University, and pursued graduate studies at the University of Miami School of Communications.

Phone: 305-243-1481
E-mail: SRhyneer@med.miami.edu

Carthy Thomas
Manager, Community Relations

Carthy Thomas most recently served the University of Miami as the partnership program coordinator for the Coastal Cancer Information Service (CIS) in the Virgin Islands. She holds a B.S. degree in telecommunications, public relations, and broadcasting and has six years of progressively responsible, related experience. Carthy brings with her a strong working relationships with the CIS team, a wealth of knowledge about cancer, and demonstrated success working with partners such as the American Cancer Society in the Virgin Islands. In her current position, Carthy coordinates UM/Sylvester's "Ask the Experts" partnership with CBS-4, along with other education and outreach activities.

Phone: 305-243-4071
E-mail: cthomas2@med.miami.ed

Tilicia Johnson
Coordinator, Community Relations

Tilicia Johnson yields over six years of diverse experience in the non-profit health arena. She previously served as Associate Director of the Florida Breast Cancer Coalition Research Foundation (FBCCRF). AT FBCCRF she managed a breast cancer educational program targeting awareness in faith institutions throughout South Florida. Tilicia also worked with the Alzheimer’s Association as the Public Relations and Development VP, coordinating the annual walk and serving as the community liaison. Throughout her college career she was employed with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Tilicia holds a B.S. degree in Public Relations from Florida A&M University.

Phone: 954-571-0107
E-mail: TJohnson3@med.miami.edu

Jamie Granger
Medical Writer

Jamie Granger is Medical Writer for Marketing & Communications at UM/Sylvester. He joined UM/Sylvester in March 2004 after a number of years writing a wide range of health care and insurance marketing and promotional materials. He is responsible for researching and writing internal and external marketing and communications pieces produced by the Office of Marketing & Communications. More recently he has taken on a number of in-house design projects. Prior to his marketing career, he taught literature, composition, and creative writing at several colleges in Florida and Alabama. He earned a B.A and an M.A. from Florida State University.

Phone: 305-243-5549
E-mail: JGranger@med.miami.edu

Rose McCullagh
Staff Associate

Phone: 305-243-4302
Email: rmccullagh@med.miami.edu

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Office of Marketing and Public Relations

Marla Bercuson
Executive Director

Marla Bercuson is responsible for Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s communication, public relations, and advertising programs. Bercuson was formerly the director of marketing and communications at Fairchild Tropical Garden and director of commerce and professions for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. She also served as executive director of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival which was continually rated the “#1 Arts Festival in the United States” during her tenure. Bercuson received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, cum laude, from the University of Florida.

Phone: 305-326-6190
Email: mbercuson@med.miami.edu

Cynthia Birch
Associate Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Phone: 305-326-6190
Email: cbirch@med.miami.edu

Janice Keilly
Staff Associate

Phone: 305-326-6190
Email: jkeilly@med.miami.edu

Batchelor Children’s Research Institute

Omar Montejo
Director of Media Relations

Omar Montejo manages media relations and public relations for the Department of Pediatrics and subspecialties such as Genetics. He promotes clinical and research activities at the Mailman Center for Child Development and the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute and often works with Jackson Memorial Hospital on stories and news conferences involving high profile pediatric cases. He joined the University in 1996. Prior to UM, Omar handled media relations for Miami Children’s Hospital, where he was spokesman for 11 years. He also worked for the news media, as producer for an all-news radio station in Miami, where he won numerous awards from the Associated Press Miami bureau.

Phone: 305-243-5654
Email: omontejo@med.miami.edu

Diabetes Research Institute Office of Public Affairs

Mitra Zehtab, M.D.
Chief Operating Officer

Mitra Zehtab has more than 17 years experience in communications, including teaching, print reporting, marketing communications, and technical writing. With UM for more than eight years, she served as director of media relations for the medical school before working at the Diabetes Research Institute as director of communications. A Cornell graduate, Zehtab has a strong track record of local, national, and international placements in public relations and currently oversees strategic communications for the Diabetes Research Institute. Her areas of expertise include diabetes, cellular therapies, tissue engineering, cellular transplantation, and stem cells.

Phone: 305-243-3899
Email: mzehtab@med.miami.edu

Aimee Siegel-Harris
Development Coordinator

Phone: 305-243-3899
Email: asiegel@med.miami.edu

Gary Kleiman
Executive Director Medical Development

Sabrina Boulazreg
Administrative Assistant

The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Communications, Media Relations, and Corporate Relations Office

Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard
Director of Corporate Relations and Communications

Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard creates and develops national and local marketing campaigns to raise funds for The Miami Project. She strategically plans and executes all promotions, special events, and corporate relations campaigns for the project by cultivating corporations using her strong community and nationwide ties as the society columnist for The Miami Herald. Stephanie writes the weekly “Steph Sez” column. Before joining the team at The Miami Project, she worked as the special events/public relations advancement director of the University of Miami Department of Pediatrics. Prior to her time at UM, she was best known for her South Florida entertainment television show, “Steph Sez” which aired for four years where she interviewed celebrities from Tiger Woods to George Clooney to Mikhail Gorbachev. She served as host, producer, editor, and writer, and even owned the production company. Stephanie is a native of Miami, Florida, who graduated with a broadcast journalism/communications degree from Boston College. She has been at UM for more than three years.

Phone: 305-243-4656
Email: saagaard@miamiproject.med.miami.edu

Scott Roy
Director of Communications

Scott Roy works for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the world's largest spinal cord injury research center. He majored in public relations and political science at the University of Miami and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. Before joining The Miami Project he spent time with public relations firms Burson-Marsteller and Pearson-McGuire Associates in Miami. Scott handles the day-to-day public relations duties for The Miami Project and the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, the national fundraising arm of The Miami Project.

Phone: 305-243-8939
Email: sroy@miami.edu

Maria Amador
Program Coordinator

Phone: 305-243-7108
Email: mamador@miami.edu