University Communications Directory

Tracy Ellig

Vice President of University Communications

Julie Kipfer

Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing and Creative Services

Julie has a background in higher education and marketing, with over 15 years of experience. She is responsible for developing the concepts and strategies for university marketing programs. She chairs the Marketing Advisory Committee and works to coordinate campus efforts, promote MSU to our various constituents, and create programs to enhance MSU's image and awareness.

Audrey Capp

Communications & Marketing Strategist

Audrey covers the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship's communications and marketing needs. Her areas of expertise for the college include designing and maintaining the website, email campaigns, coordinating visual media, managing social media, and creating promotional materials and merchandise. She grew up in Montana and is an alumna of Montana State University.

Alison Gauthier

Media Manager/Graphic Designer

A graduate of MSU's Graphic Design program, Alison works as art director for Mountains & Minds magazine and as a graphic designer in MSU's University Communications Creative Services.

Amy Kanuch

Community Relations and Marketing

Amy has a background in community relations, marketing and retail management. She is responsible for community outreach and promoting positive awareness of MSU by building partnerships at the campus and community levels. She represents MSU on local boards and committees and collaborates on various MSU community events. In addition, she manages the Pure Gold recognition program, publishes the Bobcat Bulletin and oversees the design approval process for the university merchandise program.

Ron Lambert

Creative Director

Ron has led the Creative Services team since 2008. He earned a BFA in graphic design from Southern Methodist University and worked as a graphic designer at an ad agency in San Antonio. Since then, his career focus has been in higher education — as a graphic designer at Trinity University and as director of the publications offices at Missouri State University and Metropolitan State University of Denver. He has received more than 60 regional and national awards for graphic design and writing from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). He has served on the CASE District VIII Board and has chaired the district’s Communications Awards program. He also served on the CASE Commission on Communications and Marketing. 

Britney Patek

Graphic Designer

Britney Patek is a graphic designer and graduate of Montana State University. Before joining the University Communications team, she worked with a variety of departments at MSU such as the Office of Student Engagement, the Montana Nanotechnology Facility, and the Master of Science in Science Education.

Kay LaFrance

Publications Editor/Printing Production Specialist

Kay is a publications editor and production coordinator. She is the managing editor for numerous university publications, including the Collegian.

Kayla May 

Social Media Strategist

Kayla joined University Communications in 2018 as the Social Media Strategist for Montana State University. Kayla contributes to the overall brand messaging of the university on social media in effort to keep MSU's audience informed, engaged and connected.

Brooke Lasky

Digital Marketing Strategist

Brooke joins the team with a background in Digital Marketing and Analytics. She is responsible for maintaining MSU’s academic search pages and monitoring the University’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by using Google Analytics and other tools. Brooke comes to us from Florida where she got her B.A in Marketing from the University of North Florida. She is happy to be in the beautiful state of Montana as she shares her love for the great outdoors!

 

Annie Pentilla

Marketing Strategist

Annie Pentilla joined University Communications as a Marketing Strategist in 2020. She formerly worked as a journalist at The Montana Standard, where she served as the paper’s business reporter for three years. Before that she worked as a marketing writer for a firm in Colorado, where she wrote content for the mental-health industry. Annie is a graduate of San Francisco State’s MFA Creative Writing Program. She also has a bachelor’s in creative writing and molecular biology from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Kaitlyn Poss

Marketing Strategist

Kaitlyn joins the team as a Marketing Strategist and will be marketing for the Graduate School and Gallatin College MSU. Before joining University Communications, she worked as the Communications and Promotions Coordinator for the Office of Admissions at MSU.  Kaitlyn was born and raised in Montana and is an alumna of Montana State University.

 

Michael Becker

Director

Originally from eastern Montana, Michael Becker has been a professional journalist since 2005 and has experience as a writing teacher, reporter, copy editor, online editor and social media manager. He has a master's degree in English from Montana State University.

Anne Cantrell

Assistant Director

Anne Cantrell is assistant director of the MSU News Service, where she covers the College of Education, Health and Human Development and the MSU Library. Anne also serves as editor of Mountains and Minds magazine and writes for the university's administration. Anne has a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor's degree in English. She has been a staff member in University Communications since 2006.

Greg Cappis

Writer/Editor

Greg is a writer and editor for the MSU News Service, covering the colleges of business, nursing, and arts and architecture. He moved to Bozeman in 2015, after years of writing for newspapers in Chicago and Southern California. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. 

Reagan Colyer

Communications Specialist

Reagan Colyer is a writer and editor for the MSU News Service, where she covers the College of Agriculture. Originally from Washington state, Reagan has lived in Montana since 2013. She holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and African American studies from the University of Montana and has prior experience as a writer, reporter and editor for magazines and newspapers around Montana and the Mountain West. 

Emme Demmendaal

Content Producer

Hailing from Belgrade, Emme joined the News Service as a content producer in March 2022. She previously worked as a magazine editor and agricultural journalist. She has a bachelor's degree in English from MSU and is working on her master's degree in communications.

Diana Setterberg

Writer/Editor

Diana covers the College of Letters and Science and works to help with the college’s communication needs. A native of Washington state, Diana has lived in Montana since 1993 and joined the News Service in 2022. She previously worked as a writer and editor for newspapers in Billings, Butte and Belgrade. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Washington State University. 

Marshall Swearingen

Writer/Editor

Marshall covers the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering and helps fulfill the college’s communications needs by designing and maintaining websites, coordinating graphic design and handling media inquiries, among other things. He has a B.A. in Engineering Sciences and more than five years of journalism experience.

Kelly Gorham

Director of Visual Media

Kelly coordinates photography and video for campus and external partners and media. He earned his bachelor's degree in photography from MSU in 1995 and has been a staff photographer for newspapers in Montana and Nevada, was a corporate photographer in Seattle and a stringer for Associated Press. Kelly's photos have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, National Geographic Explorer, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.

Kelly is a long-time member of the American Society of Media photographers the National Press Photographers Association. Kelly is an alumnus of the Kalish Workshop of visual storytelling. Kelly also regularly lectures on various photography topics in university classes and workshops.

Kelly's feature documentary film titled Mavericks, a co-production with Montana PBS, premiered in 2022 and can be see at: Montana PBS- Mavericks

Marcus "Doc" Cravens

 Photographer

Doc Cravens studied photography at the MSU School of Film and Photography after serving as a U.S. Navy Corpsman in Iraq and Afghanistan. Doc's photography has taken him as far away as Cambodia and he has worked on significant visual projects like American Veteran, the MSU Veterans Arts and History Initiative and with the Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation. Doc brings a wealth of photo experience and MSU experience to the team.

 

Colter Peterson

Photographer

Colter is an internationally published visual journalist with work appearing in Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Independent UK. Colter was born and raised in Bozeman, where he received a degree in Film and Photography from Montana State University (2018). Most recently he was a staff photographer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, covering news, sports and feature stories. After covering everything from the Stanley Cup Finals and a worldwide pandemic to social justice protests and riots; the stories that most resonate with him are the ones involving individuals and their impact on the community that they live in.

Kenzy Platt

Videographer

Kenzy Platt earned a B.A. in Social Media Design Management from Northern Michigan University and is experienced with video production across multiple industries including higher education. Kenzy documents everything from student life at MSU to feature projects. 

Justin Arndt

Director of Web & Digital Communications

After graduating from the Media and Theatre Arts program here at MSU, Justin wandered across the globe with his wife to London, where he discovered podcasting, online media, and web development (and fish and chips!) You can find him on the tennis court, in the recording studio, or on the mountain. He also moonlights as a cat bed. Justin received his Master of Science in Electronic Publishing from City University London. 

Philip Gales

Senior Software Engineer 

Funsho Arashi

Senior Software Engineer 

Spencer Ward

Software Engineer II

 Brooks Palin

Software Engineer I

Brad Bell

Software Engineer I

Brian Foley

Senior Software Engineer

Sandra Bunch

Managing Director of University Printing Services

Sandy has been with the Montana State University system and with Printing Services since 1980. As Managing Director, she is responsible for customer service and project management. Contact Sandy for general information or to arrange services through University Printing Services.

Kenneth Shelley

Production Specialist

Ken is a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician and has 26 years of service with Fire and Emergency Medical Services. He also has 35 years of experience in the printing business including 11 years at MSU with University Printing Services from 1992 to 2003 as a Duplication Machine Operator. His past experience makes Ken a valuable asset in our shop and we are very happy that he decided to "Come Home'. Ken is an avid photographer.

Tara Gunsch

Business Manager

Tara is a native Montanan who started at MSU in August of 2001, working in the Business Office, Payroll, the Center for Biofilm Engineering and HR before coming to University Printing in June of 2016.  She is the Business Manager and handles Accounts Payable and Receivable among other office responsibilities.  Please feel free to contact her with any questions you may have.