Julia Ferrante

Julia Ferrante joined Middlebury in June 2020 and was appointed interim vice president for Communications and Marketing as of July 1, 2025. For the previous five years, she served as associate vice president for Public Affairs in the Office of Communications and Marketing. 

As interim vice president for communications and marketing, Julia is a member of the Senior Leadership Group, advising the president and division heads on communications and marketing efforts in support of strategic priorities and issues of importance to all Middlebury entities: Middlebury College, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Language Schools, Schools Abroad, Bread Loaf School of English and Writers’ Conferences, and School of the Environment. She oversees a team of 20 professionals who work to advance the reputation of Middlebury through brand strategy, media relations, crisis communications, marketing, editorial services, creative services, printing and mailing, and Institute communications, collaborating with stakeholders across divisions. 

In her role as associate vice president, she has overseen the division of Public Affairs, including crisis communications, external and internal communications, media relations, select executive communications, and social media, collaborating with colleagues across Middlebury to create and sustain crisis communications plans and policies, directing Middlebury’s response during emergency situations, reputation management, and advancing brand positioning. This work included overseeing COVID-19 communications during the height of the pandemic.

A Rhode Island native and graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Julia has more than 30 years of experience in higher education communications, marketing, and journalism. Before joining Middlebury, she successfully led teams through change, advised on and managed crisis response, and implemented strategies to support institutional goals through all aspects of communications in positions at highly selective liberal arts colleges: Connecticut, Mount Holyoke, and Franklin & Marshall Colleges, and Bucknell University. Before making a career change to higher education communications, she was an award-winning journalist for 15 years, covering topics including higher education, health care and hospitals, criminal courts, government, religion, and Native American tribes and casinos, at daily newspapers in Florida, New York, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.