Faculty Profile

Degrees

BA, Hofstra Univ

Bio

Melissa Kane Connolly, vice president for University Relations, joined Hofstra University in 2003 and is responsible for Hofstra’s communication, marketing and public relations efforts. She chaired Hofstra’s 75th Anniversary committee and helped lead the University’s hosting of the 2016, 2012 and 2008 presidential debates; chaired each debate’s award-winning companion event series, and several other major debate events such as the 2010 New York State gubernatorial debate at Hofstra.

In December 2009, Connolly was named PR Professional of the Year for an academic institution by PR News, the national publication for communications professionals, and in 2020, Public Relations Professionals of Long Island awarded her the Jack Rettaliata Lifetime Achievement Award. Ms. Connolly was named to Long Island Business News’ "50 Most Influential Women" Hall of Fame and as a "40 Rising Stars Under 40" in 2002. She has been honored by the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and Girls Inc. of Long Island and was an Athena Long Island finalist in 2013. Her former community service includes board service for the Long Island Women's Agenda (as a vice president and president); the YMCA of Long Island; the Long Island Visitors and Convention Bureau; and the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, where she served as a co-chair for their annual awards luncheon and as founding chair of the Girls Go the Distance Walkathon. She was awarded the Honor Pin by the Girl Scouts of Nassau County in March 2010 and the Thanks Badge in March 2014 for her work as a long-time community leader.

A past president of the International Association of Business Communicators’ Long Island chapter, Ms. Connolly received the Achievement in Communications award from the chapter in 2006. She has served as a co-chair for the CASE District II Accolade Awards committee, a judge for the PRWeek Platinum Awards, and a judge for PRSSA’s Bateman Competition. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America's Counselors to Higher Education and on the Government Advisory Team for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, as well as several fundraising and advisory committees for professional and charitable organizations. Ms. Connolly has also served as an Americorp Volunteer for Project Challenge in Long Beach. She is an adjunct assistant professor at Hofstra, and under her leadership, Hofstra University's communications team has won multiple higher education marketing awards, including a CASE Silver Circle of Excellence Award.

Prior to joining Hofstra, Ms. Connolly served as director of communications for New York State Senator Kemp Hannon and as the first director of marketing for Farrell Fritz, P.C., one of Long Island's largest law firms. Ms. Connolly received a bachelor of arts in communication arts from Hofstra University in 1989, where she was a member of Alpha Epsilon Rho, and an MFA in 2017.