Kerri D. Howell has been appointed director of communications and media relations for the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. She will play a critical role in strengthening the reputation of the Whitman brand, the school said in a news release. Howell comes to Whitman with extensive experience in strategic communications, most recently as the director of public relations and marketing for St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse. She has also worked in management roles in public relations for various large companies and nonprofit organizations, including Lockheed Martin Corp. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo, she went on to earn her master’s degree in communications management from Syracuse’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where she has served as an adjunct professor in the public relations department since 2004.