The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences named Rachel Hitchcock as its new associate dean for external affairs.
Hitchcock was most recently senior director for principal gifts in the university’s central Development and Alumni Relations Office. While in that position, she was tapped to be the acting associate dean for development and alumni relations for the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
In the SAIS position, Hitchcock led a team of 19; worked with the major gift officers to ensure the successful completion of a $15 million endowed fellowship campaign to honor the school’s 75th anniversary; managed communications for the dean’s transition; and implemented new processes to strategically manage the dean’s development and alumni relations activity.
“Rachel brings a broad array of expertise to the Krieger School, particularly in the areas of principal gifts, annual and major gift solicitation, working with boards and volunteers, and corporate and foundation relations,” says Beverly Wendland, James B. Knapp Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. “She is engaging, enthusiastic, capable, and focused. I know she will take the Krieger School to its next level of excellence.”
In addition to Johns Hopkins, Hitchcock has worked in development at the Oregon Health and Science University and was a fundraiser on the team that raised more than $500 million in two years toward the completion of the $1 billion Knight Cancer Challenge. She has more than 15 years of experience in development, having worked at Columbia University, where she started her development career; at the University of Pennsylvania in the New York Regional Office; and at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City.
“I am delighted to be joining the team at the Krieger School,” says Hitchcock. “I believe that at the heart of every great university is a school that offers undergraduate and graduate students comprehensive education from world-renowned faculty and scholars—we have that here at Krieger. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the dean’s office, the faculty and staff, and the many thousands of alumni worldwide to advance the mission of our school.”
As a four-year, scholarship student-athlete, Hitchcock received her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University, with a double major in public relations and Spanish. She earned a master’s degree in strategic communications from Columbia University, where she is an engaged alumni volunteer. Hitchcock has held a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) credential since 2008.
