For News Media

Matt LoJacono is Sanford's Senior Public Relations Manager. With a focus on media relations, Matt oversees and nurtures connections between the institution and various outlets, ensuring effective communication about faculty, staff, and students. He is also responsible for crafting engaging news stories and in-depth articles that highlight the events and achievements within Sanford. As such, when the need arises, Matt is in charge of updating printed materials including the faculty guide throughout the year.

Matt holds a BA in Public Relations from George Mason University and an MS in Communication from North Carolina State University. He is an active member of the Public Relations Society of America, further expanding his and Sanford's network. Outside of work, Matt enjoys going to baseball games and is an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox.

Kirsten Khire leads strategic communications at Sanford, the nationally-ranked public policy school at Duke. She empowers and works with an award-winning talented team of communications, marketing and events professionals. Together, they create and implement strategic communications initiatives, stories and events to advance strategic priorities of the school and the university. Khire serves as the communications/marketing strategist, lead editor and manager of the Communications Unit.

Khire brings more than 20 years of communications management and leadership experience to the Sanford School of Public Policy. She has significant experience in management, internal communications, external communications, media relations, marketing and event planning, with accomplishments in brand building, fundraising communications, student recruitment and donor relations.

Previously, Khire served as executive director of external relations of the Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte. Before that role, Khire was Head of Communications for the research organization Bioversity International, based in Rome, Italy. She also served for 10 years at Michigan State University as Director of Communications for the College of Communication Arts & Sciences and Director of Communications for the National Food Safety & Toxicology Center. She was a former journalist at several newspapers in Florida and an editor for a New Zealand-based international magazine.

Khire holds bachelor's degrees in Journalism and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master's degree in Technology and Communication (Digital Communication) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and has previously served on the boards of PRSA Charlotte and the PRSA Southeast District.