The University of Massachusetts Amherst has recently named Edward Blaguszewski the new director of news and information for the News Office. Blaguszewski follows former director Barbara Pitoniak, who retired from the position in December.
As director of News and Information, Blaguszewski will be responsible for planning and developing media and information policies for UMass, and serving as the University’s spokesperson for the press.
“UMass Amherst has an outstanding story to tell, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to promote the University’s achievements to many audiences,” Blaguszewski said.
During the past 25 years, Blaguszewski has worked as a journalist, a campus communicator, and a national media relations consultant. Since 1999, he has served as the director of university relations at Pennsylvania State University.
Blaguszewski says that he is looking forward to working in a new environment, and in a new position, that he believes will be full of challenges.
“Clearly, UMass has suffered through a difficult period, but it is a resilient place with many outstanding faculty,” he said. “The future of the Commonwealth and its young people is very much tied to the success of UMass, and I view this job as an opportunity to spread the word about the University and to contribute to its success.”
Blaguszewski returns to Massachusetts after spending 11 years in Pennsylvania. As Cambridge native, he earned his B.S in journalism from Boston University in 1977. He worked as a journalist until 1990, in positions such as copy desk chief at The Recorder in Greenfield, the local news editor at The Morning Union in Springfield, and editor-in-chief of the Monadnock Ledger in Peterborough, N.H.
When Blaguszewski found the opportunity to work at a university in his home state he was pleased, he said. His wife, Jane, a children’s book author, is also a Massachusetts native, and Blaguszewski said she is happy to be returning to the large community of writers living in western Massachusetts.
Blaguszewski officially assumes the position as director of News and Information on March 22.
