Communication is an important aspect to any organization; and within the College of Computing and Informatics (CCI), Clark Curtis is the point person.
As director of communications, Curtis works to promote CCI through developing marketing materials, by providing counsel on public relations and by working with the Office of University Communications to conduct media relations, especially the public relations team headed by John Bland.
Student recruitment is a major aspect of Curtis’ communications efforts, but he also works with a number of industry partners in the greater Charlotte region to inform them about the work of faculty, staff and students. One result of this effort is an increasing number of internship opportunities for CCI majors.
Each workday can bring a new challenge or opportunity for Curtis. Typically, he has five to 10 meetings scheduled each week to stay abreast of what is happening within the college or across the University as it might impact the college. He also manages content for the CCI website, and he oversees a number of annual college events, such as the Software as a Service conference in April and the annual Cyber Security Symposium in the fall.
“When we get close to one of the big conferences, there are a number of items to handle daily in terms of planning and event management,” noted Curtis.
A native of Columbus, Ind., Curtis completed a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Indiana University. For several years he held anchor positions in television and radio, which took him to Colorado, where he became a freelance network correspondent for NBC Radio. One of his more memorable assignments was to cover the Oklahoma City bombing trial.
Eventually, Curtis joined the Pikes Peak International Raceway Track Radio Network; he later became the PR director. After the racetrack changed ownership and closed, he started looking for jobs in the Charlotte area, because his wife is a Queen City native. That search brought him to UNC Charlotte and the College of Computing and Informatics.
Curtis and his wife Yvonne have been married for 15 years, and they share their home with three cats and two dogs. For down time, the couple enjoys going to the Outer Banks. In years past, beach trips were either shortly before, after or during a hurricane, so their friends now try to find out when the Curtis’ are going so they can plan accordingly to avoid bad weather.
An avid hiker and bicyclist, Curtis keeps his work and personal lives separate.
“You try not to bring work home with you,” he explained. “It is a matter of self-discipline and balance to make the two work.”