Dr. Michael Schoenfeld

Biography

Michael Schoenfeld is a Visiting Professor of Practice at the Sanford School of Public Policy. He brings decades of experience as a chief public affairs officer, counselor, and strategist for some of the world’s leading research universities, academic medical centers, and media organizations. Michael specializes in communications strategy, executive positioning, media relations, crisis management, stakeholder engagement, government relations, and policy advocacy. He has advised corporate and nonprofit boards, CEOs, and high-profile leaders on critical issues in higher education, research, health care, and sports. Before joining Brunswick Group in 2022, Michael served as Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations at Duke University and spent over a decade as Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs at Vanderbilt University. He also held leadership roles at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and various news reporting organizations. Michael is a founder and chair of Futurity.org, a digital network for research and academic discourse across more than 70 universities and research centers in the U.S. He graduated from Duke University and holds a master’s degree in public policy from Stony Brook University.

Research Interests