In an increasingly crowded communications environment, universities have their work cut out for them. Determining what truly matters and translating that into unique strategies that resonate, while being effective, is more challenging than ever.
Yet, one of the most important audiences in higher education communications is often consulted indirectly or after the fact, rather than engaged directly in the planning process: students. They are why we are here, doing what we do – and how we communicate with them, and what information we share that sticks with them, will ultimately determine if universities and colleges continue to exist.
This panel-style session will centre student voices, representing different backgrounds, stages of the academic journey, and study focus.
Think: academic focus group.
Rather than speaking about learners, this session will invite conference participants to hear from them directly. Panelists will respond to moderated questions exploring how communications and marketing, from social media and institutional storytelling to recruitment messaging and digital experiences, shape their perceptions of universities and influence their decisions and academic journeys.
Nicole Squires
Communications Advisor, Faculty of Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador
Nicole Squires is a communications and marketing professional with a strong background in strategic storytelling, digital content, and community engagement. She is passionate about making information accessible and building meaningful connections through communications. Her experience spans higher education, government, tech, and nonprofit sectors, with strengths in content strategy, social media, copywriting, event promotion and partnership development. In her current role as Communications Advisor for the Faculty of Science at Memorial University, she leads marketing and communications efforts across nine departments, supporting everything from media relations and website content to student recruitment and major faculty events.
Beyond her professional work, she is deeply involved in arts and community initiatives as a co-founder, volunteer, and nonprofit leader, reflecting a long-standing commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and community-building. Today, Nicole brings together her experience in communications strategy, storytelling, and live engagement to create thoughtful, conversational discussions that help audiences connect ideas with real-world impact.
Lydia Hardy
B.A. Psychology (Honours) student, Communications and Engagement Coordinator Co-op student, Memorial University
Lydia Hardy is an incoming graduate student in Psychology at Memorial. Their Honours research examined storytelling in higher education, with a particular focus on how instructors understand, use, and position it as a pedagogical tool within large lecture environments. Building on this work, Lydia’s graduate research will turn toward student perspectives, examining how storytelling shapes engagement and belonging throughout their academic journeys.
Lydia brings experience across academic, government, and science communication roles. They have contributed to policy research and program evaluation with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, supported faculty-wide communications and engagement initiatives at Memorial University, and worked on collaborative research projects across North America. This work has shaped their interest in how complex ideas can be communicated in ways that are both informative and accessible.