Wunder

The Wayne State University Office of Marketing and Communications has named Francine R. Wunder, APR, director of corporate and public affairs. In her new role, Wunder is responsible for promoting the university’s prestigious 11 schools and colleges and its beneficial partnerships with corporate and civic organizations.

A seasoned professional, Wunder has more than 15 years of corporate, agency, association and nonprofit public relations experience in Washington, DC, and metro Detroit.

“Wayne State is one of Michigan’s most important assets, offering a first-rate educational experience, world class research and scholarship and a thriving urban campus,” said Wayne State Interim Executive Vice President Lou Lessem. “In her capacity as director of corporate and public affairs, Ms. Wunder will play a vital role in raising the university’s visibility across the state and nationally.”

Immediately prior to joining Wayne State, Wunder was director of sales and marketing for the automotive executive search firm, Primestaff International, headquartered in Northville, Mich. She has held top managerial posts in public relations agencies including Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. in Washington, DC, Hermanoff & Associates in Farmington Hills and nonprofits including Reading Is Fundamental, Inc., the Atlantic Council of the United States and the Order Sons of Italy in America. Her career has also included jobs at ABC-TV’s Nightline and WRC-TV’s Live at Five in Washington, DC.

Wunder was accredited in public relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America in 1996 and is the recipient of a Creativity in Public Relations Award in Technical Excellence from the industry trade publication Inside PR. She holds a BA in communications from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and an MA in Telecommunications from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Wunder currently serves on the communications committees and boards of a number of local organizations including Common Ground Sanctuary, the Jewish Community Council, the American Jewish Committee and New Detroit.

She has three sons and resides in West Bloomfield.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.