Gwendolyn Purdom
Associate Director of Communications
As a reporter, editor, and content strategist, Gwendolyn has been telling community-focused stories and shaping brand voices for more than a decade. She joined the University of Chicago in February of 2020 and serves as lead writer and editor for the Office of Civic Engagement. Gwendolyn is additionally responsible for email and newsletter planning, managing day-to-day programs communications, and serving as a liaison with internal and external partners.
As a reporter, editor, and content strategist, Gwendolyn has been telling community-focused stories and shaping brand voices for more than a decade. She joined the University of Chicago in February of 2020 and serves as lead writer and editor for the Office of Civic Engagement. Gwendolyn is additionally responsible for email and newsletter planning, managing day-to-day programs communications, and serving as a liaison with internal and external partners.
Before joining the University, Gwendolyn was an editor and content strategist at media outlets including Preservation magazine at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Houzz, and Culturess.com, where she served as editor in chief. She also covered local and national news and culture as a print, digital, and on-camera reporter for publications ranging from the Chicago Tribune to Washingtonian magazine, USA Today, The American Scholar, Living Healthy Chicago, Well + Good, Mental Floss, and others. She has worked in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay Area.