Staff Spotlight: Meet UVA | Northern Virginia’s Jane Catania
Meet Jane Catania, who leads Marketing and Communications for UVA | Northern Virginia! Jane joined the UVA | Northern Virginia team in July 2025 and plays a vital role in marketing programs, events, school news, and more. Whether she’s capturing social media content, drafting newsletters, creating marketing materials, or promoting events and programs, she’s always both in front of and behind the scenes sharing news with the community. We spoke with Jane to learn more about her role, what her day-to-day looks like, and what she enjoys the most about her work at UVA | Northern Virginia.
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself, your role at UVA, and what brought you here?
A: I currently lead Marketing and Communications for UVA | Northern Virginia, where I support the promotion of academic programs, events, and campus initiatives. I joined the team last summer and was interested in the opportunity to help tell the story of the brand-new UVA | Northern Virginia campus that connects UVA’s academic excellence with the DMV community. I have worked in higher education for a little over five years now. Before that, I worked in the hotel management industry overseeing guest services and sales and marketing efforts.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you in your role?
A: It really depends on the day! Most days consist of planning marketing campaigns, drafting social media or website content, building newsletters or email campaigns, collaborating with colleagues across UVA, supporting events and programs happening on campus, and more. I enjoy being able to balance my creative skills with my project management skills to ensure our marketing and communications efforts are shared across our growing community.
Q: What has been your favorite memory or top accomplishment in this role?
A: A few memories come to mind! During my first month at UVA | Northern Virginia, I had the opportunity to accompany Dean Fairchild to the campus beehives for two photoshoots. We suited up in beekeeper outfits, and it was a fun and memorable way to capture content. I’ve also loved supporting the many events hosted on campus, including the first-ever UVA | Northern Virginia Career Fair, the UVA Programs Fair in collaboration with 10+ UVA schools and programs, and the Connect Conversation series.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about your work at UVA?
A: I love seeing our campus continue to grow and expand. Being on the marketing side, I’m able to see both the data and metrics behind our work as well as the personal interactions and engagement we receive from our community. It’s rewarding to watch that engagement grow, and I’m excited to see how UVA | Northern Virginia continues to evolve.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: I love working in higher education. It’s a field that’s constantly growing and evolving, and I hope to continue working in this space for the rest of my career. I’d also love to serve as an adjunct professor one day, so I can continue sharing my marketing skills and experience with future students.
Q: What’s been your favorite project, initiative, or experience since joining UVA?
A: It’s hard to choose! I’ve enjoyed all of the projects I’ve worked on so far. I love how versatile my role is, and it’s been exciting to help build marketing campaigns for new initiatives, programs, and events. If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll join us for the February 26 Connect Conversation series or the March 13 UVA Programs Fair. And if you’re looking for a fun summer opportunity for your high school students, I also encourage you to check out the Inspire summer program. Many of these marketing campaigns have collaborative efforts with other members of the UVA | Northern Virginia team, which makes the work especially rewarding.
Q: How does your work support students, faculty, or the broader UVA community?
A: My work helps ensure that students, faculty, and community members know about programs, events, and opportunities available to them at UVA | Northern Virginia and beyond in the greater UVA community. Be sure to follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter list to stay in the know about exciting things coming up at our Fairfax campus.
Q: What’s a fun fact about you that your colleagues might not know?
A: The UVA | Northern Virginia campus is located in the Inova Center for Personalized Health complex. A fun fact about me is that I have an identical twin sister who works for the Inova organization on the same health campus (and in the same office building!).
Q: Do you have a favorite spot on the UVA Northern Virginia campus (or in the DMV)?
A: It’s hard to choose just one favorite spot on campus! I love the back patio with picnic tables, where you can eat lunch outside during the warmer months. The patio also connects to the walking trails in case you need a break during the day. In the DMV, one of my favorite spots to visit is Gravelly Point Park in Arlington, where you can enjoy a picnic and watch the planes take off from Reagan airport.