AAF Nebraska welcomes new member Dan Kohler from Student Live at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
Dan Kohler is a marketing and communications leader with 17 years of experience across higher education, healthcare, and technology, including 14 years specifically in higher education marketing. He has led branding, marketing, digital, and communications initiatives at institutions ranging from small private colleges to major public universities, with a career focused on mission-driven work that builds meaningful audience connection.
His work includes leading the nationally recognized “Perls of Knowledge” campaign, which earned attention from The Wall Street Journal, Mashable, BuzzFeed, and NPR. As Chief Marketing Officer at Doane University, Dan helped launch new academic programs, developed strategies that supported $18.6 million in online enrollment growth across all 50 states, and created innovative online learning initiatives such as the Open Learning Academy. He has also held roles with Hudl and Children’s Nebraska, broadening his experience in strategic communications, brand storytelling, and audience engagement outside of higher education.
Dan currently serves as Director of Marketing & Communications for Student Life at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he oversees strategy and communications supporting 30+ departments and units across campus. His work centers on blending the brand experience and the student experience in ways that contribute directly to student engagement and retention. With a degree in advertising from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and early career experience shaped through internships at Swanson Russell, he continues to bring a strong creative, brand-forward foundation to his work and regularly collaborates with trusted creative partners, often drawing on talented friends and colleagues from the advertising world to make strong work even stronger.
