Northwestern University in Qatar announced this week it has appointed a new chief operating officer and hired its first director of media strategy, marketing and communication.

Kathryn Symank, associate vice president for human resources and administrative services at Texas A&M University, was appointed COO, effective Jan. 1, 2014. David Carr, NU-Q’s current COO, will return to the Evanston campus as the school’s associate vice president of cyberinfrastructure.

“The COO works with the dean in developing overall institutional strategies and is charged with facilitating these efforts across all departments and programs,” according to an NU-Q news release. “The COO provides the leadership, management and vision necessary to assure that NU-Q has operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures and people systems in place to assure its growth and development.”

The school also announced Paul Reilly has been hired as director of media strategy, marketing and communication, likewise effective Jan. 1.

Reilly, most recently the executive vice president and senior director of New York City-based BBDO Advertising, “will bring leadership to some longstanding and new functions including internal and external communications, marketing, publications, digital media and others, all organized to serve and unify the needs the school’s instructional, research and outreach efforts,” according to the release.

— Joseph Diebold