Communications Director
UW Center for Tobacco Research & Intervention

ch3@ctri.wisc.edu

608-417-9047 (mobile)

Counties: Statewide

Chris Hollenback is the communications director at UW-CTRI. In 2021, the dean bestowed distinguished status to him for his contributions to the university and to public health. Under his direction, UW-CTRI has fully recruited for its research studies and its website has been ranked #1 worldwide by Google for searches with keywords “tobacco research” and “quit line.” He has led communications efforts for dozens of research studies and outreach projects for nearly two decades. Before starting at UW-CTRI, Hollenback worked for organizations such as HospiceCare, American Family Insurance, the Green Bay Packers, and the San Francisco 49ers. He was the communications director for a nonprofit in San Francisco serving people with developmental disabilities, where he co-founded a literacy program. He has contributed to AARP Bulletin—the publication with the highest circulation in the nation—as well as Packers.com and ESPN The Magazine. He is a published novelist and a screenwriter. He served as the story consultant for the movie Scouts Honor: Inside A Marching Brotherhood, which won several awards at film festivals. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and political science and studied screenwriting at Second City.