Jim Culley
Degree: 2022, MALS
Job Title: Retired, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Hologic
Jim enrolled in the MALS program in 2017 when he “retired” from his job as Senior Director, Corporate Communications, for Hologic, a global healthcare company. The University is not new to Jim. He was an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Business and Economics from 1973 to 1986.
For 19 years Jim commuted to Boston where he was a key member of the Hologic communications and marketing team. With an unwavering belief that customers tell a company’s story best, Jim led the group that produced hundreds of e-broadcasts, stories and award-winning videos on how customers use their products. Other memorable years at Hologic included leading the communication strategy to launch direct radiography, digital mammography and breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography). His work there has affected millions of women worldwide.
Jim takes one or two courses every semester. And if asked, he’ll rave about each of them. His favorite experiences are interacting with the students who have significant life experiences as well as the faculty who are world class. He feels fortunate to have the opportunity to study subjects in new fields and to have ample time to explore them.
Jim has successfully taken knowledge and writings from the MALS classes and applied them to his personal writing and consulting business. A course with Ray Callahan inspired him to publish a story for the Lewes Historical Society. It detailed the history of the mysterious disappearance of the SS Poet, a ship last seen when it cleared Cape Henlopen in October 1980. This US flag vessel disappeared with a crew of 34.
He wrote a memoir for David Teague’s class that led to a paper about his mother titled “Betty Buehner: A Life Fulfilled.” This memoir was published this Fall in the online issue of Confluence, the Journal of Graduate Liberal Studies. Meg Maguire’s social media course helped him start a Go-Fund-Me effort for Water is Life Kenya, a Delaware-based not-for-profit. In his spare time Jim is working with Hagley Museum and Library to preserve the industrial films and TV ads made by Cinecraft Productions. Cinecraft rightfully claims itself the “country’s longest standing corporate film and video production house.”