Liz Keptner

Liz Keptner
Director, Multimedia Innovation Center
Lecturer, Communications
Lehigh Valley, 201-D
2809 Saucon Valley Rd
Center Valley, PA 18034

Liz Keptner, lecturer of communication arts and sciences and director of the Multimedia Innovation Center loves Penn State Lehigh Valley – most especially its students. As a large university grad, she didn’t have the bond with the professors and staff she sees at PSU-LV. It’s why the Emmy Award-winning professor takes such pride in the family atmosphere, how everyone knows and takes care of each other – and most importantly, and the faculty and staff who work to help students evolve and achieve as they move toward their career goals.

Background

Born and raised in Pittsburgh (you’ll often see her sporting a Steelers cap) and currently living in Bethlehem—“around the corner from campus”—Keptner was an award-winning broadcast journalist for almost 20 years, reporting and anchoring at television stations around the country, including CBS3 in Philadelphia. When she left the media and entered academia, she was well prepared to use that experience to teach the critical thinking and communication skills to our 21st century students – tools they need to compete. Keptner is also passionate about media, communication, video production, and public speaking – understanding that the ability to communicate effectively is one of the top soft skills employers seek.  

Beyond the classroom, Keptner uses her extensive experience to help students, faculty, and staff with video-related projects while bolstering strategic communications efforts to tell the PSU-LV story. She is also an academic success coach for PSU-LV’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and a member of both the commencement and technology in the classroom committees.

When not on campus, Keptner (an accomplished cook) enjoys trying out new recipes, traveling with her daughter, and attending live concerts.  She also has five cats!

Awards and Accolades

Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 

Penn State Lehigh Valley Academic Affairs Award for Innovative Teaching

Student Testimonials

“Liz encapsulates everything you want in an employee. She is an unbelievably upbeat person who is the heartbeat of the faculty. She is the definition of teamwork. As the head of the MIC, she is always helping the staff with all their multimedia needs. Liz helps the university often with things such as being an emcee or hosting various events. She is committed to helping the school in any way possible. Liz is an invaluable asset at Penn State Lehigh Valley who is relied heavily upon by the senior leaders at the school, and her colleagues.” –Alex Macri

“Liz Keptner is a kind and understanding member of the PSU LV faculty. Her class is structured in a way where questions, opinions and comments are welcomed at anytime during presentations. It is this policy of open discussion that makes her students feel so valued. Keptner is very hard on herself; she apologizes to the class when quiz scores are low, and she makes every effort to learn where she can improve her presentations, to ensure her students thrive. Her students unashamedly support her, because she unashamedly supports them. Having experienced a multitude of teachers in my 18 years, I must say that Liz Keptner is one of the finest I have experienced so far in my learning career." –Grant Heimbecker

“Liz is a very enthusiastic and passionate individual. She is always ready to help everybody around her and makes sure that she is making it a lively place when she is around. As a student in her Comm100 class, I really liked how she approached that particular subject. I enjoyed being in her class and going through the study materials was fun because they were so updated and there were many relatable trendy examples of our times. As a student worker at her Multimedia Innovation Center, she has made us feel at home and very comfortable. We share everything that is going on in our lives with her and she shares about many incidents that are going on with her. She makes it very easy to work with her and is open to solve our doubts/questions all the time. I believe that Liz is a gem of a person, and she is very unique!” –Surya Subramanian

International Journal Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Advancing Student Interview Skills: Incorporating Virtual Interview Technology into the Basic Communication Course

M.A., Digital Journalism and Design, University of South Florida St. Petersburg

B.S., Journalism, West Virginia University