Nancy Kerr
Affiliated with Communication, Division of Communication and Creative Media, Marketing Communication
Biography

I see myself as central to the lives of my students for the four years that they are here. My job is to guide them, advise them and open their eyes to possibilities that they never knew existed before they came here. I'm also a touch point throughout their careers. Many of my graduates stay in touch regularly seeking advice, they move from being my students to being my industry colleagues.

That's one of the ways I stay plugged in to the various fields in communication. I'm the Program Director for the Broadcast & Streaming Media, Communication and Public Relations majors,  and my ultimate passion is seeing students be successful in their chosen fields. I love helping students find and explore their areas of interest and aptitude, and help them gain skills, experience and insight to become successful.

Because Champlain believes in offering nothing but the most up-to-date curriculum and is willing to change so quickly, I have a tremendous opportunity to network with employers to help keep our programs on the cutting edge.  We have a significant number of  internships students can engage in, and that number is growing every day. Employers and internship supervisors tell me that they would rather have Champlain interns because our students possess the specific knowledge that they need and don't need as much training as other college students.

The passion that I have for my students includes being able to bring industry expertise into the classroom, not only using real life examples, but having students work directly with clients on professional projects. As with most of Champlain's faculty members, I bring a wealth of industry experience to my classroom setting. I spent 13 years as the division chair of Communication and the Arts at Dean College and seven years as a Communications faculty member at SUNY Plattsburgh. I've had a variety of industry experience, including having worked as an on-air personality and news director in radio. I've also worked at several local television stations, directing and producing shows. Several of my documentaries have aired on PBS. My credentials also include working in public relations for the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce and the I Love New York campaign.

Professional Certifications & Associations

Certifications

  • Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) Certification

Associations

  • Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
  • Association of Education for Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • Student Advisor for Champlain College's Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)