Hello everyone! My name is Karen Freberg and I am a Professor of Strategic Communications at the University of Louisville and an online instructor for the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program at West Virginia University.
In 2022, I became the Director of The Bird’s Nest, a full service student agency in strategic communications and social media.
Along with teaching, I am also a research consultant in social media and crisis communications and has worked with several organizations and agencies such as Firestorm Solutions, Hootsuite, Kentucky Derby Festival, IMC Agency, DHS, CDC, National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD), Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, and the Colorado Ski Association. This experience lead me to be a 2015 Plank Center Fellow for General Motors (GM), where my responsibility was to work with the PR and social media teams forming best practices and recommendations on social media measurement strategies and influencer marketing practices.
I am a big believer of bridging the gap between education and practice. I have coordinated and advised various companies on the areas of social media pedagogy and certification programs, such as Cannes Lions (Co-Chair of Cannes Lions Educator Summit), Facebook Blueprint (Subject Matter Expert)Hootsuite (Advanced Social Media Certification and #HootAmb), Meltwater (certification program), Adobe (EDUMax Thought Leader), and HubSpot (Education program and podcast).
I am passionate in helping build a stronger foundation for social media educators and professors so they can integrate the balance between academia and industry. Social media educators are more than just teachers and researchers, but they can also be consultants, keynote speakers, authors, and professionals in the industry. The perception of educators is updated. We are seeing a rising force of social media educators and professors embarking on this new hybrid approach in their work in and outside of the classroom.
Along with teaching, my research has been published in several book chapters and in academic journals such as Public Relations Review, Media Psychology Review, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management and Health Communication. She also serves on the editorial board for Psychology for Popular Media Culture, Corporate Communication, Marketing Education Review, Journal of Public Relations Research, and Case Studies in Strategic Communication (CSSC). I am also professionally active serving on the executive committee for the PRSA Entertainment and Sports section and is a regular contributor and a young professionals award judge for Front Office Sports.
Sometimes, we need to look back on our lives in order to remind ourselves about those decisions and experiences that helped change us into the person we are today. Sometimes
things just ‘happen to us’ either by chance or beyond our control, but most of the time, we can make a decision –and it is our decisions that mold and shape us the most greatly.
I was born in Humble, Texas — “a town of no consequence except to anyone who has been there” as Jane Austin might have said. As things happen, we moved to California and I spent the next 12 years as a product of San Luis Obispo County schools. San Luis Obispo is a small county but with many redeeming features. Growing up my parents tried to instill into all of us what they referred to as ‘first generation mentality.’
The idea that achievement, hard work, academic and athletic success, doing right are all good things. Some tasks I found to be easy for me. Athletics and music were more fun than effort but academic pursuits required real work. The hard work of studying at home prepared me for success at school. By the time I was in 7th grade, I enjoyed typical female toys but also loved video games, watching sporting events and this new toy called ‘home computers.’ I promptly started my first web page, a Val Kilmer fan site! Soon, my web page became an ‘on-line scrapbook’ of my adventures in Track & Field.
7th grade was a nexus for me. I promised my P.E. teacher Mrs. Shimke that I would represent Laguna Middle School in a county wide track meet. I balked at the idea as the day approached — but my mother reminded me about my promise and said,’ there is this little thing called responsibility.’ I won the shot put throwing with my left hand ( later, I threw with my right ), a medal was placed around my neck, they took a picture and placed it in the school’s glass case for announcements. I was hooked!
