University News
Koltzenburg: UR Asst. Director
June 26, 2012
MACOMB, IL -- Teresa Koltzenburg has been named assistant director of University Relations at Western Illinois University, effective July 1, according to Director of University Relations Darcie Shinberger. Koltzenburg replaces Bonnie Barker, who retires June 30 after 35 years of service.
Koltzenburg has been a member of the University Relations staff since August 2008, serving as a public information specialist and public information coordinator. Her primary news assignments are with the School of Agriculture, the College of Education and Human Services and University Libraries. She assists in the University's efforts to meet compliance with the federal Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and the Freedom of Information Act, and assists in the coordination of crisis communication.
Koltzenburg has also coordinated, maintained and supervised the University's social media presence since 2008. Under her direction, WIU's Facebook page has grown from 1,300 fans in March 2008 to its current 16,900-plus "likes." Koltzenburg established Western's first mobile app (for iPhones and iPods) for University News in January 2010, and coordinates the University's official news Twitter feed.
Prior to joining University Relations, she was the new media manager at The Hawk Eye (Burlington, IA), served as an editor/manager of a technology-publication unit in the publishing division of the American Library Association in Chicago and as the senior editor and associate editor at Paper, Film & Foil Converter, Primedia Business (now YTC Media Inc.), of Chicago and CLEARVUE/SVE/Churchill Educational Publishers (now part of Discovery Education) of Chicago, respectively. Koltzenburg has also served as a broadcast reporter and news anchor for the former Sharp Broadcasting station, WKAI-FM in Macomb.
"Teresa's experience with social media and working with the media, as well as her familiarity with Western, allows University Relations to continue its mission of promoting the University, and its faculty and student achievements," Shinberger said. "She has a tremendous work ethic, and is an essential part the University Relations team. Her efforts have brought international attention to some of the institution's faculty as experts, as well as to unique programs and events at Western. She has been instrumental in establishing the University's social media presence. Teresa stays abreast of the trends and the evolving nature of social media, and has assisted other departments enter the social media venue."
As assistant director, Koltzenburg's responsibilities will include working with local, regional, state and national media, and serving as a liaison between campus news sources and news media. She will respond to inquiries from the media and public concerning University crises, programs and events and arranges press events. In this role, Koltzenburg will also be responsible for the continued integration of emerging social media technologies for University promotional and publicity purposes, and assisting with the University's marketing efforts.
Koltzenburg's master's degree project, "The Case for Embracing Web 2.0 in an Online Pedagogical Approach," with James West of instructional design and technology, has been accepted for presentation at the Ubiquitous Learning Conference 2012 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has served as project manager for several WIU-related videos, including the most recent WIU commercial, which she co-wrote and produced. As social media coordinator, Koltzenburg achieved WIU's Facebook "Page of the Month" recognition by "Colleges & Universities" in January 2009, and was invited to deliver "Creating Facebook Ads… 1, 2, 3" at the Downstate Regional Conference for the Illinois Council on Continuing Higher Education (ICCHE) in April 2010.
Koltzenburg earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Western. She is a member of the University Marketing Working Group, the University's iTac Web Committee, the University Web Accessibility Committee and the Mobile Computing Task Force.
She is a volunteer reader for Tri-States Audio Information Services and volunteers as a website communications coordinator for the Illinois Council on Continuing Higher Education (ICCHE).
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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