Blackburn College has named Elisabeth (Beasley) Kramp, a Carlinville native, its Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer. In her new role, Kramp will seek grants on behalf of the College, joining an active Institutional Advancement team. She will draw on her extensive experience writing successful private and federal grants in the nonprofit sector as well as on her 10+ years of experience in higher education.
While offering the engaged academics of a traditional college, Blackburn adds an additional dimension to the college experience. One of ten federally-recognized work colleges, the College offers the only program in the nation exclusively managed by students. Blackburn students gain real-life work and leadership skills that immediately apply to nearly any job situation after graduation. This four-year head start to advance their careers is invaluable to students and unique to Blackburn. In U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 “Best Colleges” guide, Blackburn ranked tenth among colleges that successfully advance social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of low-income and underrepresented students.
“Economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, but Blackburn’s approach has helped make a college education affordable to thousands of first-generation students and working-class families,” said Sarah Koplinski, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “Securing grants and partnerships helps support Blackburn’s mission and fund initiatives around student success, recruitment and retention. These efforts ensure that Blackburn can continue providing access to a life-changing degree and that its students have the necessary resources to thrive.”
In regards to hiring Kramp as the new Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer, Koplinski continued, “Liz’s background and passion for Blackburn make her the perfect fit for this role, and we look forward to the positive impact she will undoubtedly have on our institution. We are thrilled to welcome Liz to our team.”
Kramp holds a B.A. in creative writing from Knox College and an M.A. in religion and peace studies from Earlham School of Religion. During her Master’s work, she received funding to pursue research in Tanzania and Kenya on U.S. study-abroad partnerships with East African universities. Most recently, she has been teaching writing composition and acting as the faculty advisor to the undergraduate literary arts journal at John Paul the Great Catholic University (Escondido, CA); she previously taught similar coursework at Eastern Gateway Community College (Steubenville, OH) and the University of California Merced. A professional writer, Kramp has published essays and poems and served as editor-in-chief of the print journal Convivium.
Kramp’s deep connection to the College extends through her family. As the daughter of active alums and with a mother who taught part-time in the Education Department, she grew up with a strong awareness of how Blackburn’s academics and student-managed work program foster a community spirit of mutual service. Although she is currently working remotely from Southern California, Kramp views her new position as a meaningful opportunity to contribute to both Blackburn and the greater Carlinville community.
“Blackburn’s Work Program is not only for our students,” says Kramp, “It also gives faculty and staff much to reflect upon. Work transforms us. There’s goodness and dignity in learning how to do a job and how to serve others. By writing grants and nurturing relationships between Blackburn and other organizations, my role in institutional advancement is one of serving a college that played a critical role in my life: I performed in dance recitals at Bothwell, spent hours browsing the stacks in Lumpkin and running around the old cinder track – and now have joined the campus community because there’s work to be done.”