UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State alumna with a proven record of increasing responsibility and fundraising success in higher education, who also has a personal relationship with the University’s communications program, has been named director of development and alumni relations for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
Lisa Marzka, previously director of major gifts for the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State, will begin her role in the Bellisario College on Aug. 26.
Marzka started her career at Penn State in the College of Arts and Architecture in 2019. Before that, she led digital advertising initiatives for HigherEdJobs, partnering with colleges and universities nationwide to support recruitment and branding efforts. In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is active in the community, serving as co-leader of the Happy Valley Changemakers Collective, an organization that fosters opportunities for connection, mentorship and engagement among women in Centre County.
Marzka has earned two Penn State degrees — a bachelor’s in advertising/public relations and a master’s in higher education administration.
“As an alumna of the Bellisario College, this opportunity is deeply personal,” Marzka said. “The college shaped my professional foundation and continues to prepare students to participate thoughtfully and ethically in an information-rich society. I am proud of its achievements, its engaged alumni network and its national reputation, and I am motivated by the opportunity to help strengthen those relationships in service of the college’s future.”
The Bellisario College, the largest undergraduate mass communications program in the country, has consistently produced award-winning student work across all majors and the college’s faculty members are internationally respected as some of the best in their fields. Major gifts in recent years have bolstered the communications program with facilities as well as programmatic and scholarship support. As opportunities grow because of that fundraising foundation and success, so does the need for additional financial support.