Penn State’s online faculty: Spotlights on Holly Overton and Elisa Hopkins

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — At Penn State World Campus, the quality of students’ online learning experience is shaped not only by technology and course design, but by the faculty who bring their expertise and energy into teaching.

This year, Penn State World Campus is highlighting the Penn State faculty who teach online to spotlight them as an invaluable resource to learners and the broader University community. Two such educators, Holly Overton and Elisa Hopkins, exemplify the kind of teaching that transforms virtual classrooms into vibrant learning communities.

Together, Overton and Hopkins represent the best of Penn State World Campus: faculty who are not only subject matter experts, but also mentors, motivators, and champions of student success.

Holly Overton: Strategic communications, real-world impact

Overton is an associate teaching professor in the Penn State Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. She teaches in the online Master of Professional Studies in Strategic Communications program and also serves as director of the college’s master’s programs and graduate studies.

“I view teaching as a privilege and strive to spark lifelong curiosity through interactive, inclusive and meaningful virtual experiences,” said Overton.

To encourage students to feel supported and engaged, she said, she works to foster community in her online classrooms, through discussion forums, collaborative assignments and direct outreach to her learners. She looks for ways to connect them with the course content and each other.

Overton said she especially enjoys teaching students from across the country and the world, as the virtual classroom can bring together people who have a wide range of life experiences and perspectives to share with one another.

Recently, Overton earned the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) certification that serves as a mark of professional excellence. The certification enhances her teaching by basing the course content in current industry standards, ethical practice and strategic thinking, and it reinforces her commitment to her own lifelong learning while modeling professional values to instill in her teaching.

Learn more about Overton in the online faculty spotlight on the Penn State World Campus website.

Elisa Hopkins: Teaching with purpose and passion

Hopkins is a teaching professor in the Penn State College of Education. She teaches graduate-level courses in the curriculum and instruction master’s degree, which the college offers online through World Campus, and she also has taught courses for the children’s literature graduate certificate.

“My teaching is guided by a passion for children’s literature, a commitment to social justice, and a belief in the power of discussion and interpretation,” Hopkins said about her teaching philosophy. “I believe students have agency as learners and their questions matter.”

Hopkins said it’s a joy to support students as they deepen their understanding of literature. One of Hopkins’ students began writing a nonfiction picture book when she took the nonfiction literature course, and two years ago, the student’s book was published.

“Seeing her creative journey unfold and knowing the course played a role in inspiring it was truly a proud moment,” Hopkins said.

Learn more about Hopkins in the online faculty spotlight on the Penn State World Campus website.

A Penn State education online

Penn State World Campus has been offering a Penn State education online for more than 25 years and is consistently recognized as one of the top institutions for online learning in Pennsylvania and the country.

Through World Campus, Penn State today offers a comprehensive selection of more than 200 degree and certificate programs. The faculty who teach online are the foundation of the extensive portfolio of online education.