About Ryan Abramson
Strategic Communications, Higher Education, and Digital Strategy
Ryan Abramson is the Director of Strategic Communications at Penn State Lehigh Valley and founder of Oakridge Leaders, a strategic communications and leadership consultancy based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. With more than 25 years of experience in communications, marketing, higher education and leadership, his work focuses on helping organizations and individuals communicate with clarity, purpose and authenticity.
At Penn State Lehigh Valley, Ryan leads strategic communications, institutional storytelling, media relations and digital engagement, helping connect the University’s academic programs, people and community impact with audiences throughout the Lehigh Valley and beyond. His work increasingly explores the intersection of communications, artificial intelligence, search and digital discovery as technology changes how people find, understand and engage with information.
Through Oakridge Leaders, Ryan brings that experience to professionals and organizations seeking to strengthen their communications and digital presence. His work includes executive and leadership communications, brand storytelling, content strategy, search and digital strategy, video, public speaking and emerging AI-enabled approaches to communications.
Ryan’s approach combines data-informed strategy with human-centered storytelling.
Whether developing a communications strategy, shaping thought leadership or helping an organization better articulate its story, the goal is the same: communicate more clearly, connect more authentically and create content that provides lasting value.
Rooted in Bucks County and working with organizations across Pennsylvania and beyond, Oakridge Leaders reflects a simple philosophy: effective communication is not about being louder. It is about being clearer, more credible and more human.
Where strategy meets practice.
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Penn State
Ryan Abramson serves as Director of Strategic Communications at Penn State Lehigh Valley, where he leads communications, storytelling, media relations and digital strategy for one of Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses.
His work focuses on telling the stories of students, faculty, programs and partnerships while helping connect Penn State with the communities it serves. His areas of focus include student success, higher education access and affordability, workforce development, work-based learning, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and the evolving role of regional campuses in meeting the needs of students and employers.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in communications, marketing and education, Ryan brings a strategic approach to building institutional visibility and translating complex ideas into clear, engaging stories. His work spans traditional media, digital content, SEO, social media, video and emerging AI-driven communication platforms.
Ryan’s work at Penn State also informs his broader perspective through Oakridge Leaders on how colleges, nonprofits and organizations can communicate with greater clarity, build trust and remain visible in a rapidly changing digital environment.
Read Ryan Abramson's Penn State Blog
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Thought Leadership
Ryan Abramson writes and speaks about the changing intersection of communication, leadership, higher education and technology. His work explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way organizations communicate, how people discover and evaluate information, and how professionals can build authentic authority in an increasingly digital world.
His recent writing focuses on applied AI, AI literacy, the future of work, student success, higher education, workforce development, personal branding, digital storytelling and the evolution of search. A recurring theme is the importance of combining emerging technology with something distinctly human: clear communication, credible expertise and authentic storytelling.
Ryan’s articles, commentary and professional work can be found on Muck Rack, which brings together his published media and communications work, and Medium, where he writes about communications, leadership, AI, marketing and the changing digital landscape.
Explore Ryan Abramson on Muck Rack
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Speaking and Workshops
Ryan Abramson is a public speaker, facilitator and communications strategist who brings more than 25 years of experience in education, marketing, leadership and digital communications to presentations, workshops and professional development programs.
His speaking focuses on practical issues facing today’s professionals and organizations, including artificial intelligence and communication, authentic leadership, personal branding, digital storytelling, social media, search visibility and the changing ways people discover and evaluate information online.
Ryan also uses design thinking to help organizations approach marketing campaigns and signature events from the audience’s perspective. By starting with the people an organization wants to reach, identifying their needs and motivations, and testing creative ideas, he helps teams develop campaigns and experiences that are purposeful, memorable and aligned with larger organizational goals.
Whether leading a workshop, facilitating a strategy session or speaking to a larger audience, Ryan combines emerging technology, creative problem-solving and practical communication strategies that participants can put to work immediately.
Click to learn more about Penn State Lehigh Valley
Located in Langhorne, Bucks County, Pennsylvania -
with experience in the local, regional and national markets.