Chris Shipley ‘84: Thinking Big in a Tech-based World

Chris Shipley has built a long, impressive career at the intersection of technology, journalism, business, and innovation. An accomplished author and leadership consultant, she got her start as a technology writer, became executive editor at PC/Computing magazine, the founding editor of Computer Life magazine, then immersed herself in the world of tech startups. With a double major in English and communications, Chris credits her Allegheny College education for giving her a solid foundation and teaching her to think broadly and identify unique connections.

Chris joined The Campus in her sophomore year and was on the editorial board during her junior and senior years. She reminisced about how the editorial board formed a tight community and took its responsibilities seriously. "There were some controversies on campus and we really debated how we were going to talk about those. Sometimes the discussions were very heated and sometimes very emotional, but they were also respectful. We learned how to make a strong case for what we were thinking," explained Chris.

"Allegheny brought on a new faculty advisor, Sonya Jones, and she pushed us to think about what was going on in the world and put it in context of our campus experience," Chris said. "She pushed us to tackle issues that we might not have otherwise, and made us better journalists," she said.

There were fun times in the newsroom, too, especially on the nights they put the paper together. "We spent a lot of late nights setting type and pasting up pages. We had a lot of fun doing it," remembered Chris.

The staff became a second family, even eating together at the Skylight Dining Hall. "The Skylight was above the newspaper office and the food was really good. Those staff dinners supplemented my minimalist meal plan!"

Another who influenced Chris' thinking was Anne Linaberger '84, an editorial cartoonist in the early '80s who then became a television news director in Pittsburgh. "Her work was brilliantly funny and always on point, and I still remember some of it vividly," Chris recalled.

Chris says her entire Allegheny College experience - her studies, her student job in the communications office, and her time at The Campus - paved the way for her successful career path. "Working with amazing professors, staff, and colleagues was as informative as my classwork. I got real experience that I was able to apply when I graduated from school. It was phenomenally important and it has served me well over the past 40 years."