First-Generation Allegheny Graduates’ Films Shown At National & International Festivals

Kristen Lauth Shaeffer '03 says that she left Allegheny College confident after graduating as a first-generation student, knowing she wasn't trained in one thing. Little did she know that her path in life would connect her with a notable filmmaker and that she would rise to become the head of an academic department at Chatham University.

College really changed the way I saw the world. A liberal arts education was the right thing for me, because there was this breadth of knowledge," remarks Shaeffer, who majored in communication artsand theatre. "It gave me tools, but also a way of seeing the world and being curious.

As a student, Michael Keeley, Professor of Communication and Media connected Shaeffer with filmmaker Tony Buba. Once Shaffer had graduated, Buba became an invaluable mentor to her and was hired to work on a handful of projects. Simultaneously, Shaeffer gained experience at Vitac, in live television closed captions.

Taking an opportunity in Washington, D.C. to pursue work with Sun Mountain Media, a production company, Shaeffer assumed the position of associate producer through a connection with another alumna. The role focused on media around labor unions.

Returning to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Shaeffer began her two-decade career with Chatham University as a part-time instructor, training students on Final Cut Pro and camera equipment. She would earn her master's degree in fine arts with a focus on film and digital technology while at Chatham University.

Throughout her career, Shaeffer has remained steadfast as an independent filmmaker. Her work has been shown at national and international festivals, including:

• American Documentary and Animation Film Festival
• Athens International Film + Video Festival
• Cucalorus Film Festival
• Dance on Camera Film Festival
• NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
• NewFilmmakers New York
• New Orleans Film Festival
• Paris International Festival of Animated Film
• Vancouver International Film Festival

Most recently, her immersive 360-degree video documentary, By the Waters of Babylon, explores the music of Viktor Ullman, an Austrian composer who died at Auschwitz. The work features the Clarion Quartet, who perform at Terezin, a former concentration camp located in the Czech Republic. The film was praised by the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

Today, Shaeffer serves as the chair of the Department of Arts, Design, and Communication at Chatham University, where she oversees the academic needs of students and alumni. She instructs students on video production, an interdisciplinary field

"It feels absolutely rewarding to show students how to use video as a way to communicate ideas and to reach others… to see the genuine excitement that happens when they realize what's possible," says Shaeffer.

She encourages current students to "take advantage of every opportunity they're given, no matter how small it seems, and in the same way to value every connection and introduction. You really never know where it will lead!"