Kristy Keel-Blackmon

Kristy Keel-Blackmon joined IPS in January of 2022 as the multimedia creative manager. As an award-winning graphic designer and photographer, she brings over 15 years of experience in design, photography and communications to the institute. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Science in strategic and digital communication from the University of Tennessee.

She is a published author with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and her photography has been featured across the UT System and with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Center for American Progress, the Department of Energy and beyond. Her design work can also be found across the UT System and at a local and national scale.  

Kristy is passionate about creative problem-solving in written, verbal and visual communications and about serving her community. When not at work, she can be found volunteering with her local nature center, animal shelter or as a graphic design mentor.