Keibler takes MSU lessons to role at Wayne State College

Dr. Michael Keibler (20) is making a positive impact at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, as the executive director of cooperation education and industry liaison. Keibler, who graduated with his Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) specializing in Adult and Higher Education Leadership from Morehead State University this past spring, recently helped create the Career Scholarship Program. This new program provides funding for student support to grow Nebraska’s workforce in promising, high-demand career fields.  

“By far – it’s working directly with my students. This is a unique position where the students are with me from freshman to senior years, which allows me an opportunity to watch them mature, learn, and find their way on this employability journey,” Keibler said when discussing the most fulfilling parts of his job. “Secondary, working with like-minded leadership and community leaders who share a common vision, encourage innovation and work with the same goal in mind…graduating career-ready students.”  

The native of Floyd Knobs, Indiana, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Louisville (UofL) in organizational development and worked for UofL in various career development roles for 11 years. He said he decided to enroll in MSU’s Ed.D. program because of its flexibility as an online program and an educational experience that aligned with his career goals.  

“MSU comes highly ranked and has one of the most affordable Ed.D. programs nationwide. Cost, convenience and career readiness…it was an easy decision for me,” Keibler said. “I enjoyed the challenge and pace, but the collaboration with the professors and the ability to learn from their experiences made it rich. At this level of education, it becomes a personal journey, not only to become academically accomplished but to investigate and find what you are passionate about in life. I found out my passion is working higher education.”  

Keibler said what has been crucial in implementing this new program at Wayne State College was the knowledge and skills he attained earning his Ed.D. at MSU.  

“I find myself leaning on many of the competencies gained from the program. Two key takeaways come to mind – the ability to critically think and the ability to apply what I’ve learned,” he said. “Launching this new program demands that you hold a multitude of skills and requires you to critically think about sustainability, scalability and culture, and then be able to apply them directly into learning outcomes and instructional methods. The capstone project was foundational in preparing me for this role, from learning how to research to collaboration to program needs assessment.”    

For more information on the Ed.D. program, contact Foundational and Graduate Studies in Education at 606-783-2261, email fgse@moreheadstate.edu or visit www.moreheadstate.edu/study/edd.