Valerie Kretz teaches courses across the media studies curriculum in her role as an associate professor of communication and media studies at St. Norbert College. She encourages students to create and analyze media messages in light of relevant research. She also aims to help students explore their own personal and professional interests. Kretz was a strategic communications professional for many years prior to earning her doctorate, and those experiences inform her college teaching and advising. 

Leveraging her passion for media psychology, Kretz’s scholarship lies at the intersection of media and personal relationships. She uses social scientific methods (both quantitative and qualitative) to explore two primary subjects: 1) media and romantic relationships, and 2) parasocial relationships. Her work has focused on topics such as fans’ responses to the death of a beloved television character, how movie and television viewing are associated with beliefs about romance and why people watch romantic movies. 

Kretz also enjoys collaborating with students on research projects and often supervises independent study and directed research courses.