Blog Posts

Seven Faculty Members named 2024–25 C-I Teaching Fellows

Now in its second year supporting the Geaux Communicate initiative, LSU’s Communication-Intensive (C-I) Teaching Fellows program is pleased to announce the 2024–25 cohort.

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Honoring the late Dr. Lillian Bridwell-Bowles, CxC’s founding director

Without Dr. Lillian Bridwell-Bowles, Communication Across the Curriculum might not exist today. Lilly was the founder of CxC, a long-time teacher of Communication-Intensive (C-I) Courses in English and the Honors College, and an advisor to many LSU Distinguished Communicator candidates. She passed away on June 24, 2024.

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Meet the May 2024 LSU Distinguished Communicators

During May 2024 Commencement, 61 graduates across eight colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal.

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Ten Faculty Members named 2023–24 C-I Teaching Fellows

To support the Geaux Communicate initiative, LSU recently launched the inaugural Communication-Intensive (C-I) Teaching Fellows program. In collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner, faculty chair of Communication across the Curriculum (CxC), the Teaching Fellows are working to inform, create, and disseminate innovative teaching development resources across campus, all in support of advancing undergraduate communication skills development.

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Meet the Fall 2023 LSU Distinguished Communicators

During December 2023 Commencement, nine graduates across three colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal.

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Announcing the Spring 2023 LSU Communicator Certificate recipients

At the conclusion of the Spring 2023 semester, 205 students earned the LSU Communicator Certificate.

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Announcing May 2023 LSU Distinguished Communicators

During May 2023 Commencement, 84 graduates across eight colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal. This will be the largest class of Distinguished Communicator graduates to date.

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LSU CxC Communication Mentor Grayson Loudon awarded Outstanding Tutor of the Year

Grayson, a senior majoring in architecture, is a prime example of the efficacy of this varied approach. He has worked as a communication mentor with CxC since his freshman year in 2019.

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What College Faculty Should Know about ChatGPT

As with any technology, this is an ideal opportunity to reflect on our current teaching practices, experiment with new opportunities, and brainstorm ways they could be utilized effectively in a classroom.

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Meet the Fall 2022 LSU Distinguished Communicators

During December 2022 Commencement, seven graduates across four colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal.

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Record number of students earn the LSU Communicator Certificate in May 2022

At the conclusion of the Spring 2022 semester, 197 students earned the LSU Communicator Certificate. This non-degree certificate, issued by the Office of Academic Affairs via LSU Communication Across the Curriculum (CxC), recognizes students who have successfully completed rigorous communication-intensive coursework within their disciplines.

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Meet the Spring 2022 LSU Distinguished Communicators

During May 2022 Commencement, 70 graduates across eight colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal.

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Tips to Make the Most of Your SCWCA Virtual Experience

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LSU CxC Hosts SCWCA 2022 Annual Meeting

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Announcing December 2021 LSU Distinguished Communicators

During December 2021 Commencement, 13 graduates across five colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal.

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Announcing May 2021 LSU Distinguished Communicators

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Creating Meaningful Class Discussions

Facilitating productive classroom discussions can be tricky in any setting, but when adding the challenges of digital or hybrid environments, you have an opportunity to disrupt those tried and true methods for different (and maybe even more impactful) outcomes.

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Get to know the Fall 2020 LSU Distinguished Communicators

These 17 exceptional students are graduating with demonstrated success in effective multi-modal communication, a designation on their transcripts and a bright, shiny medal.

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Announcing December 2020 LSU Distinguished Communicators

During December 2020 Commencement, 17 graduates across eight colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal.

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Craziest, Weirdest, Most Dangerous - Don't Lose Your Head

In the latest episode of LSU Experimental, host Becky Carmichael and Kyle Sirovy look back on episodes where wondering minds resulted in some exciting experiments.

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Why collecting mid-semester feedback is worth your time and a few tips on how to do it effectively

In C-I courses, we use feedback loops to help students learn, but what about creating feedback opportunities to help us learn as teachers? Midterm is the perfect chance to elicit feedback from our students about what's working well (and not so well) to inform our teaching practices and enhance students' own success.

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LSU CxC Wins National Award for Innovative Faculty Support Programming

As one of the first programs of its kind in the nation, LSU Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) has long been recognized for academic innovation, but the Delphi Award is the first to specifically honor CxC's progressive work in transforming faculty support and LSU's institutional culture surrounding teaching excellence.

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LSU medical school student's experience with COVID-19

In Episode 37 of LSU Experimental, Cindy Nguyen, a medical student at LSU Health New Orleans and graduate from the College of Science and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was up for an interview even with lingering COVID-19 effects. Cindy contracted the virus in early March and in this episode she describes the testing process she went through along with her symptoms, like water tasting sweet. We also catch-up on her medical school program, her exciting internship and how the COVID experience is influencing the physician she aspires to become.

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Seven ways to improve your digital classroom setting without buying new equipment

The first step to enhancing your lectures and video class time is by controlling your environment and making the most of what you have on hand. While new technology can be an asset, it is often costly--or difficult to access. We have a few simple solutions to improve your setup that will put you and your content in the best light possible.

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Fostering Effective Class Discussions in Asynchronous Settings

Teaching via live discussion is a tried and true method for many of us. And while yes - discussions are different when you take them out of a live setting - they can still be a powerful tool for steering students on their learning path. As their instructor, you have the ability to foster consistent structure and clearly communicate what you ask of your students to help them succeed.

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Communication Tips for Remote Learning Success

Take a moment to recognize that as a college student, you have already been building skills to be able to think critically, communicate effectively, and lead through the unexpected. In other words, you’ve been training for this challenge all along!

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Etiquette Tips for Participating in Live Online Video Meetings

Whether you're meeting via live online video for school or work, having clear communication protocols is key to being productive. Here are a few etiquette tips you and your online group might consider adopting, particularly if you're just beginning to transition away from face-to-face (F2F) meetings.

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Meagan Moore on Problem-solving with STEAM

What happens when you include art in science, technology, engineering and math? You create STEAM, or in this case, Meagan the Maker. In this episode of LSU Experimental, Meagan Moore, a senior in biological engineering at LSU, sits down with host Becky Carmichael to discuss how she uses her unique artistic and problem-solving talents to find solutions for everything from prototyping PPE for healthcare professionals during the pandemic to fabricating life sizes 3D phantoms used in breast cancer research.

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Meet the May 2020 Distinguished Communicators

During the May 2020 graduation celebration, 44 graduates across six colleges will join the elite group of LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal.

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2020 CxC Faculty Award recipient Cynthia DiCarlo

For education students who will soon embark on their roles as advocates for their own students’ development, few serve as a better role model than 2020 CxC Outstanding Faculty Award recipient Dr. Cynthia DiCarlo.

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Three Spring Break To Do's to Prepare for Remote Learning Success

Are you prepared to resume classes in a different setting next week? Either way, CxC is here to help! We've compiled a few suggestions to help get you started on the right path on March 30.

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Distinguished Communicator candidate Libby Reiner on communicating as an engineer

Electrical Engineering Senior Libby has not only become a standout team member in the CxC studio, she has also used her time in the Distinguished Communicator program to fully explore the role communication plays in her current research and future career.

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The First Semester of Medical School

Episode 33 of LSU Experimental features Heidi Nowakowski, LSU Spring 2019 College of Science grad. Heidi is currently in her second year of medical school at LSU New Orleans, but we caught her in the middle of her first semester. Here, she shares her insights into what it takes to get into med school, the first semester transition struggles, and her advice on how to cope with school stress.

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Hybridization in Andean Nectar Bandits

In the latest episode of LSU Experimental, Anna Hiller, LSU Museum of Natural Science Ph.D. candidate, tells us what hybrid zones are, what we can learn from them, and how she is using flowerpiercers as her model. She also shares adventures from her previous expeditions and how her passion to include women in science is informing her upcoming field trips to Peru and Bolivia.

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Five ways faculty can improve their public speaking skills

As C-I faculty, we frequently put our students in a position to reflect on their abilities as a speaker, and to practice and refine critical oral communication skills. When was the last time you gave yourself the same opportunity? At the recent LSU Faculty Colloquium, Dr. Linda Nilson reminded us just how important this is: "As faculty, we may not think of ourselves as public speakers, but our students do."

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Meet Distinguished Communicator Dwayne Hinton

Dwayne Hinton's pursuit of knowledge surpasses any one discipline. This is why he'll be graduating in December with three bachelor's degrees.

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How one course is developing communication skills to tackle an industry-wide problem

Eager to connect passionate young people with opportunities to make an impact, Bruce Sharky started brainstorming creative ways to address misconceptions and increase awareness about the profession while engaging future landscape architects to think critically about how to best communicate with different audiences. In Fall 2019 he offered LA 4504, a professional elective focused on recruiting the next generation of landscape architects.

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The Past, Present, and Future of Antarctic Ice Sheets

In Episode 31 of LSU Experimental, Dr. Phil Bart, LSU College of Science Geology & Geophysics professor, invites us to learn about the evolution of Antarctic ice sheets and how he investigates the movement of ice sheets and ice rises over geologic time to aid in predicting their future behavior.

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Encouraging end-of-semester reflection from students

The close of the semester is the perfect time to encourage your students to reflect on the communication skills they’ve gained within your C-I course. Highlighting the connections among the content knowledge they’ve engaged with, and the transferability of the disciplinary communication skills they’ve acquired, elevates students’ overall learning long-term.

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Blake Kruger on being a Distinguished Communicator

Learn about his path from LSU to med school and how being a Distinguished Communicator has helped his career so far.

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Engineering the Mars 2020 Rover Mission with Keith Comeaux

What's it like to launch an SUV-sized rover to another planet and ensure that, on arrival, the rover will be able to complete scientific missions AND be controlled from Earth? In this episode, Dr. Comeaux leads us through the complexities involved in designing Mars rovers his career path from LSU to NASA, and the potential prospects of discovery for the Mars 2020 Mission.

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How Valerie Derouen packages science into outreach activities

Who is responsible for creating a bridge between the scientists asking questions and the curious public? The answer, Outreach Specialists. In this episode we speak with Valerie Derouen, the LSU Museum of Natural Science's very own outreach coordinator.

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Senior Chris DeFelice on the Distinguished Communicator experience

Chris DeFelice, a senior in public relations, shares his path to becoming a Distinguished Communicator and how the program is already impacting his career trajectory.

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Creating a collaborative learning opportunity through a podcast assignment

A podcast assignment offers students a new way of meeting important benchmarks of courses in every academic discipline.

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Dismantling problematic science stereotypes using selfies

Dr. Paige Brown Jarreau and Dr Becky Carmichael discuss the inspiration behind the #ScientistsWhoSelfie project, the results, and the next steps for changing stereotypes of scientists.

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Cultural and religious connections that bind Southern Louisiana's coastal communities to the land and water

The connections of the people in South Louisiana to the land and water shape the culture of those that call the state home. We explore these connections with Michael Pasquier, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and History and the Jaak Seynaeve Professor of Christian Studies, and discuss how the stories of the past can help us prepare for the future.

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Podcast technology as a tool for student engagement and learning, no matter the academic discipline

Want to inspire students to engage in class discussions? To think critically about course material? To discover their personal investment in the course? Consider a podcast.

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Uncovering the hidden history of Louisiana's Japanese internment camps during World War II

Did you know that over 1,000 Japanese men were interned in Louisiana during WWII? LSU librarians Hayley Johnson and Sarah Simms discuss who these Japanese men and their families were, the conditions at the Louisiana internment camps, and the crucial lessons we need to remember in order to fight against the discrimination of those who are different.

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2019 CxC Outstanding Faculty Award recipient Kristen Kelsch

Since joining the School of Architecture faculty in 2010, Kristen has been a champion for CxC, certifying every one of her courses as communication intensive. In addition to serving as a C-I faculty member, she has worked collaboratively with the CxC Art & Design Studio team to creatively develop assignments for architecture students and has served as a faculty advisor for several Distinguished Communicator candidates.

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Studying Penguins in Antarctica with Mike Polito

Penguins almost exclusively live in the Southern Hemisphere, most notably in Antarctica. So how do those cute, tuxedo wearing birds survive and what is it like to study penguins in the coldest place on Earth?

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