Inaugural Auburn Communications Fellows Program launches with cohort of 17

Seventeen Auburn faculty have been named to the inaugural Auburn University Communications Fellows Program that will launch in September.

The program — spearheaded out of Auburn’s Office of Communications and Marketing with the guidance of a campus steering committee — is designed to provide Auburn faculty with training, best practices and hands-on experience in communicating the broader impact of their work and expertise to key external audiences to help faculty build and manage a national and global reputation toward career development, peer engagement and funding success.

Those in this year’s cohort are as follows: Rafael Bernardi, assistant professor in the Department of Physics, College of Sciences and Mathematics; Rob Holmes, associate professor and undergraduate landscape architecture chair, College of Architecture, Design and Construction; Yen-Yao Wang, associate professor and director of Business Analytics and Information Systems Masters and Certificate Programs, Raymond J. Harbert College of Business; Katilya Ware, associate professor, College of Nursing; Sarah Watts, assistant professor, College of Nursing; Harsimran Baweja, director of Auburn’s Physical Therapy Program, College of Education; Jitka Hilliard, professor, Raymond J. Harbert College of Business; Kristen Shockley, associate professor, Raymond J. Harbert College of Business; Christopher Lepczyk, interim director of the Honor College; Ajay Sharma, assistant professor, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment; Janna Willoughby, assistant professor, College of Forestry Wildlife and Environment; Mallory Lucier-Greer, professor, College of Human Sciences; Alicia Powers, managing director of the Hunger Solutions Institute, College of Human Sciences; Elizabeth Covington, associate clinical professor, Harrison College of Pharmacy; Jason McKibben, assistant professor, College of Education, with a joint appointment in the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station; Shannon Boveland, clinical professor, College of Veterinary Medicine; and Diane Delmain, associate professor, College of Veterinary Medicine.

The program will offer the cohort six monthly sessions from September through March focusing on everything from the essentials of good storytelling to public speaking coaching to media relations as well as best practices in visual design, photo, video and more. Cohort members will learn from outside guest speakers — including the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science — as well as experts on campus.

At the end of the program, Communications Fellows will be equipped with strategies, tips and skills for communicating their work to non-specialist audiences, and Auburn’s Office of Communications and Marketing will work with each member of the cohort to develop a communications plan going forward after their fellows experience.

To learn more about this new program and the cohort, visit the Communications Fellows Program website.