CxC Advisory Council

The CxC Advisory Council serves to advise the CxC Director, staff, and faculty on ways to advance the workplace communication skills of LSU undergraduates. Council members work to promote the efforts of CxC faculty and the successes of certified LSU Distinguished Communicator students beyond the LSU campus and help to identify private and public partnership opportunities that will enhance and advance the LSU CxC program. The Council consists of student, faculty, and community members across academic disciplines, organizations and experience levels, all of whom believe effective communication skills are critical to students’ post-graduation success.

2019–2020 Members

Brian Andrews, College of Business

Patti Aymond, College of Engineering

Granger Babcock, Honors College

Chris Barrett, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Mark Boyer, College of Art + Design

Buddy Ethridge, Academic IT

Blaine Grimes, Campus Federal Credit Union

Darrell Henry, College of Science

Courtney Irwin, Shell International and Engineers without Borders USA

William Jewell, Student Government President, Business major

Morgan Kastner, Baton Rouge Area Chamber

Gary King, College of Science

Julie Laperouse, Emergent Method

Greg Lasseigne, CxC Studio Writing Mentor, Mass Comm/Science major

Amy Luther, College of Science

Lori Martin, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Kai Mays, CxC Studio Team Member, HSS/Science major

Liz Melvin, College of Engineering

Rafael Orozco, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Elle Overholt, Geaux Forth

Chancelier "Xero" Skidmore, Forward Arts and Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge

Beverly Brooks Thompson, Brooks Thompson Consulting

Harry Toups, College of Engineering

Rebecca Burdette, Communication across the Curriculum

Jennifer Baumgartner, CxC and College of Human Sciences & Education

Matt Lee, Office of Academic Affairs

Membership Commitment

The goal of the CxC Advisory Council is to assist in the process of advancing the CxC program at all levels, including C-I courses, CxC studios, student workshops, the LSU DC program and CxC hosted events, including TEDxLSU.  While applying to be a member of the council is voluntary, once a membership position has been accepted, the member must complete and honor the commitments below.

The CxC Advisory Board consists of 13-15 members who, collectively, vary in discipline and skill sets and represent all CxC constituency groups (faculty, students, community, alumni and industry professionals).

  • All Advisory Council members must demonstrate a strong commitment to student advancement, faculty development and community collaboration.
  • Members serve a two-year term (with some flexibility to establish efficient rotation within the first few years of the Council's creation).
  • When opportunities or challenges arise that require in-depth feedback and suggestions from the CxC community, Council members lead working groups to engage critical stakeholders outside of the Council in conversations and decisions (i.e., a faculty member on the Board may be asked to lead a working roup of non-Council C-I faculty members in considering revisions to the C-I course evaluations).
  • Council members participate in face-to-face meetings that will be held quarterly, with additional meetings held via video or audio conference as needed throughout the year.

In addition to advising CxC, Advisory Council members:

  • publicly support the need for, and value of, advancing LSU undergraduates' communication skills. 
  • continuously champion CxC and its programming initiatives, such as TEDxLSU.
  • energetically support initiatives between LSU and private, public, and nonprofit organizations in the best interest of student and faculty success.

If you are interested in serving on the CxC Advisory Council, please contact CxC Director Rebecca Burdette at cxc@lsu.edu.