Dr. Jennifer Heusel, associate professor of Communication, is Coker University’s recipient of the 2021 SCICU Excellence In Teaching award. She holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Public Culture and American Studies and an M.A. in Art History and African American and African Diaspora Studies, both from Indiana University-Bloomington. Heusel earned a B.A. in Art History from Rollins College.
Heusel joined the Coker faculty in 2014 and served as the coordinator of the African American Studies specialization until 2018. In this role, she worked with colleagues to cultivate interest in the specialization by developing programs and events that are now part of the larger campus culture. Heusel involves students in creating and implementing events, such as the bi-annual campus Kwanzaa celebration, as part of her African American Rhetoric course where students study the public messages of African American orators.
Much of Heusel’s teaching responsibilities are within the general education curriculum, including public speaking; she enjoys the challenge of translating communication perspectives and theories to the general student population. Dr. Heusel encourages students to present their work in panels and events. She also has led several study-abroad and study- away trips to Scotland, Wales, and Alabama.
Bringing together her passions for public culture, education, and community engagement, Dr. Heusel is an active member of the community. She sees her service as opportunities for students to put their education into practice through proposing public relations campaigns, conducting oral histories, and serving as interns.