My speaking and consulting work focuses on engagement–in the classroom and in the community. For a two minute overview of who I am as a speaker and a researcher, you can watch this video:
I am the author of “Connecting in the Online Classroom: Building Rapport Between Teachers and Students” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021) and “Faith and Community: How Engagement Strengthens Members, Places of Worship, and Society,” (Temple University Press, 2024).
I am available for keynote speeches and workshops on connecting with students, community-engaged research, faith-based community engagement, and other topics. For press inquiries and speaking events, please access this Digital Media Kit, which contains bios, keynote descriptions, brochures for both universities and congregations, and links to videos.
Following are a few testimonials from workshop participants and organizers:
“The communication tools, methods, and style options shared in the training were not only incredibly useful but also easy to implement.”
“I hadn’t realized just how many places I could add communication that might reassure and engage students, things that carry the subtext ‘I care about your success.'”
“This is exactly what our church needed to hear.”
“I loved all the ideas and examples you shared with us, especially because they are based on years of teaching experience and research. Every single idea shared in your presentation and the group discussions has been useful and doable.”
“We originally only brought her in for two sessions, but we wound up having to invite her back because she was so popular!”
“I can’t wait to learn how to use the Mail Merge with Attachments add-on. It’s going to save me so much time and still enable me to send personalized feedback to students. Thank you so much for providing us with specific examples of mail merge emails.”
“Rebecca is a warm, lively, and authentic speaker. The crowd appreciated her approach.”
“Connecting in the Online Classroom” is a great pick for campus reading groups! And there is a free discussion guide available to download here.
For places of worship that are seeking greater connection in the community, to counter polarization, to engage younger generations, or to strengthen the spiritual health of their members, a free discussion guide for congregations based on “Faith and Community” is available to download here. For universities, my research on religion and community engagement is popular with both academic and lay audiences and is a great way to bridge the town/gown divide.
