2019 CxC Faculty Award recipient Kristen Kelsch

Since 2016, the Office of Academic Affairs has recognized a faculty member who contributes to and participates in the CxC program in multiple ways, such as teaching Communication-Intensive courses, advising Distinguished Communicator candidates, participating in faculty development initiatives, securing grants to support CxC Studios, and/or publishing CxC-related scholarship. Winners of this award, generously supported by the Renee and Leslie Hull Fund at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, represent the commitment, dedication, and excellence that define and enable the LSU CxC program to transform teaching, learning, and ultimately, student success.

Join us in congratulating 2019 CxC Outstanding Faculty Award recipient, College of Art & Design faculty member 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.

“I have not only been afforded the opportunity to enhance my courses and develop meaningful relationships with advisees,” Kristen says of her CxC experience, “but I have also collaborated and built connections with experts in other disciplines, enabling me to evolve as a communicator and grow in my practice as an educator.”

One example of this collaboration was demonstrated through an assignment Kristen developed with CxC Art + Design Studio coordinator, Vincent Cellucci, and director of the School of Interior Design and 2016 CxC Outstanding Faculty Award recipient, Marsha Cuddeback. The assignment, “Lexicon Lenses,” presented students with the challenge of pairing writing and drawing to communicate and reveal their understanding of a place. Utilizing a mix of architectural terminology offering analytical estimations of buildings (language of spaces, form, materiality) and expressive words that harness the power of poetry (imagery, metaphor, personification), students were able to effectively communicate their experiences both visually and in written form.

“While the outcomes of this assignment were outstanding and contributed to a successful trip and semester overall, the intense C-I focus of this beginning design course created a series of ripple effects which enhanced our students' experience and impacted my approach to teaching for years to come,” Kristen says.

For Marwan Ghandour, director of the School of Architecture, recommending Kristen for this award was an easy decision. “For a young faculty in the School of Architecture, Kristen has an extraordinary role in advancing undergraduate education in the school, specifically in asserting the importance of developing formal and informal communication techniques for architects,” he says.

Not only does she actively work with students to develop their skills, she takes the CxC mission to heart, advising fellow faculty on certifying their courses and expanding the objectives of C-I courses in the architecture curriculum. “She has made a big difference in solidifying the CxC program in the School of Architecture across various stages of learning in the undergraduate program,” Marwan says.

Kristen Kelsch is the fourth recipient of the CxC Outstanding Faculty Award. She earned a Master of Architecture from LSU in 2010 and is a licensed architect in the state of Louisiana. Kristen currently teaches introductory architectural design studios and an introductory representation course, all certified as C-I courses.