Teaching means empowering others to live their best lives!
I didn’t choose teaching,
teaching chose me.
My teaching career began when I was five.
My mother told me that when I would come home from kindergarten, I would line up the neighborhood preschoolers and teach them what I learned in school that day. Hello, my name is Lynn Meade and I am a Teaching Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas. I have been at the university for over twenty years, but I have been a teacher all my life.
When I was nine years old, I brought my four quarters to school to buy four textbooks: Spelling, Math, Reading, and History. I ran home and immediately started constructing homework sheets for all my friends. When my friends came over during summer break to play school, I had their homework assignments ready for them. (Yes, I gave my friends homework during summer break).
When I was sixteen years old, I asked my principal if he would give me high school credit for working with the students with special needs at my school. He approved and I spent the year tutoring teens and accompanying them to special events. I created my own teaching position. This special program that I pioneered, still exists today.
When I was finishing up my bachelor’s degree in communication at the University of Arkansas, I overheard someone say that they were looking for teachers for the basic speech class. I asked some questions and found out that I could teach at a university level and all I had to do was to go to graduate school. Yes, it is true, I went to graduate school, just so I could be a teaching assistant for public speaking classes.
Teaching at the Northwest Arkansas Community College was the beginning of my joyous journey of fulfilling my passion to teach others. While there, a mentor pushed me to go back to college to get my doctoral degree. "Lynn," she said, "You are good at what you do, and you love to learn. You will never be satisfied until you move to the highest level." She was right! I spent the next few years getting a doctoral degree in higher education with an emphasis on college teaching because I thought it would be fun! It was. A prestigious Walton Fellowship to do retention research gave me many opportunities to research, present, and make academic presentations but I longed for the classroom.
I am a teacher, but I am also a lifelong learner.
Teaching is a joy and learning is my passion.
After graduation, I taught for the Communication Department for nearly 20 years developing new courses and fine-tuning existing ones. Because of my passion for teaching the teaching center, the graduate school, and many departments have called on me to do specialty training programs on teaching and learning. This led to me being appointed as a co-director of the teaching and faculty support center.
Now as a Teaching Associate Professor for Student Success, I teach classes that help students make real-world connections. My favorite part of the job is that I get to forge relationships with students inside the classroom and out.
I've earned the highest award at our university for teaching and am alumni of distinction from my graduate program, but the real reward comes from those students who contact me years after they graduated to tell me that I challenged them and taught them meaningful things.
Whether I am developing classes,
teaching students,
or providing faculty development programming
I am pursuing what I believe to be my highest calling to use whatever skills or talents that I have to empower others.
Lynn Meade, Ed.D.
Teaching Associate Professor
Student Success, University of Arkansas
lmeade@uark.edu LinkedIn: Lynn Meade
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
Professional ePortfolio
Professional Storytelling
Navigating Personal and Professional Growth
Second Year Experience
Nonverbal Communication
Persuasion
Communication in a Diverse World
Perspectives: Destination Graduation
Fundamentals of Communication
Small-Group Communication
Public Speaking
Public Speaking Advanced
Intercultural Communication
Interpersonal Communication
HONORS COLLEGE COURSES
Public Speaking Honors
Communication in a Diverse World Honors
ONLINE COURSES DESIGNED AND TAUGHT
Professional ePorfolio
Public Speaking Online
Nonverbal Communication Online
ONLINE COURSE TAUGHT
Small-Group Communication
Persuasion
STUDY ABROAD COURSE
Intercultural Communication in Ireland
Internship in Ireland
GRADUATE COURSE
Colloquium Communication Research
Highest teaching award at the University of Arkansas. Recognizes a teacher who excels at teaching and mentoring undergraduates.
The Teaching Academy consists of faculty members recognized by peers for their excellence in teaching and in building rapport with students.
Only eight faculty members are inducted to join each year.
Highest teaching award given from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
This award is named after Wally Cordes, a masterful professor who was committed to student's well-being. Six times a year a faculty member is chosen for the award because they are recognized by colleagues as being student-centered. The award comes with two things. First, the winner gets to keep the rocking chair in their office for a month, and second, they get to give a talk on any teaching topic that matters to them.
I decided to talk about all the things that I learned from my students. I told stories of things that my students did that taught me how to be a good teacher. Teaching is about transaction and transformation. As I teach, I grow. As they learn, they grow.
Highest distinction given to a graduate of the program
Earned the commendation for engaging in significant faculty development programs
2015
One of few chosen to attend football practice
2019
2009
Alumni of Distinction, May 2022
Lynn Meade is an instructor in the U of A's Communication Department, where she has taught since 2003. As a result of her dedication to students, she earned the Imhoff Teaching and Mentoring Award in 2018 and the Fulbright Master Teacher Award in 2022. She was nominated three times for teaching honors by the Student Alumni Association and Associated Student Government. Student-athletes voted her the Game Day Professor in 2009 and 2015. She was inducted into the Teaching Academy in 2019.
Meade currently serves as a co-director for the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, where she helps design programs to assist the faculty with their scholarship of teaching. She conducts teaching seminars for the Department of Communication, the Graduate School and the Teaching and Faculty Support Center. She recently wrote an open resource advanced public speaking textbook for the university.
Lynn Meade, instructor in the Department of Communication, whom her colleague and nominator Margaret Butcher describes as "the kind of teacher that students will remember long after they graduate … for the way she cared about them and the way that she challenged them." Butcher said Meade has taught 38 classes from 2018-2021, previously won the Imhoff Award for Teaching and Mentoring, was inducted into the U of A Teaching Academy, was a Wally Cordes Chair speaker and received the TFSC Faculty Commendation, which led her to become a co-director of the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center. "Dr. Meade seeks out creative and highly relevant teaching methods while providing rigorous content. She teaches using traditional pedagogical methods, but also tries new technologies, engages students with the community and provides learning opportunities where students can grow personally, professionally and intellectually," Butcher said. Meade also created a study abroad program in Ireland and is one of the 33 teachers from Fulbright College who are participating in the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) microcredential in Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment. "Dr. Meade exemplifies what it is to be a master teacher."
Inducted into the Teaching Academy. December 2019.
The Teaching Academy consists of faculty members who have been recognized by their peers, colleges and the university for their excellence in teaching, including excellence in classroom teaching. Other criteria for being selected to the Academy include a professor’s ability to establish a special rapport with students, to instill in them a love for learning, and to encourage them to go beyond the expectations of the classroom and to explore their disciplines for themselves. The Academy’s mission is to advocate and represent teaching interests, promote, and stimulate an environment of teaching and learning excellence, and encourage recognition and reward for exceptional teaching.
Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring, December 2018.
The Dr. John and Mrs. Lois Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching and Student Mentorship recognizes faculty members at the University of Arkansas who have demonstrated consistent and committed excellence in teaching, instruction and mentoring, all qualities central to the mission of a student-centered institution. Nominees must: instruct an introductory or entry-level course that introduces students to their discipline or acquaints students with a discipline; demonstrate excellence in classroom teaching; demonstrate excellence in student advising and mentoring, including formal academic advising, informal advising, student group or club advising, special project or research instruction and advising, and professional mentorship.
Faculty Commendation, 2019. Teaching and Faculty Support Center. University of Arkansas.
Game Day Professor. University of Arkansas, October 2009 and 2015.
Senior athletes nominate and vote on the top two professors to receive the distinction of “Game Day Professor.”
Teaching Award Finalist. University of Arkansas 2008.
Student Alumni Board and Associated Student Government 9th Annual Faculty Appreciation Banquet. Limited number of invitations based on student nominations.
Teaching Award Finalist. University of Arkansas, 2007.
Student Alumni Board and Associated Student Government 8th Annual Faculty Appreciation Banquet.
Halls of Excellence Teaching Award. Northwest Arkansas Community College, 2003.
Open Education Resource Grant, 2022. Received $7,500 grant to write an open resouse textbook on ePortfolios
Open Education Resource Grant, 2020. Received $5,000 grant to write an open resource textbook for Advanced Public Speaking.
Provost Instructional Grant, 2019. Received $1,500 to use towards PhotoVoice Training. University of Arkansas.
Provost Instructional Grant, 2016. Received $1,500 to use towards Intercultural Development Inventory Training Certification. University of Arkansas.
Teaching and Faculty Support Grant, 2012. Received $400 to buy a digital camera used to photograph student speech highlights. University of Arkansas.
Teaching and Faculty Support Grant, 2011. Received $400 to buy a video camera used to record student speeches. University of Arkansas.
It has been a lifelong dream to serve faculty. I am so excited to serve a three-year term with the teaching center.
Celebrating protest art with my students in Belfast Northern Ireland. We all got to sign the Peace Wall.
Cheering on my students. I love to watch my students perform in their element. Go Madison Watkins!
Presenting to the Teaching and Faculty Support Center on the topic of Safe and Brave Spaces
Celebrating diversity by participating in international student events. The indian celebration of Holi was quite an adventure.
I quickly make friends and I love to collaborate. At the Education Conference in Ireland, I made a new group of friends that I still keep up with and we continue to trade teaching ideas. I believe everyone has something to teach me if I take the time to listen.
Six countries are represented in this photo
I find ways to help my students connect with the real world. I took my public speaking students to the local high school where they talked with seniors about what they needed to know to be ready for college.
I love this picture because you can see the genuine pride on my face as I give my student an award. I am invested in their success.
Participating in the High Impact Practice Institute by invitation. Association of American Colleges and Universities
https://fulbright.uark.edu/deans-office/news-and-events/news-detail.php?id=56872
Planning Teaching Camp. As one of the co-directors, I help plan our three day teaching camp. Here our team is touring the facility in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Creating videos for the High Impact Practices Conference. My videos were used as the template for the event.
Celebrating with students. For the final exam in Advanced Public Speaking, we go out to eat and give toast speeches. The class always ends with a group photo.
I had the great joy of participating in the Design Your Life training program from Stanford University. In this photo, we are trying to take a serious photo for the press release, but we couldn't stop giggling. I hope you can see the joy that I feel from this photo. This is the joy of learning and even better, the joy of learning with others.
For the serious picture and the serious article about the institute, you can go to the article. Student Success Team Learns New Tools to Help Students with Life Design
Learner is my number one attribute on the the Clifton Strengths Quest. According to the tool, "People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them."
This is so true. I love to learn new ideas, I love to learn new theories, and I love to learn about people. One of my favorite things to do is to get textbooks from other disciplines and read them for fun. When my students talk about their major, they are always surprised that I know a thing or two about the topic.
As a teacher, I am constantly evolving. Because of this, my content is also ever-changing. I am never content with the way my class is built; I am always pushing to find a new way to do things or a new example to help students learn.
A recent example of that is I researched six-word stories and ran an in-class workshop to help my students write their story. As they were writing, I was writing too! We learned together. We learned that we have many six-word stories and can use those as a way to think about ourselves and the world. One of my six-word stories seems to fit here, so I'll share it.
Dare to Question Things Without Answers
Because I love to learn and I love to do new things, I am an early adopter of new teaching tools and ideas. This is one my creations in the early days of AI. I assigned student to make a collage of their interests as away to introduce themselves.
Seek continuous improvement
Excited by the process of learning
Energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence
See patterns where others see complexity
Able to sort thru the clutter to find the best route
Can create alternative ways to succeed
Asks, "What if?"
Loves to peer over the horizon
A dreamer who sees visions of what could be
Inspires others with the vision of the future
Asks, "Wouldn't it be great if we?"
Intrigued by the unique qualities of each person
Hear one of a kind stories in each person's life
Able to draw out the best in each person
Gift for figuring out how different people can work together productively
Turns thoughts into action
Asks, "When can we start?"
Once a decision is made, cannot not act
Learning Photovoice --storytelling and self-advocacy projects for socially excluded groups.
The meaning of life
is to find your gift.
The purpose of life
is to give it away.
–Pablo Picasso
Learning more about teaching at teaching camp.
I never stop learning.
I lead the University of Arkansas team at the Association of American Colleges and Universities' Institute on ePortfolios. As a result of the effort, we collaborated to build a robust infrastructures for ePortfolios at the University of Arkansas. I teach a Professional ePortfolio course, I am writing an Open Educational Resource textbook on ePortfolios, and I serve as a liaison between different departments as we collaborate on this initiative.
Read More About the Goals of the ePortfolio Iinitiave.
A Journey Map is a way to explore where you have been and where you are going. I led the Univeristy of Arkansas' ePortfolio Team for AAC&U's ePortfolio Institute. One of the activities that we explored was creating a journey map to visualize the team's progress.
Kathryn Zawisza and I presented our Journey Map at the Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence Based Learning Conference.
Meade, L.T. & Zawisza, K. T., "Journey-Mapping the University of Arkansas ePortfolio Initiative.” The Association for Authentic, Experiential, & Evidence-Based Learning, Online. (July 2023).
I strive to continually improve as a teacher and seek out trainings and certifications.
Wrote $1,500 grant to attend.
Wrote $1,500 grant to attend.
Learning While Leading: Supporting Intercultural Development While Studying Away
I earned the full certification while also facilitating the ACUE program at the University of Arkansas.
Promoting Active Learning
Inspiring Inquiry and Preparing Lifeline Learners
Creating a Supportive Learning Environment
Because I have had a variety of professional experiences before working in academics, I am able to give examples of how the theories relate to the business world. I continue to be actively involved in community work and try to help students find ways to make connections in the community.
Before I was a teacher, I was the director of the non-profit, Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers. This is a publicity photo for our event, "A Night with Otis Zark" at Terra Studios.
I love finding ways to work in the community. Here I am taking a group of kids to sing at an assisted living facility.
In my role as director, I spoke at community events, wrote grants, and planned and attended galas.
Robert Wood Johnson Grant $30,000
Leo Buscalia Grant
Gala 13,000
Terra Studio Fundraiser 15,000
Students learning about the non-profit ArtVentures
Students on the square in Fayetteville learning what political discourse looks like "in the wild" as they listen to the rhetoric from a political candidate.
Students in public speaking class making presentations to students at at Ramay Junior High School.
Students working with Boy Scouts to help them earn their communication badge.
I volunteer to use my skills in the community. I taught classes at the Osher Institute teaching storytelling and I offered a free class to area church on teaching skills. In addition, I provided free consultations to two different local political leaders. In my ongoing commitment to the community, I provided free presentations for the Public Relations Society of Arkansas, Volunteer Action Center Board, Boy Scout University, and Faith in Action.
Presented at the Public Relations Society of Arkansas
Collaborating to write the standards for high school speech and debate for the Arkansas Department of Education. Served as part of the Dream Team.
Arkansas Department of Education Standards Committee.
Wrote standards for Arkansas High School Communication, Debate, Drama, Dramatic Literature, and Forensics, (2010-2018).
When the University of Arkansas wanted to highlight the first-generation students, I was excited to share my story. I hoped that in some way, students would find me more accessible if they found out that I too struggled to figure it all out.
Open Resource Textbook
Meade, L. (in Progress) Professional Portfolios. Pressbooks Open Education Resource
Meade, L. (2021). Advanced Public Speaking. Pressbooks Open Education Resource
Competitively Selected Conference Papers
Top Four Paper Panel: Ethnography Division National Communication Association
Meade, L. T. (2007, November) Orbiting Planet Taylor: A Mothers Experience Parenting a Child with Attention Deficit Disorder. Presented to the National Communication Association, San Antonio, Texas.
Top Debut Paper Souther Communication Association.
Meade, L. T. (1996, April). Opening the X-Files: The Battle between Science and Myth. Southern States Communication Convention. Savanna, Georgia.
Books/Chapters
Osborn, Osborn, & Osborn (2009). Public Speaking. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Consultant and contributor).
Meade, L.T. (2008). Supermom. In J. Canfield, M.V. Hansen, & P. Aubery (Eds.). Chicken Soup for the Soul. Deerfield Beach: Health Communication.
Meade, L.T. (2006). Students with disabilities. In L.A. Gohn, & G.A. Albin (Eds.), Understanding college student subpopulations: A guide for student affairs professionals. Washington, DC: NASPA.
Meade, L.T. (Ed.) (2004). Fundamentals of Communication Custom Textbook. McGraw Hill: Boston.
Dissertation
Meade, L.T. (2007). Assessment and Basic Communication: Content Analysis of Assessment Instruments. Advisor: Dr. Michael Miller.
Ed.D. Higher Education College Teaching and Leadership
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2007.
Major Area: Pedagogy- College Teaching Learning Theory and Higher Education Leadership
Minor Area:Interpersonal and Nonverbal Communication
M.A. Communication
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1996.
Major: Interpersonal and Small Group Communication
B.A. Communication
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR. December 1994.
A.A. Management
University of Maryland, European Division, Baumholder Germany, 1991.
I mention this one because it is interesting that I went to school in Germany.
Teaching Associate Professor, Student Success, University of Arkansas. Fayetteville, AR 2025-Present
Teaching Assistant Professor, Student Success, University of Arkansas. Fayetteville, AR. 2022-2025
Instructor, Department of Communication, University of Arkansas. Fayetteville, Arkansas. 2003-2022
Instructor, Department of Communication, Northwest Arkansas Community College. Bentonville, Arkansas. 1999-2003
Teaching Assistant, Department of Communication, University of Arkansas. Fayetteville, Arkansas. 1995-1996