Kristen Hoerl has been appointed director of the Butler Speakers Lab, housed in the College of Communication.
Speakers Lab tutors are undergraduates in a variety of majors, who work one-on-one with other students, assisting them in creating and delivering oral presentations. The service is free and available to all Butler students on a walk-in or appointment basis; sign-up appointment sheets are located outside of the lab offices, Fairbanks Center, rooms 140 and 250.
Hoerl, who is an assistant professor in CCOM’s Media, Rhetoric and Culture program, said tutors help their peers prepare for class assignments, job interviews or other public presentations.
“Even if it is not required for a class, the Speakers Lab can play a valuable role in helping students realize their abilities to speak confidently about their ideas and aspirations,” she said.
“As the director of the Speakers Lab, part of my job is to facilitate the relationship between student tutors and the broader campus community. It is my goal to expand students’ awareness of the services available at the lab across campus.”
Students scheduled more than 1,500 tutoring appointments with the Speakers Lab in the 2011-2012 academic year, roughly a 50 percent increase over previous annual activities, according to Hoerl.
“In addition, the Speakers Lab has had a strong working relationship with Girls Inc. to help empower the voices of girls and young women in the Indianapolis area,” she said.
Speakers Lab was founded by the late Paul Sandin, senior lecturer in communication. He directed the lab for many years, until his passing in April.
Media contact: Mary Ellen Stephenson
(317) 940-6944
mestephe@butler.edu
