Home » EKU official to head national, regional organizations

EKU official to head national, regional organizations

RICHMOND, Ky. (Dec. 6, 2013) — Dr. Russell Carpenter, director of the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity at Eastern Kentucky University, has been selected to head national and regional organizations related to campus communication, creativity and writing centers.

Russell Carpenter
Russell Carpenter

Carpenter, the only director in Noel Studio’s four-year history on the Richmond campus, was recently elected to a one-year term as chair of the National Association of Communication Centers (NACC) and a two-year term as president of the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA).

In 2012, Carpenter chaired conferences at EKU for both organizations.

“Both conferences were the most successful in each organization’s history at the time and set the standard for how those conferences are envisioned,” Carpenter said. “Furthermore, these conferences brought unprecedented regional and national attention to the Noel Studio and EKU.”

Carpenter had held various offices in both organizations before assuming the top leadership positions. He also chaired a national search for the first editor of NACC’s new peer-reviewed journal, Communication Center Journal, and served as keynote speaker for the 2013 NACC Conference, where he presented research conducted at the Noel Studio.

“The SWCA was my first professional affiliation as a graduate student and first major conference as a presenter,” Carpenter said, “so it’s an honor to be elected to serve as president after my long-time affiliation and appreciation for that organization.

“When I first arrived on campus in 2009, several new colleagues, including Dr. Jayne Violette and Dr. Sherry Robinson, introduced me to the NACC leadership team at the NCA conference in Chicago. I became involved in the organization nearly immediately. I’m appreciative for that introduction and support,”

Carpenter said his new national and regional leadership roles “situate EKU at the forefront of any conversation about cutting-edge writing or communication center work. They also stand to enhance student recruitment to the University, showing that EKU prioritizes the development of communication skills in its students and among the University community.”

The Noel Studio embodies EKU’s Quality Enhancement Plan, which calls for the University to develop informed, critical and creative thinkers who communicate effectively. The colorful facility, housed in the University’s John Grant Crabbe Main Library, integrates services, all in a technologically sophisticated environment, designed to enhance students’ writing, speaking and research skills and inspire individual and collaborative learning.

The Studio has been spotlighted in a cover story for University Business magazine, recognized in an issue of American School & University magazine for its effective design, and featured in the Journal of Learning Spaces.