By: Caelyn Rolle

“I am more than my academics”

Dr. Irene Lawrence reminds us that beneath all of the recognition that comes with being in academia, there is still a human being who wants to be seen and acknowledged. I recently interviewed Dr. Lawrence to learn more about the human behind the academic degree.

Not only is Dr. Lawrence new to Belmont, but she’s also new to Tennessee. Leaving the sun, sand, and sea of Orange County, California behind, Dr. Lawrence told me how much she misses home. However, she said that she is looking forward to this new chapter of her life and hopes to become a dog mom one day.

Before Belmont, Dr. Lawrence attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and earned a degree in psychology. Little did she know that life would lead her down a different path as she pursued her dream of becoming a researcher.

After taking a gap year, she pursued her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied advice-giving between romantic partners.

Dr. Lawrence mentioned that she never took a communication course during her undergraduate career. As a result, the switch to teaching communications in her last year of graduate school was frightening and challenging. Nevertheless, Dr. Lawrence conquered her anxieties and taught courses in decision-making in complex organizations, interpersonal communication, persuasion, intercultural communication and public speaking.

In my opinion, the young, enthusiastic Dr. Irene Lawrence is a breath of fresh air. She cares deeply about her students’ development and success and is compassionate towards those she encounters. She is not just a brilliant educator but is now a valuable member of the Communication Studies community. We are so blessed to have her here, and I cannot wait to see all she has in store for this semester!