Marla Carano joined the School of Communication as a full-time lecturer at the start of 2023, bringing with her 17 years of experience in teaching, public speaking and professional communication. She also runs a consulting firm where she coaches politicians and executives on speeches, presentations and small group communication.
Carano now teaches four sections of Persuasive Communication each semester. This course is designed to increase students’ understanding of persuasive communication - an attempt to change human behavior or to strengthen convictions and attitudes through communication - as it relates to citizenship and the American experience. Students learn to persuade audiences about justice, equity and diversity issues in both their writing and speaking. Separate readings and class discussion focus on writing and on giving audience-centered presentations.
She also continues managing her consulting firm, Carano Consulting, LLC., which she started in 2014 to help clients improve their keynote speeches, conference presentations and small group communications. Carano’s advice to all of her clients is to develop their public speaking skills – hard stop.
“And to feed off of that, don’t shy away from conflict and argumentation,” Carano said. “In the world of communication, conflict and argumentation are good things. Aggression is bad and unproductive, but conflict and argumentation are necessary for progress.”
During her 17 years of teaching and consulting, Carano said a highlight of her career is teaching communication courses in Ohio correctional institutions on behalf of the Ashland University Second Chance program.
“Just recently, I had one of my former incarcerated students, who was eventually released, reach out and share that he continued his education and graduated with his bachelor’s in communication,” said Carano. “He said I taught one of his first classes and made it feel possible.”
Before starting her own communication journey, Carano looked up to her father, who was a high school English and communication teacher and an award-winning high school speech coach. With a similar passion for communication and education, Carano studied secondary education with a concentration in comprehensive communications at Youngstown State University. Her education career began as a high school teacher, in addition to coaching speech and debate.
However, shortly after beginning to teach, Carano realized how much more she wanted to learn about communication theory and practice. With her roots of coaching competitive speech and debate, she decided to continue her education at The University of Akron, graduating with a Master of Arts in Speech Communication and Rhetoric.
Carano is in the process of attaining her EdD. She is currently in the dissertation phase of her doctorate in educational leadership with a focus in evaluation and measurement methodologies.
Article by student Elizabeth Engle
