2023-2024 Leaders
Kylee Rock Fall 2023 CDL Fellow
Philosophy Major Communication and Justice Studies Minors
“Working as a CDL Research Assistant and Fellow has instilled in me a love for conducting research. I am truly grateful to Jen and Renee for their time and commitment to push me as a learner and as a member of the academic community. It has been a wonderful experience being a part of the CDL.”
Alex Bobinski
Spring 2023 Assistant Program Director
Communication and Psychology Major
2022-2023 Leaders
Hayleyann Gifford Fall 2022 CDL Fellow
Communication Business Applications Major
“I most enjoy the opportunity to engage with
the UNH and greater seacoast community in
meaningful conversation. I appreciate the
ability to apply knowledge from my
communication background to real issues. I
got involved last year through the major. As
soon as I got my foot in the door, I regretted
not embracing the CDL sooner. It’s the best experience to take away from the major!” 100 -hour award recipient
Colby Benoit Spring 2023 CDL Fellow
Communication Major
“One of the biggest things I have taken away
from being part of the CDL is communicating
effectively and coordinating with multiple
people in order to make sure projects and
events are properly executed.”
Emma Harold Spring 2023 CDL Fellow
Communication and Sport Management Major
“Becoming a fellow for the CDL has given
me great new experiences and connections!”
Mina O’Reilly Spring 2023 CDL Fellow
Communication Business Applications Major
“Becoming a CDL fellow is by far the best
decision I have made at UNH. I am forever
grateful to the CDL and will be taking
away a number of learned skills that I will
be able to apply in professional settings as
well as in my everyday life. I wish I had
gotten involved sooner!”
Celia Bajrami
Fall 2022 CDL Fellow
Communication and Justice Studies Major
Forensics Minor
A senior Communication and Justice Studies major, Celia reflects on what she enjoys most about the CDL:
“What I like most about the CDL is the opportunity to organize and produce purposeful dialogue within UNH and its surrounding areas. Being a dual major in communication and justice studies, I believe it is incredibly important to collaborate with others and engage in difficult civic conversation to better educate ourselves. Becoming a fellow has definitely been one of the most rewarding things to come out of my time at UNH!”
Ross Blauvelt
Fall 2022 CDL Fellow
Communication Major
Ross is a senior at the University of New Hampshire studying Communication. He shares his favorite experience with the Civil Discourse Lab, stating:
“My favorite thing about the lab is its dedication to helping students develop skills related to facilitation and collaborating with others. I’m excited to be a Fellow for the CDL because I believe that having hard conversations related to civility with those who may have different backgrounds and beliefs makes you a more informed and educated person”
2021-2022 Leaders
Paige Verrillo
2021-2022 Assistant Program Director
Communication/Media Practices
“My favorite experience working with the CDL was our Stories and Voices event of 2020 when we partnered with the faculty from the Sustainability Insitute and talked about racial equity relating to U.S. food system. We hosted three public dialogues that coincided with the timing and content of the 21 Day Habit Building Racial Equity Challenge. The themes of these events included acknowledging Indigenous People and their relationship to food and land, Invisibility and Racism, and Responsibility and Accountabilty. It was very moving to see how respectfully people could share their personal stories and listen to the stories of others while coming together to try to educate themselves and others on the topics at hand.”
Alex Bobinski
Spring 2022 CDL Fellow
Communication and Psychology Major
“My favorite experience working with the CDL was our Stories and Voices event this past spring 2022: An Interactive Dialogue Engaging Water. This event brought together a multitude of people, including scientists in the Seacoast area and Indigenous peoples. People were able to sit down and have an open discussion about a topic they may not have considered before. People were able to share their stories and experiences, while connecting with one another. I am happy to have been able to witness and participate in a dialogue like this one, and I look forward to this upcoming year with the CDL!”
Kira Kelly
Spring 2022 CDL Fellow
Communication Major
Senior
Jonathan Goldberg
Fall 2021 CDL Fellow
Communication Major/Law Minor
Senior
“My favorite experience being a part of the Civil Discourse Lab is the opportunities I have had to explore and learn about complex civil and social issues. I had such an awarding experience facilitating discussions on food equity in last semester’s Stories and Voices event.”
Paige O’Neal
Fall 2021 CDL Fellow
Communication Major
Senior
2020-2021 Leaders
Piper Gibson
2020-2021 Assistant Program Director
Political Science/Philosophy Major
Senior
“I found the Stories & Voices Event of 2019 where we talked about addiction incredibly powerful. It was very moving to see how respectfully people could share their personal stories and listen to the stories of others while coming together to try to find a solution to the opioid crisis.”
Alexa McNamara
2020-2021 CDL Fellow
Communication Major/Art Minor
Senior
“My favorite experience with the CDL was being a part of the event surrounding addiction because it was a very eye opening experience. Everyone who participated in the group allowed themselves to be vulnerable and open to the rest of us. The conversation was rich and the ideas that were brainstormed in the facilitation seemed to provide people with legitimate hope for the future and a means to spread change within their community.”
Stephanie Rouse
2020-2021 CDL Fellow
Communication/International Affairs Major
Senior
“The Immigration facilitation that I participated in in 2017. This was my first experience with the CDL and it really solidified my involvement in this organization!”
Lauren Williams
Spring 2021 CDL Fellow
Communication Major/Business Administration Minor
Senior
Working with the CDL for the past year has been an amazing experience. Specifically, conducting interviews for our Access to Higher Education event opened the door to hear stories from people I would have never had the chance to have a conversation with about important community issues. Being able to hear stories from different people of the community emphasized the importance of gathering a diverse group of people in the community to talk about specific issues, so everyone’s views regarding the issue can be understood by all to allow deliberation to occur.
Elza Ribeiro Brechbühl
Fall 2020 CDL Fellow
Communication Major/Food Equity and Women’s Studies Minor
Junior
“This far, the opportunities I had to expose myself to different ideas and perspectives have been my favorite part of the Civil Discourse. Lectures, discussions, and partnerships give me the chance to meet new people and engage with them in ways that are both special and unconventional. As a college student, I get to ask and say things that go beyond majors and hometowns. I learn and share unheard opinions and histories on topics that really seem to matter in my community.”
2019-2020 Leaders
Piper Gibson
Spring 2020 Assistant Program Director/Fall 2019 Fellow
Political Science/Philosophy Major
Senior
“I found the Stories & Voices Event of 2019 where we talked about addiction incredibly powerful. It was very moving to see how respectfully people could share their personal stories and listen to the stories of others while coming together to try to find a solution to the opioid crisis.”
Katherine Auger
F 2019-Sp 2020 CDL Fellow
Graduated with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business Administration
“I feel privileged and humbled to be a part of a program that encourages and educates students on deliberative dialogue providing us with tangible experiences that are applicable to the ‘real world'”
Elza Ribeiro Brechbühl
Spring 2020 CDL Fellow
Communication Major/Food Equity and Women’s Studies Minor
Junior
“This far, the opportunities I had to expose myself to different ideas and perspectives have been my favorite part of the Civil Discourse. Lectures, discussions, and partnerships give me the chance to meet new people and engage with them in ways that are both special and unconventional. As a college student, I get to ask and say things that go beyond majors and hometowns. I learn and share unheard opinions and histories on topics that really seem to matter in my community.”
Chris Gagliolo
F 2019-Sp 2020 CDL Fellow
Graduated with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business Administration
My favorite experience at CDL was “facilitating the two conversations about addiction in the honors symposium. It was interesting to see the evolution from the dialogue in the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”
Jacob Garner
F 2019-Sp 2020 CDL Fellow
Graduated with a degree in Communication and a minor in English
“The Civil Discourse Lab allows me to engage and lead authentic and real conversation with so many amazing and diverse perspectives. There is so much we can learn from each other when we allow ourselves to fully understand the ‘other’ through dialogue.”
Check out Chris’s article about the racial equity challenge, entitled “Rose Colored Racism”. Read the full article Here.
Carly Jilson
Fall 2019 Assistant Program Director/Spring 2019 Fellow
Graduated in 2020 with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business Application and Sports Studies
Favorite experience: “Working with our Co-Directors Renee and Jen and other affiliates to put together Stories & Voices – The Stigma of Addiction & Stories of Hope in Spring 2019.”
Stephanie Rouse
Fall 2019 CDL Fellow
Communication/International Affairs Major
Senior
“The Immigration facilitation that I participated in in 2017. This was my first experience with the CDL and it really solidified my involvement in this organization!”
Ashley Strokus
Fall 2019 CDL Fellow
Graduated with a degree in Communication and a minor in Women & Gender Studies
“Working with the ACLU last semester at the Youth Forum on Race and Racism and the Stories and Voices Event.”
2018-2019 Leaders
Carly Jilson
Spring 2019 Assistant Program Director
Graduated in 2020 with a degree in Communication/minor in Business Application and Sports Studies
Favorite experience: “Working with our Co-Directors Renee and Jen and other affiliates to put together Stories & Voices – The Stigma of Addiction & Stories of Hope in Spring 2019.”
Sam Davison
Spring 2019 CDL Fellow
Graduated in 2019 with degree in Marketing and Public Relations
“The foundation of the CDL has greatly reinforced my understanding of the concepts I have learned in my classes. Because of this program, I have confidence not only in my skills as a communicator and facilitator, but also in my ability to speak publicly and demonstrate my leadership abilities in a respectful, inclusive manner, maintaining the dignity of those I engage with, a philosophy demonstrated and encouraged by faculty.”
Shannon Hagerty
F 2018-Sp 2019 CDL Fellow
Graduated in 2019 with degree in Communication
Caitlin Magowan
F 2018-Sp 2019 CDL Fellow
Graduated in 2019 with degree in Communication/minor in hospitality
Jocelyn Vierzen
Spring 2017/Fall 2018 Assistant Program Director
Graduated Dec. 2018 with degree in Communication and Sustainability
Eva Ford
Fall 2018 CDL Fellow
Graduated in 2019 with a degree in Communication
2017-2018 Leaders
Jocelyn Vierzen
Spring 2018 Assistant Program Director/Asst. Program Director Sp 2017-F 2018
Graduated in Dec. 2018 with a degree in Communication and Sustainability
Lucy Klemarczyk
Fall 2017 Assistant Program Director
Graduated in 2018 with degree in Marketing and Public Relations
Lucy shares how the Civil Discourse Lab and it’s corresponding curricula prepared her for the workforce.
“Just wanted to share this with you. Classes like yours prepared me so well for the job I have…Nothing on my resume was worth my work with the CDL”
Special Thanks to the CDL Dream Team
Ashley Stratton, Lucy Klezmarzyk, Jocelyn Vierzen, Brianna Belley, and Alisha Behnia for their crutial work in bringing the Civil Discourse Lab to life.
