Free Expression and Constructive Dialogue at UNC-Chapel Hill

Please join the Martin Center for a virtual version of our annual Summer Session event on Thursday, June 25!

This year, our event will include a presentation from UNC professors Jennifer Larson and Mark McNeilly on freedom of expression and constructive dialogue at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the Spring of 2019, Jennifer and Mark (as well as UNC professor Timothy Ryan) were eager to better understand students’ experiences with free speech and constructive dialogue at their university. They conducted a survey and focus groups to gather data. Their research led to four principle findings and a set of recommendations for improvement. In this presentation, Jennifer and Mark will discuss their final report, as well as the process of performing research in this area.

To register, please visit our event page!

Jennifer Larson is a teaching associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the UNC English Department. Her teaching and research interests include African American literature (especially African American drama), Film Studies (especially race in contemporary cinema), American literature, and Composition (especially writing in/about law). Her most recent book, Understanding Walter Mosley (University of South Carolina Press), offers a critical overview of Mosely’s work across genres. She received her Ph.D. in English from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is the recipient of multiple teaching awards at UNC, including the Joseph M Flora Award in 2012 and 2017.

Mark McNeilly teaches in the areas of marketing and organizational behavior in both the full-time MBA and online MBA@UNC programs. He serves as a faculty advisor for the STAR program and executive coach in the Leadership program. He has served as a global marketing executive and has several years of experience with both IBM and Lenovo in the IT industry. His business background includes branding, strategy, marketing, market intelligence, management, manufacturing and personnel. He is the author of a popular strategy book based on Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” titled “Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers” as well as “George Washington and the Art of Business: Leadership Principles of America’s First Commander-in-Chief,” both from Oxford University Press. He received his MBA with honors from the University of Minnesota.