Dr. Chris Patti, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Appalachian State University, will present a lecture on “Compassionate Communication in Divided Times” at Jackson State Community College. The lecture will be in the Ayers Auditorium on the college's main campus at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 20 and is free and open to the public.

Patti will also facilitate discussions with students throughout the day on Thursday and conduct a mindful meditation session on Friday morning at 9 a.m. This session will be held in room 203 of the Jim Moss Center for Nursing and is also free and open to the public.

Dr. Patti is also Affiliate Faculty: Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies at Appalachian State University. His research examines compassionate communication and navigating suffering through ethnographic work with Holocaust survivors and trauma survivors.

“Dr. Patti is clearly a thoughtful and inspired teacher whose ideas are relevant and salient,” said Dr. Bob Raines, Professor of Psychology at JSCC. “Maybe his thoughts about being present, listening with compassion, and keeping an open mind can serve as something of an antidote for the political and cultural polarization in which we find ourselves.”

There are three themes to be discussed by Dr. Patti:
1. really listening;
2. really being present; and,
3. really being open-minded, especially across differences and through trauma.

According to Patti, these three themes are “simple but not easy” practices central to happiness and success in life and work. “These are central themes in all the classes I teach—especially Interpersonal Communication,” he said.

The JSCC Honors program hosts a number of special learning and cultural enrichment opportunities for students and the community during the year. Click the “Learn More” tab to find out more about the Honors Program at JSCC.