Alison McCrowell
LIETZENMAYER
it's all about communication
Welcome
Alison is a university Communication instructor who is passionate about making theory accessible to students and empowering students through reflective learning. Whether teaching, collaborating on research, or catching a Seattle Mariners game, she brings a spirit of curiosity to her work and life.
Recent Scholarship
Mize, M., Lietzenmayer, A. M., & Beck, G. A. (In Press, 2025). Think again: How communication ePortfolios and work-based learning foster resilience through double-looping. In M. Modise & S. Vaughn (Eds.), Digital resilience of ePortfolios during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons for the future.
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Beck, G. A., Lietzenmayer, A.M., and Mize, M. (2025, November). Elevating resilient learners through reflective interaction: Utilizing the communication theory of resilience. Paper accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association. Denver, CO.
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Lietzenmayer, A.M., and Mize, M. (2025, November). Rising to the Challenge: Career Readiness in Communication. Panel accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association. Denver, CO.
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Elton, J., and Lietzenmayer, A.M. (2025, November). The Role of Communication in Elevating Disenfranchised Loss. Panel accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association. Denver, CO.
Lietzenmayer, A.M. (2025, November). Queer Disenfranchised Grief: Elevating Stories of Silence, Stigma & Survival. Panel accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association. Denver, CO.
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​Lietzenmayer, A.M, & Mize, M. (2025, August 5). Smells Like Team Spirit: Students' Reflections from a Study Away in Seattle Communal ePortfolio [Webinar]. HumanitiesX, DePaul University's Experiential Humanities Collaborative, and the University of Arizona's Department of Public and Applied Humanities. las.depaul.edu/about/initiatives/humanitiesx-experiential-collaborative.​
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In Old Dominion University News
Teaching the Publicly Engaged Humanities to Undergraduates Workshop Series
In August 2025, lead course instructor Prof. Alison Lietzenmayer and Dr. Megan Mize had the opportunity to contribute to the Teaching the Publicly-Engaged Humanities workshop series. Their session, Smells Like Team Spirit: Students' Reflections from a Study Away in Seattle Communal ePortfolio, highlighted ways the course project demonstrated that immersive, place-based learning can shape student growth and resilience.
The communal ePortfolio model demonstrates how students make meaning across academic, professional, and personal dimensions when engaged in hands-on public humanities work. You can read the full recap here: 2025 Teaching the Publicly-Engaged Humanities Summer Workshop Series Recap.
About the Presentation
This presentation showcased a collaborative ePortfolio project developed for a Study Away course, LGBTQ+ Organizational Culture in the PNW. Cross-listed in Communication, Queer Studies, and English, the course invited students to explore how identity and organizational communication theory intersected within media and tech organizations in Seattle. The culminating assignment asked students to co-create a public-facing ePortfolio using Wix, incorporating multimedia gallery entries and personal “Highlight” reflections. Designed to queer traditional academic authorship, the project emphasized collective storytelling and multimodal expression. Through immersive site visits and sensory documentation (e.g. photos, sound clips, and affective insights) students transformed abstract concepts into embodied, experiential learning. The result is a powerful model for rooting digital storytelling in lived experience, while affirming the humanities’ role in justice-oriented public engagement. Presenters Alison Lietzenmayer (Master Lecturer, Old Dominion University) and Dr. Megan Mize (Director of ePortfolios and Digital Initiatives, Old Dominion University) will share the project framework, assignment design, and practical strategies for integrating collaborative reflection and public scholarship into immersive courses.
Integrating Work-Based Learning into the Humanities Curriculum: the Monarch Humanities Internship Academy and Humanities at Work
Director of High Impact Learning Initiatives in the Office of Academic Success Lanah Stafford, Ph.D. spearheads this work and is tasked with mapping efforts. Director of Faculty Development, MHIA, and Master Lecturer, Department of Communication & Theatre Arts Alison Lietzenmayer works closely with Stafford. This joint approach was selected because curriculum mapping and faculty development are complementary efforts: mapping identifies gaps in the curriculum while development supports program faculty with addressing them.
COMM Alumni Takeover of the ODU Alumni Association Podcast
Communication alumni took over the ODU Alumni Association podcast, The Ice Cream and Cake Break!
On this special guest host pod, Alison Lietzenmayer '02, Director of Senior Experience & Internships, Communication & Theatre Arts and Director of Faculty Development, Monarch Humanities Internship Academy, hosted a live panel with ODU Communication grads, Sydney Stewart '23, Aaron Hodnett '13, Dr. Fred Tugas '13, and Lauren Ciampoli '13 '15 to find out how they've been using their Communication degrees out 'in the real world.'
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Read the special coverage by PRSSA in the Spring/Summer 2025 edition of the Vessel (pages 9-10 pictures below) or listen to the episode on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Pedagogy in Practice Podcast Guest
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Alison joins Tim Hackman and Kristal Kinloch-Taylor for an early recording of Pedagogy in Practice, a new podcast series at ODU. Listen as they talk about what inspires good teaching, how to build an inclusive learning environment in online learning, and analyzing teaching tools.
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Pedagogy in Practice promotes faculty belonging by uniting faculty in conversations about teaching. Faculty will join the podcasts to discuss their own innovative teaching practices. Dean of University Libraries, Timothy Hackman, and CFD Educational Program Developer, Kristal Kinloch-Taylor, are the podcast cohosts and will moderate and lead the conversations with faculty.
ODU Alumni Association Podcast Guest
In this episode, Alison Lietzenmayer, a double alumna and current faculty member in ODU's Communication and Theater Arts Department, shares her unexpected journey from reluctant freshman to passionate educator. Alison reflects on the impactful relationships and mentorships that shaped her academic and teaching career. She recounts her early days on campus, the challenges she faced, and the pivotal moments that led to her lifelong commitment to the Monarch community. Tune in for a heartwarming and insightful conversation about finding one's path and the enduring power of education.