Episode 43: Higher Stakes for Higher Ed: Using Humor to Instruct and Engage - Tony D’Angelo, Syracuse University

What do laughter and learning have in common? According to Tony D’Angelo, Professor of Practice in Public Relations at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, they’re both essential to building trust, engagement, and resilience in the classroom and beyond. In this episode of Laughing Matters, Tony shares how humor helps educators connect with students, why civility is in crisis, and how a self-deprecating joke turned a stressed-out student into a creative powerhouse.

Tune in for:

• How humor lowers the temperature in high-pressure classrooms and encourages productive disagreement.
• Insights on how colleges and universities can differentiate themselves in a sea of sameness and deal with disruptive challengers like LinkedIn Learning.
• His insights on a recent study on civility in America… shameless plug, Tony will be on a panel discussing this topic at the PRSA Icon Conference on 10/29; fellow panelist and IW Chairman Bill Imada also did a recent podcast on civility.