Patti Walker

Patti Walker is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of South Carolina, affiliated with the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. She holds an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a BA from Catawba College. Her expertise focuses on actor training, public speaking, and communication pedagogy.

Her teaching spans acting, voice, movement, and public communication, emphasizing techniques to enhance student confidence and spontaneity. She integrates acting methodologies into her Fundamentals of Public Communication course to address performance anxiety and foster dynamic speaking skills. Walker is also a professional actor with Equity membership, performing in theatres across the U.S., including New York, Chicago, and Florida.

Her research explores exercises and techniques to free the voice and body for effective communication, aiming to develop more confident public speakers through holistic training.