Lanita Foley

Lanita Foley teaches Fundamentals of Communication in the School of Communication at Emerson College. Her teaching emphasizes student creativity, intercultural awareness, and the development of confident, ethical communicators prepared to adapt in a rapidly changing world.

She has received an AANAPISI curriculum development grant to infuse Southeast Asian and diasporic media into the public speaking curriculum and is a Faculty Fellow with Emerson’s VILLA: Working in the Open program, a collaboration with the Iwasaki Library. Beyond the classroom, she has moderated panels at the Museum of Science on topics as wide-ranging as Women in Sports Medicine (in collaboration with the French Consulate) and Green Jobs (in collaboration with Ocean Spray, Freight Farms, and the Food Project). She has also presented workshops on AI and pedagogy and holds a Certificate in Effective College Instruction from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).

Foley has worked on both sides of the admission desk at USC’s Marshall School of Business, Stanford University, and Phillips Academy Andover. She has also served as a consultant and speech coach, and she engages in volunteer work ranging from teaching incarcerated youth to mentoring with Big Sisters. She has collaborated on the marketing of children’s books and enjoys teaming up with Source restaurant in Cambridge to raise money and awareness for community causes.

Her global perspective is shaped by study abroad in Chile, professional work in Hong Kong, and extensive travel to all 50 states and 5 continents. She hopes to travel to Barcelona soon with the Communication Studies Department for professional development. Her academic background includes international study and faculty exchange, as well as degrees in International Relations (Stanford University) and Educational Technology (Michigan State University).

Originally from Los Angeles County and a graduate of the Brentwood School, Foley is insatiably curious about the world. She loves cooking, working in her garden, watching basketball, and listening to live music. She recently attended a retreat at the Highlights Foundation in Pennsylvania to work on her debut children’s book, adopted a miniature poodle from the Animal Rescue League in Boston, and in true Emerson spirit, made her acting debut in a student film last year. 

She has studied other languages, enjoys connecting people, and takes inspiration from mentors and artists around her. She draws particular inspiration from Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, who encourages his students to live a “one-buttock” life, and from her friend Darryl Roach, an actor who always reminded her to find her light. Above all, she wants all of her students to find belonging and thrive.