When Julia Schneiderman walks into a classroom, everything shines a little brighter.
“From attending student events in a show of support to providing words of advice, it is safe to say that she leads her students with her heart,” said Amy Vanessa Garcia ’23 (B.A. communication studies). “Her bubbly personality and warmth can light up even the dimmest of Zoom sessions and classrooms.”
For her compassion, positivity, and unwavering dedication to student success, Schneiderman was recognized with Cal State Fullerton’s 2024 Outstanding Lecturer Award.
“There are good instructors, truly talented instructors and once-in-a-generation instructors — and Julia is the latter,” said John Bruschke, chair and professor of human communication studies.
Schneiderman joined the human communication studies department as a lecturer, teaching such courses as Communication Theory, Rhetoric of Popular Culture, Sex Communication and Public Speaking. Throughout her 12-year career on campus, Schneiderman has taught 51 courses, and her achievements in the classroom are best captured through her students’ experiences.
On the student opinion questionnaires, Schneiderman’s students regularly give her high ratings, praising her expertise in the subject area, her respect for students and her ability to foster an inclusive learning environment.
“Julia is an irreplaceable asset to the human communication studies department, to the university and to the community. She is beyond deserving of public recognition at CSUF, and the 2023-24 Outstanding Lecturer Award is most fitting,” Javette Hayes, associate professor of human communication studies.
Leading With Her Heart
“My greatest hope is that all students under my tutelage will increase their communicative effectiveness to not only enhance their own lives but the lives of others, and that they will all rightfully take their place at the table,” said Schneiderman.
Her work in the human communication studies department is not only defined by her collaborative mindset and eagerness to support others, but also by the impact that she’s had on current students and alumni.
When Schneiderman begins teaching at the beginning of every semester, she always takes a minute to survey the room. She promises herself that she will meet every student and learn their story to ensure that they succeed.
“Woven into the tapestry of every classroom is a set of complex individuals. Part of my job is to understand how these complexities may negatively impact their academic pursuits in order to remove as many barriers as possible,” said Schneiderman.
Her flexibility and strategic thinking became paramount amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Within weeks, Schneiderman adapted to a new teaching modality and began setting up her classes for success. Using breakout rooms on Zoom, giving in-class surveys and leveraging multimedia teaching tools, she kept her students engaged.
“She always prioritized the students,” said Tuong Manh Le ’23 (B.A. communication studies), who is now pursuing his master’s degree in social work at USC. “She became a light, a supporter for us to continue our educational journey with the firm belief that everything will work out.”
Beyond the classroom, Schneiderman is known for her work in the community, developing and presenting sex-trafficking prevention material for at-risk youth in Orange County middle and high schools.
She also created Everybody Loves Mail, a nonprofit organization that encourages children of all ages to write letters, create artwork and develop creative writing projects that can be shared with community members, such as elderly people, severely or terminally ill children and adults, and military families.
“To devote the amount of time and energy to her classroom work, to maintain a scholarly presence in the discipline, and to still manage to engage in service to our university and community is remarkable,” said Gary Ruud, associate professor of human communication studies. “She is most deserving of this award.”