"Being Heard: The Passage of Knowledge from One Generation to Another" is the topic of a talk by Coastal Carolina University communication professor Wes Fondren on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 10 a.m. in the Myrtle Beach Education Center Theater. The event is free and open to the public.

Fondren, associate professor and chair of CCU's Department of Communication, Media and Culture, will discuss the science of successfully conveying verbal messages, or "being heard," and techniques for enhancing one's efficiency at the skill. Fondren will provide strategies and practical tips for passing along information and understanding from one person to another, specifically between generations. He will focus exclusively on person-to-person communication.

"We all long to be heard," says Fondren. "In today's divided world, so many people are speaking and so few listening. Being heard can lead to greater understanding and often to avoiding conflict." Fondren earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Alabama, a Master of Divinity from Samford University and a Ph.D. in communication and information science with a specialization in cognitive psychology from the University of Alabama. Fondren's research interests include the use of technology in the communication process, media technology and media effects. Fondren is the former director of technology for Boone Newspapers Inc., a conglomerate that owns 45 newspapers.

The lecture is part of the "Passages: A Global Perspective" lecture series sponsored by CCU's Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

A coffee social will precede the lecture at 9:30 a.m.

CCU's Myrtle Beach Education Center is located at 900 79th Ave. N. For more information, contact Fondren at wfondren@coastal.edu or 843-349-6656.