Bachelor of Arts - Economics and Government
University of Texas at Austin
Professional Preparation
Master of Science - Business Administration
Boston University
Boston University
Master of Science - Applied Sociology
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
PhD - Public Policy and Political Economy
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
Research Areas
Virtual Exchange/COIL
Virtual Exchange (VE)/Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) brings students in different countries together to learn and collaborate online. My work focuses on preparing students for successful intercultural collaboration and guiding faculty in designing and implementing effective COIL experiences. I am also interested in expanding access to COIL and making global learning possible for students who may not have the opportunity to study abroad.Publications
Masardo, A., Cirulli Lanham, C., et al. (forthcoming). Preparing students for COIL: The development of an open-source pre-COIL training toolkit. Journal of Virtual Exchange. - peer-reviewed journal
Inclusive Alternatives to Study Abroad, Oxford Books Handbook of International Studies Pedagogy 2023 - Chapter
Virtual Exchange: Expanding Access to Global Learning, Academic Voices: A conversation on new approaches to teaching and learning in the post-COVID World, Elsevier Ltd. 2022 - Chapter
Lessons in Sobriety: An exploratory study of graduate outcomes at a recovery high school 2011 - Peer-reviewed journal
Awards
Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award - University of Texas System [2021]
Carol Cirulli Lanham Online Teaching Award - School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences [2020]
EPPS Outstanding Teaching Award for Online Teaching - School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences [2019]
President's Teaching Excellence Award in Online/Blended Intruction - University of Texas at Dallas [2018]
Nominee, Provost’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring, - University of Texas at Dallas [2016]
EPPS Outstanding Faculty Award - School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences [2011]
Appointments
Fellow
UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers [2022–Present]
As the only system-wide university teaching academy in the U.S., the Academy is emblematic of The University of Texas System's deep commitment to providing high-quality, comprehensive learning experiences for all students enrolled at its nine academic institutions. Members of the Academy are a diverse group of talented scholars with sustained distinction as teachers and mentors. They are deliberate in growing and sharing their teaching expertise across their campuses.
UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers [2022–Present]
As the only system-wide university teaching academy in the U.S., the Academy is emblematic of The University of Texas System's deep commitment to providing high-quality, comprehensive learning experiences for all students enrolled at its nine academic institutions. Members of the Academy are a diverse group of talented scholars with sustained distinction as teachers and mentors. They are deliberate in growing and sharing their teaching expertise across their campuses.
Fulbright Specialist
U.S. State Department [2021–2025]
Part of the larger Fulbright Program, this program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions. I was selected to be part of the Fulbright Specialist roster because of my expertise in online teaching and COIL/Virtual Exchange. In Fall 2025, I will to work on a project called “Co-operative Virtual Learning Across Borders” at Deakin University in Australia.
U.S. State Department [2021–2025]
Part of the larger Fulbright Program, this program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions. I was selected to be part of the Fulbright Specialist roster because of my expertise in online teaching and COIL/Virtual Exchange. In Fall 2025, I will to work on a project called “Co-operative Virtual Learning Across Borders” at Deakin University in Australia.
International Education Taskforce
University of Texas at Dallas [2020–2023]
University of Texas at Dallas [2020–2023]
Committee on Distance Learning
University of Texas at Dallas [2019–2026]
I was appointed chair of the committee in 2022.
University of Texas at Dallas [2019–2026]
I was appointed chair of the committee in 2022.
Committee on Student Scholarships
University of Texas at Dallas [2012–2022]
University of Texas at Dallas [2012–2022]
Distance Education Coordinator
University of Texas at Dallas [2012–2022]
University of Texas at Dallas [2012–2022]
Presentations
"Preparing students for COIL: An open-source pre-training module
UNICollaboration 2026 Conference in Limassol, CyprusEnhancing Global Learning: Design and Implementation of Virtual Exchange Programming
POD Network Annual Conference 2025, San Diego, CaliforniaAn AI Toolkit: Enhancing Collaborative Online International Learning with Artificial Intelligence
International Virtual Exchange Conference 2025, Crete, GreecePreparing Students for COIL: the development of an open-source pre-training module
International Virtual Exchange Conference 2025, Crete, GreeceExpect the Best and Plan for the Worst: Lessons from Building a COIL Program
International Staff Training Week-COIL track 2025, Berlin, GermanyAdditional Information
SOC 3393: Public Health from a Socio-Historical Perspective - Toulouse, France - 2026-
This course takes students on a journey From Cholera to COVID, beginning with six weeks of study in the United States and culminating in a Maymester experience in Toulouse, France. It explores how societies have understood and responded to disease across time, examining how culture, inequality, politics, scientific knowledge, and social conditions shape health and public health responses. Before traveling to France, students participate in a virtual exchange with students at a French university, engaging in facilitated discussions about chronic epidemics and comparing perspectives across cultures. In Toulouse, students take their learning beyond the classroom, using the city and surrounding region to explore the connections among history, place, society, and health.SOC 3303 - Classical Social Theory - 2011-
This course explores classic works of the founders of modern sociology and the important questions they asked in attempting to understand society. It also examines the historical and social conditions that led to the development of various sociological theories.SOC 1306 - Contemporary Social Issues - Paris - Summer 2022 and 2023 and Toulouse 2024
This course, taught in Paris, France in Summer 2022, 2023, and in Toulouse in 2024 examined problems related to immigration, crime and social control, the rise of the far right, work and the economy, youth and aging, and urban life. Students also will explore areas where the French are known to excel such as health care, the environment, and education.News Articles
Dream Team’ Goes the Distance To Create Training Module
UT Dallas is one of four institutions – two in the United States, two in Great Britain – working together on an interactive student training module for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), and that doesn’t happen without a unified effort. The Collaborative Online International Learning program links UT Dallas students with peers on the other side of the globe. “We’ve become our own little dream team,” said Dr. Carol Cirulli Lanham, Associate Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and the UT Dallas coordinator of the project. The dream is to create an educational resource for any university on the globe that wants to prepare students to take part in COIL. The COIL pedagogy enables students separated by oceans, time zones and cultural differences to meet online and learn more about each other and the world through a shared projectVE/COIL Links Students to International Education
Employers can’t stress it enough: Managing chaos has become a fundamental job skill. But if they’re looking to hire a University of Texas at Dallas graduate and see Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) on the resume, they’ll be happy to know that handling unexpected challenges is a key ingredient of the program’s recipe.World Class: Cirulli Lanham Revels in Fulbright Trip
As The University of Texas at Dallas continues to deepen its international education footprint, Dr. Carol Cirulli Lanham is one of the many administrators and faculty members who are walking that walk. But the experienced traveler’s first trip to Australia last fall was an especially important step. Cirulli Lanham visited Deakin University’s Melbourne Burwood campus for three weeks as a Fulbright Specialist. Her larger mission, however, was the continued growth of the Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) program, which enables UT Dallas students to connect in online projects with their peers in other countries. Virtual Exchange Program Extending UTD Educators’ Global Reach
UT Dallas was selected to be part of the Norwegian Panorama VE/Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Partnerships Initiative, sponsored by the Norwegian government to foster international cooperation in research and higher education. UT Dallas is one of seven U.S. universities participating in the partnerships, each of which is composed of a Norwegian university and one or more Japanese or U.S. institutions.EPPS Educator Named Among Top UT System Teachers with Regents’ Award
Carol Cirulli Lanham, the assistant dean of outreach and engagement in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) and associate professor of instruction in sociology was honored for her extraordinary dedication to teaching. She was one of 14 recipients of the UT System’s 2021 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA). The honorees represent 10 of the 14 UT System academic and health institutions and will be recognized virtually during a Board of Regents meeting in November.