ESU and Community Service and Continuing Professional Development
Read more about my university and community service starting here.
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Community and university service often overlap, as you will see in the sections below. For example, a service-learning project teaches students and helps a member of the community.
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The professional development section focuses not on academic theory but rather on praxis of professional writing, e.g., writing and editing as a paid professional in the field.
Committees
East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA
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Member, Search & Screen Committee, Dept. 2017—Secondary Education
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Member, Search & Screen Committee, Dept., 2018—Professional Writing
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Member, Adjunct Evaluation Committee, Dept.
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Member, Executive Committee, Dept.
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Member, Adjunct Evaluation Committee, Dept.
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Member, English Major Track Review Committee, Dept.
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Member, Sabbatical Committee, University
Administrative Positions
East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA
SITE Faculty Fellow, Spring 2020
Coordinator, Graduate Program in Professional and Digital Media Writing, 2013–2019
Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, TX
Interim Writing Program Director, 2011–2012
Service-Learning
Service-learning in the writing classroom can be both short term and long term, with projects of small, medium, and large scope.
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Service-learning is an approach to teaching and learning in which students use academic and civic knowledge and skills to address genuine community needs.
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Picking up trash on a river bank is service.
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Studying water samples under a microscope is learning.
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When science students collect and analyze water samples, document their results, and present findings to a local pollution control agency – that is service-learning. (National Youth Leadership Council)
Service-learning and problem-based learning often go hand-in-hand. Developing problem-based service-learning involves a great deal of coordination with community partners to find ways that writing students can help solve an organization’s problems.
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Ideally, these projects should give students some real-world work experience, and not simply be menial tasks that any volunteer would be able to do. The point of service-learning is for students to gain new understanding of their field, while also providing a service for a community partner.
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Beginning with a problem, the instructor and community partner discuss ways in which students can help solve the problem. In upper-division courses, students can be part of that discussion. For example, the Aquashicola Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy came to us several years ago, wanting to know how they could accomplish several tasks: preserving their extensive collection of legal documents, publicizing their court battle against rich racetrack developers, and appealing to new, younger members.
To help solve these problems, the APWC and I worked with students in both a Workplace Writing course and several sections of the Senior Seminar in Professional Writing. Links to some of their SL work appear below.
Problem-based learning  (PBL) is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem. This problem is what drives the motivation and the learning.  (Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation)
Problem-based service-learning projects can take the form of a number of different assignments, for courses from workplace writing to senior seminars (with links to some past projects):
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Social media content or management
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e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
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Social media image design
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e.g., Facebook headers, infographics, branded content
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Usability testing and reporting
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Research and analysis
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Promotional materials
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e.g., press releases, flyers, pamphlets, signs, photography, brochures, newsletters, videos
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Event planning and promotion
To find out more about how to incorporate Service-Learning into your course, visit ESU’s Service-Learning web page.
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If you already have a service-learning idea but just need to find an organization to work with, visit ESU’s Community Service Database.
Other Service
Advising and Mentoring
East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA
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Advisor, Professional Writing Club (2021–Present)
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Co-Advisor, National Broadcast Society (2017–18)
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Student Internships in Professional Writing (2014–Present)
Community
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Morning Star Living 4-week Workshop: “Writing and Publishing a Life History Document” Fall 2020 & ff. Website: yourlifehistory.rocks
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Volunteer judge, Russell C. Hughes – Monroe County Spelling Championships, 2015 and 2016, East Stroudsburg H.S. South
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Service Learning Initiative for Workplace Writing Community Partners
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Professional portraiture and web gallery design for Christ Church Stroudsburg
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Member of Rector Search Committee for Christ Episcopal Church, 2021
Interdepartmental Collaboration
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New Mythologists Project: The Little Mermaid. With David Mazure (Art) and Jan Selving (English). Co-authored news story describing fictional drowning death of a child dressed as a mermaid. Dr. Mazure exhibited the project in Tennessee in August 2015 and in Wilkes-Barre, PA, in Fall 2015.
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Dramaturg for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, produced by Stephanie Daventry French and the ESU Theatre Dept., April 2015.
Professional Development
Continuing Education
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REMOTE 2022: Maximizing Success for Learners
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Safe Zone
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Advanced Safe Zone
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ESU Digital Fellow 2022
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Teaching Online Certification Course
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Freelance Writing and Training
As a professional writer and trainer, I freelance during summers and slower periods. My past work as a technical and marketing communications writer was good preparation for teaching in this discipline, but the world of professional writing is changing rapidly, and new skills and experiences are needed to keep ahead of these changes.
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To keep my skills honed both as a writer and an instructor of professional writing, I freelance in two main areas: copy writing and professional training.
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As a copy writer, I currently freelance for the ClearVoice agency. Recent clients include NEADS, the National Educational Association of Disabled Students in Canada.
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As a trainer, I develop and deliver professional writing courses for the health care fields. St. Luke's University Health Network in Bethlehem is my main client.