Experienced teacher, academic advisor, faculty member, committee member and leader, program leader, department- and university-level curriculum developer, department chair, and faculty president.
Education
Ph.D. in English. Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, 2006
- Dissertation: “Net Work: Social Networks, Disruptive Agency, and Innovation in Howells, Fitzgerald, Heller, Pynchon, and Gibson”
- Committee: Dr. Kecia Driver McBride (director), Dr. Robert D. Habich, Dr. Joseph F. Trimmer, Dr. Patrick Collier, and Dr. Melinda Messineo
- Specialization: Twentieth-Century and Contemporary American Literature and Culture
- Exams in: American and British Literature, Literary Theory, Composition and Rhetoric
- Coursework: Here
M.A. in English (Literature). Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, 1998
- Thesis: “Fascination Machine: A Study of Pop Music, Mass Mediation, and Cultural Iconography”
- Committee: Dr. Patti White (director), Dr. Lauren Onkey, and Dr. Lee Papa
B.S.Ed. Taylor University, Upland, Indiana, 1996; summa cum laude
- Secondary Education/English (major)
- Communication Arts Education (minor/teaching endorsement)
Faculty Appointments
Professor of English, Whitworth University. (July 2018 – Present)
Associate Professor, Whitworth University. (July 2013 – June 2018)
Assistant Professor, Whitworth University. (July 2008 – June 2013)
Instructor, Ball State U. (Aug. 2000 – 2002, Aug. 2004 – May 2008)
Instructor, Ivy Tech State College. (Summer 2000, Summer 2001)
Research & Teaching Overview
Interests
twentieth century and contemporary American literature; American immigrant literature; postmodern literature, culture, and theory; writing and composition pedagogy; computers and writing; visual narratives (film and media studies, including comics/graphic novels); social network theory; experience-based/immersive learning
Scholarship, In Brief
My scholarship has explored not only traditional storytelling in print but also communication and storytelling through film, comics, transmedia, and other visual and multimodal forms. The work is unified by my continuing interests in improvisation and innovation, both inside communities and within storytelling forms.
My dissertation used social networking theories to analyze the agency of outsider characters in American literature who cause disruption without necessarily securing economic or political power.
Courses Taught (2000-2024)
First-Year/Freshman Seminar (3 sections, 2009 – 2015)
Senior Seminar/Senior Portfolio (5 sections, 2010 – 2023)
Introduction to English Studies (5 sections, 2004 – 2007)
Reading Literature (2 sections, 2006 – 2009)
Am. Literature Survey, 1865 to Present (17 sections, 2002 – 2024)
Am. Literature Survey, Discovery to Present (1 section, 2009)
20th-Century American Fiction (7 sections, 2008 – 2022)
Postmodern Literature and Culture (8 sections, 2010 – 2023)
American Drama Since 1900 (7 sections, 2011 – 2023)
American Immigrant Literature (8 sections, 2009 – 2020)
African American Literature (2 sections, 2013 – 2017)
Intro to Film Studies (9 sections, 2006 – 2024)
Visual Narratives (Comics/Film+) (8 sections, 2011 – 2024)
Digital Storytelling (4 sections, 2009 – 2017)
English Studies and Technology (1 section, 2008)
Writing 1/First Year Composition (24 sections, 2000 – 2013)
Writing 2/Multimodal Composition (5 sections, 2016 – 2023)
Basic Writing (3 sections, 2000 – 2001)
Administration & Leadership
Key Academic Administration & Leadership
Elected Member/Committee Chair, Faculty Promotion and Tenure Committee, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Aug. 2022 – May 2025). Elected by a vote of the entire faculty; chairperson for 2023/24.
Director of the Film and Visual Narrative Minor, Whitworth University, Department of English. Creation and coordination of successful interdisciplinary minor including courses in communication studies, theatre, computer science, art, and English. Typically 10-20 students. (May 2013 – Present)
Faculty President, Whitworth University. Elected to two-year term by vote of the entire faculty. (July 2019 – May 2021)
- Agenda Setting & Moderating/Chairing: For annual Faculty Retreat, for monthly Faculty Assemblies, and for weekly meetings of the Faculty Executive Committee, which includes, in turn, leaders of key standing committees tasked with curriculum oversight, assessment, faculty research and development, and faculty economic welfare.
- Consultation & Coordination: With standing committee chairs, the provost, the university president, and other committees and task force chairs as needed.
- Reporting: To the university president, provost, and board of trustees on activities and concerns of the faculty, standing committees, and task forces of the Faculty Executive Committee.
- Highlights: Supporting launch of revised gen ed curriculum; supporting development of campus-wide pandemic strategies (classroom, calendaring, governance); serving on university presidents’s free speech and civil discourse task force; co-chairing provost search; task forces on faculty evaluation, research approval, clinical faculty status, and distance education; key votes on leadership continuity for standing committees, assessment of scholarship and service, and revision of departmental scholarship definitions; groundwork for future task forces on grievance procedures, post-pandemic impacts, and teaching evaluation; groundwork for future assessment of shared governance and committee structures.
Elected Member, University Council, Whitworth University (2016/17 – 2017/18; 2019/20 – 2020/21). Whitworth’s primary strategic planning committee; elected to two-year term by vote of the entire faculty. (Second term in conjunction with faculty presidency.)
Department Chair, Whitworth University Department of English. (July 2015 – June 2019)
Acting Department Chair, Whitworth University Department of English. (Jan. 2014 – Dec. 2014)
- Scope. Managed department with twelve regular faculty; six to ten contingent faculty; three major tracks; five minor programs; two affiliated university programs (writing program, writing center); three endowed funds; two to four annual invited readers; 80-120 majors; 75-90 minors.
- Curriculum. Led department through major revisions of Education and Writing Studies tracks. Led development of unique courses for Whitworth’s Continuing Studies program. Coordinated launch of a required Professional Writing course in the School of Business. Oversaw implementation and growth of three new interdisciplinary minors (TESOL, film, publishing). Prepared for transition to new general education curriculum.
- Assessment. Re-developed departmental learning outcomes to link them to a thorough five year assessment cycle. Regular reports to the assessment committee. Thorough reporting on shape and cost of English programs for a 2016 budget prioritization process.
- Staffing. Hired and on-boarded five regular faculty members, two program assistants, and several lecturers and adjuncts. Guided new and junior faculty members through tenure and promotion processes. Argued successfully for conversion of a senior lecturer to regular faculty status; argued successfully for conversion of a visiting assistant professor to regular faculty status. Secured additional reassigned time for Writing Program director, Writing Center director, and literary magazine editor. Re-worked program assistant position for better management of student assistants, budgets and annual purchases, and documentation of annual cycle of tasks.
- Delegation. Established working groups and task leaders to accomplish departmental goals, resulting in, e.g., new curriculum working groups, a new event coordinator role, a leader for student professionalization efforts, a social media coordinator, a committee for commemoration and celebration, and other small working groups as needed.
- University Leadership. Participated actively in the Academic Leadership Council (led by the Faculty VP and Provost) and other leadership meetings for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Appointed Member, General Education Implementation Task Force, Whitworth University. (May – Dec. 2018). Intensive committee work refining and developing learning outcomes for the “Four Inquiries” general education model ahead of faculty voting. Curriculum adopted with overwhelming faculty support (90%) in Fall 2018.
Leader/Coordinator, “Four Inquiries” General Education Modeling Group, Whitworth University (2017/18). One of six groups organized to develop potential general ed models; based on faculty ranking/voting, our proposed model became the basis for WU’s revised general education curriculum.
Writing Program Assistant Director for Technology/Laptop Classroom Coordinator, Ball State University. Coordination of renovations and technology purchases; writing annual departmental technology requests; troubleshooting and teacher support for tech-enhanced classrooms; development and implementation of new ideas for laptop-oriented teaching and learning, based on teacher and student feedback; organizing and leading workshops for teachers. (Aug. 2005 – May 2008)
Director of the “Tell-a-Vision” Grant Program, Ball State University; sponsored by the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry and the BSU Center for Media Design. Funding and guidance of team-based, grant funded, student-driven, new/digital media projects. (July 2002 – Dec. 2004)
Graduate Assistant for Study Abroad Programs, Ball State University Center for International Programs. Promotion of study abroad programs on campus; management of a team of five undergraduate classroom presenters. (Aug. 1996 – May 1998)
Selected Additional Service & Leadership
English Catalog and Scheduling Coordinator, Whitworth University Department of English. (July 2013 – Present). Cultivated and coordinated a predictable scheduling strategy in which all regular faculty members contribute to Whitworth’s written communication general ed requirement, regularly offer courses in other general education categories, and teach upper division courses in their specialties.
Academic Advisor, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2009/10 – Present). Carried an academic advising load of 15-30 students at all times (beginning in second year at Whitworth).
Faculty Sponsor, Storyteller’s Club (Student-Led Creative Writing Support Group), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2024/25 – Present).
Faculty Sponsor, Westminster Round (English Department Student Organization), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2009/10 – 2013/14; 2022/23 – Present).
Member, Whitworth Film Festival Committee, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2009/10 – Present).
Member, Task Force on Literary History/Survey Courses, Department of English, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Spring 2023).
Faculty Search Committee Member (Multiple Searches), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA. Assistant Professor of English (Composition/Rhetoric, Writing Program Dir.), 2022/23; Assistant Professor of English (Fiction Writing) (Ex-Officio Member), Fall 2017; Assistant Professor of English (18th/19th C. British Lit.) (Ex-Officio Member), Spring 2017; Assistant Professor of Art (Graphic Design), Spring 2015; Assistant Professor of Journalism, Fall 2014; Dean of the Library, Spring 2013; Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, Spring 2013; Assistant Professor of Marketing, Spring 2012; Assistant Professor of English (Composition/Rhetoric, Writing Program Dir.), Spring 2012; Assistant Professor of English (Composition/Rhetoric, Writing Center Dir.), Spring 2011; Assistant Professor of English (Composition/Rhetoric, Writing Program Dir.), Spring 2010.
Member, Task Force on the English / Language Arts Major, Department of English, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Fall 2022). Reworked the Language Arts BA (and adjusted the English BA) to benefit students double majoring in education, pursuing specialized education minors, or exploring teaching careers.
Member, Task Force on the English Major, Department of English, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Spring 2022). Developed an approach to the major combining strengths of our literature and writing tracks, along with small minors to complement the integrated, smaller major.
Invited Member, The 175th Commission, Taylor University, Upland, IN (2021/22). Commission designed to help Taylor “examine the current state of Taylor University and recommend ways to enhance [its] ministry and effectiveness…in the years ahead.”
Member, President’s Task Force on Free Expression and Civil Discourse, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2019/20 – 2020/21). Developed a written statement of institutional values.
Member, CCCU BestSemester/GlobalEd Selection Committee. Reviewing student applications for Whitworth-funded off-campus semesters sponsored by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2013/14 – 2020/21).
Co-Primary Seeker/Co-Chair, University Provost and Executive VP Search Committee, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2019/20). Partnered with Whitworth’s president in leading this search.
Judge/Organizer, Whitworth Student Film and Animation Competition, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2009/10 – 2018/19).
Primary Seeker/Chair, Search Committee (Multiple Searches), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA. Program Assistant (English Department), Summer 2018; Assistant Professor of English (Medieval and Early Modern), Fall 2017; Visiting Assistant Professor of English (18th/19th C. American Lit.), Spring 2016; Assistant Professor of English (18th/19th C. American Lit.), Fall 2012; Lecturer in English, Spring 2012.
External Writer/Reviewer for P&T Decision (Multiple). Texas A&M, Central Texas, Case for Tenure/Promotion, 2018; St. Joseph’s University, Case for Tenure/Promotion, 2017; Washington State University, Case for Senior Lecturer, 2016.
Member, Education Track Working Group, Department of English, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Fall 2016 – Fall 2017). Re-developed the education track major in English, in partnership with the School of Education.
Member, US Diversity Workgroup, sponsored by the General Education Assessment Task Force, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2016/17).
Presenter/Organizer, Honors Program Workshop, with Doug Sugano. 4-day workshop on pedagogy and course building for the George F. Whitworth Honors Program. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (June 2012, June 2013, May 2014, May 2015, May 2016, May 2017).
Member, Strategic Plan Review/Recalibration Subcommittee for Goal 5: Elevation of Liberal Arts Education, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2015/16).
Staff Search Committee Member (Multiple Searches), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA. English Department Program Assistant, January 2016; English Department Program Assistant, Spring 2010.
Member, Dean’s Interdisciplinary Studies Planning Group, College of Arts and Sciences, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2013/14).
Member, US Cultural Studies Advisory Board (steering committee for the minor), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2012/13).
Elected Member, Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee (TLAC), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2011/12 – 2012/13). One of the Whitworth faculty’s key standing committees.
Conference Committee Member, Spokane Intercollegiate Research Conference (SIRC), Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities, Spokane, WA (2010/11 – 2011/12). In addition to regular committee work, moderated three student sessions in 2011. WU liaison for 2012 conference.
Member, New Media Task Force, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2008/09, 2010/11, 2011/12). The work of this task force led to the creation of a Film and Visual Narrative minor.
Reviewer, Act Six Scholarship Essays, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Jan. 2011). Program providing scholarships and leadership training “for emerging urban and community leaders.”
Faculty Representative, Presidential Planning Commission, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2009/10). Group worked to refine the university’s long-term goals.
Elected Member, Contract Faculty Merit Committee, Department of English, Ball State University (2007/08).
Elected Contract Faculty Representative, Undergraduate Studies Committee, Department of English, Ball State University (2006/07, 2007/08).
Elected Member, Contract Faculty Steering Committee, Department of English, Ball State University (2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08).
Freshman Connections Faculty, First Year Undergraduate Experience Program, Ball State University (2005 – 2007).
Publications
Academic Publications
“Selling San Narciso: Pierce Inverarity as Insider-Innovator in The Crying of Lot 49.” Orbit: A Journal of American Literature 11.1 (2023). Web. ~10,500 words. doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/orbit.9380
“Literary Immigrations Module, Grade 12: Reading and Responding to American Immigrant Literature.” With Molly Johnson. Washington State’s “Bridge to College” Program. 2023. Learning module, including assignments, teaching approaches, and glossary, designed to prepare HS seniors for college-level work. 92 pp. / ~27,000 words.
“Letters to a Complacent Mule: Immigration and Illiteracy in Abraham Cahan’s Yekl.” College Literature 47.3 (2020): 522-51.
“Against Eloquence.” President’s Colloquy on Civil Discourse: Civil Discourse and the Christian University. Ed. Beck A. Taylor and Nathan L. King. Whitworth University, 2018. 59-65. Print. One of three responses to Nathan King’s keynote, “Building Better Discourse.”
“Comics and Visual Storytelling Module: Teacher Version, Grade 12.” With Molly Johnson. Washington State’s “Bridge to College” Program. 2018. Learning module, including assignments, teaching approaches, and glossary, designed to prepare HS seniors for college-level work. 30 pp. / ~14,500 words.
“Poverty Lines: Visual Depictions of Poverty and Social Class Realities in Comics.” Teaching Comics Through Multiple Lenses: Critical Perspectives. With Janine Darragh. Ed. Crag Hill. Routledge, 2016. 113-31. Print. Addresses Spider-Man, Joe Sacco‘s Safe Area Goražde, Marzena Sowa/Sylvain Savoia‘s Marzi, and other texts.
“Perspicuous Objects: Reading Comics and Writing Instruction.” Best of the Independent Journals in Rhetoric and Composition, 2014. Ed. Steve Parks, et al. Parlor Press, 2016. Rpt. from Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy 19.1 (2014). Print.
“A Transmedia Storyworld: The Edge is One, But Not the Same.” U2 Above, Beyond, and Across: Interdisciplinary Assessments. Ed. Scott Calhoun. NY: Lexington Books, 2015. 71-90. Print. Addresses U2, Davis Guggenheim‘s U2-related documentaries, The Matrix franchise, and transmedia storytelling.
“Assignment: Photo Essay.” Practical Composition: Exercises for the English Classroom from Working Instructors. Ed. Russell Brickey, Laura L. Beadling, and Evelyn Martens. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2014. 218-24. Print.
“Assignment: Critical Analysis of a Documentary Film.” Practical Composition: Exercises for the English Classroom from Working Instructors. Ed. Russell Brickey, Laura L. Beadling, and Evelyn Martens. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2014. 224-29. Print.
“Perspicuous Objects: Reading Comics and Writing Instruction.” Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy 19.1 (2014). Web. With art by Scott Kolbo. A multi-threaded webtext built around a ~16,000-word scholarly article.
“Film School for Slideware: Film, Comics, and Slideshows as Sequential Art.” Computers and Composition 29.2 (2012): 124-36. Print. Looks at presentation design, film and comics theory, and pedagogy.
Commentary and Background for Hannah Charlton’s “The Shadow of Turning.” The Journal for Undergraduate Multimedia Projects 3.1 (2011). Web. <https://jumpplus.net/issues/issue-3-1/167-2/>. Along with Hannah’s comic adaptation project from my course, this piece features my commentary, additional reviewer commentary, course information, and my extensive class assignment.
Commentary and Background for Kyle Kim’s “Closer.” The Journal for Undergraduate Multimedia Projects 2.1 (2010). Web. <https://jumpplus.net/issues/issue-2-1/closer-by-kyle-kim/>. Along with Kyle’s video project from my course, this piece features my commentary, additional reviewer commentary, course information, and my extensive class assignment.
“A Portable Ecology: Supporting New Media Writing and Laptop-Ready Pedagogy at Ball State University.” 19 pages. With Kristie S. Fleckenstein and Jackie Grutsch McKinney. Technological Ecologies and Sustainability: Methods, Modes, and Assessment. Ed. Dànielle Nicole DeVoss, Heidi A. McKee, and Richard Selfe. Logan, UT: Computers and Composition Digital Press/Utah State UP, 2009. Web.
“About Those Loops.” Technological Ecologies and Sustainability: Methods, Modes, and Assessment. Ed. Dànielle Nicole DeVoss, Heidi A. McKee, and Richard Selfe. 10 Minute Video. Logan, UT: Computers and Composition Digital Press/Utah State UP, 2009. Web.
“Weak Ties and Academic Community.” Forum: Newsletter of the Committee on Contingent, Adjunct, and Part-Time Faculty. Special Section in College Composition and Communication 60.1 (2008): A9-A11. Print.
“Surviving a Plague of Blogs: Strategies for Understanding and Managing Online News and Opinion Environments.” Reformation: The Teaching and Learning of English in Electronic Environments. Ed. Richard N. Matzen, Jr., and Jia-yi Cheng-Levine. Taiwan: Bookman Books, 2007. 167-84. Print.
“U2, Mythology, and Mass Mediated Survival.” Popular Music and Society 27.1 (2004): 79-99. Print. Article based on MA thesis; explores identity formation and manipulation in mass media environments.
Other Publications
“I Yell Out at This Fool Deer in the Road.” Solum Journal, vol. 5 (2024). Forthcoming. (Poem)
“Leaving the Bridge.” Ekstasis (Oct. 2023). Online. (Poem)
“Drift Back and Sleep.” Ekstasis (June 2023). Online. (Poem)
“A Fair Queen.” North American Review 307.1 (Spring 2022): 26. Print. (Poem)
“Wrist.” The Curator (11 Mar. 2021). Online. (Poem)
“Early Death and the Liturgy of Turning Screws.” Relief (Spring 2020): 20. Print. (Poem)
“Awe and Vertigo on the Narrow Ridge.” At Our Best: Essays for New Faculty. Ed. Brooke Kiener. Spokane, WA: Whitworth University, 2019. 41-46. Print. An essay exploring Whitworth’s “narrow ridge” metaphor for integration of faith and learning.
“Opossum, Opossum (The Possum Prays).” Sugar House Review: An Independent Poetry Magazine #16 (Fall/Winter 2017): 14. Print. (Poem)
“A Plan.” Sugar House Review: An Independent Poetry Magazine #16 (Fall/Winter 2017): 15-16. Print. (Poem)
“Three Questions with Fred Johnson.” Interview by John W. Pell. The Blogora. Rhetoric Society of America, 3 Apr. 2015. Web. ~2000 words.
e-Ball Point: Writing Program Handbook. 20th ed. of Ball Point, 2nd electronic edition. Editor/Co-writer. Muncie, IN: Ball State University Department of English, 2002. Substantial revision of BSU’s in-house writing handbook, focused on formatting, usability, and clarity.
“Feedback in Muncie.” jar. Nov. 2000. Publication of the Muncie Star Press. Feature on a local literary magazine and interview with editor.
“Circvs People.” jar. Jan. 2000. Publication of the Muncie Star Press. Feature on local arts and community development.
“America in Art at the Ball State Museum of Art” (104 pp, 2000); “Native Art of North America at the Ball State Museum of Art” (43 pp, 1999); “African Art at the Ball State Museum of Art” (50 pp, 1998). Writer/Editor. Muncie, IN: Ball State University Museum of Art. Educational materials and activities for elementary classrooms, based on works in the David Owsley Museum of Art at BSU.
Presentations & Events
(Click here for a more thorough record of presentations, readings, and events.)
Recent and Selected Conference Presentations
“Of Course Chewbacca is the Drummer: Play, Patterns, and Expectant Reading, Even in a Multiverse” at the Faith, Film, and Philosophy Seminar, Gonzaga Faith and Reason Institute, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA (Sep. 2023).
“True Lines: Art, Truth Telling, and Creative Nonfiction in Joe Sacco’s War Zone Comics” at the American Literature Association Conference, San Francisco, CA (May 2018).
“Casting Cartoons: Comics Theory, Film Analysis, and Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim” at the Rocky Mountain MLA Annual Convention, Spokane, WA (Oct. 2017).
“Stories He Can’t Tell: Abraham Cahan’s Yekl and the Consequences of Illiteracy in New York’s Late-Nineteenth Century Jewish Immigrant Community” at the American Literature Association Conference, Boston, MA (May 2017).
“Assembling Your Own U2: Reading, Research, and Writing in Transmediated Territories” at Computers and Writing 2015, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI (May 2015).
“Programatic Agility and the Small Liberal Arts College Ecosystem: A Panel and Discussion on the Evolution of Multimodal Composition Programs at Smaller Colleges and Universities,” with John Pell and Jessica Clements, at Computers and Writing 2014, Washington State University, Pullman, WA (June 2014).
“Visual Patterns, Narrative Paths: Chris Ware’s New Graphic Novel, Building Stories, as User Interface,” at Computers and Writing 2013, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD (June 2013).
“Davis Guggenheim’s Edge: U2’s Guitarist as a Transmedia Character in the Films of Davis Guggenheim,” at the U2 Conference, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH (April 2013).
“Scribbly Lines and Peripheral Foreshadowing: What a Comics Page Can Teach Us About Composing Interfaces” at Computers and Writing 2012, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (May 2012).
“MacGuffins and Mad Science: How Lost Dodges Moral Consequences by Ignoring the Bloody Promise of Its Premise.” Opening remarks for “Religious Themes and Human Prospect in Lost,” a public panel discussion with David Calhoun, Michael Collender, and Daniel Walter. Faith, Film, and Philosophy Lecture Series, Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities, Spokane, WA (Oct. 2010).
“The Story of ‘Digital Storytelling’: Developing a No-Budget Course in Emerging Writing Technologies” at Computers and Writing 2010, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (May 2010).
“Starting with Bad PowerPoint: Slideware Instruction and the New Media Composition Course” at Computers and Writing 2009, UC Davis, Davis, CA (June 2009).
“How to Refuse Friendship and Irritate People: The Formation, Fracturing, and Control of Social Networks in Flannery O’Connor’s The Violent Bear It Away” at the Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY (Feb. 2007).
“Help Me Find It: Teaching Research as a ‘Long Tail’ Conversation” at the Indiana College English Association Annual Conference, Indiana University East, Richmond, IN (Sep. 2006).
“From the ‘Long Tail’ to the Center: How Blogging and the Internet Make Little Things Big” at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Chicago, IL (Mar. 2006).
“Exploiting the Apopheniac: How Power Circumvents Itself in William F. Gibson’s Pattern Recogniton” at the Twentieth Century Literature Conference, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY (Feb. 2006).
“Access at the Hubs: The Pedagogical Potential of ‘Weblogs’ and Other News Hubs” at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, San Francisco, CA (Mar. 2005).
“Nets with Disabilities: A Network Science Approach to Motherless Brooklyn, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and The Pleasure of My Company” at the Twentieth Century Literature Conference, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY (Feb. 2005).
“Tom Corey in the Court of the Paint King: The Unstable Social Network in W.D. Howells’s The Rise of Silas Lapham” at the Indiana College English Association Annual Conference, Ball State University, Muncie, IN (Oct. 2004).
“How They Play the Kevin Bacon Game in West Egg (and at Fangoso Lagoons): Approaching Literary Criticism Through Network Science” at the Twentieth Century Literature Conference, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY (Feb. 2004).
“Revenge of the Flukeman: Agents, Scenes, Subversions, and Darin Morgan’s X-Files” at the Twentieth Century Literature Conference, Louisville, KY (Feb. 2003).
“A Tour of the Panoptic(online)” at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Chicago, IL (Mar. 2002).
Recent and Selected Campus Events and Presentations
Discussion Facilitator, Reading Group for Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead. President’s Book Club. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Mar. 19, 2024).
Invited Co-Presenter (with Peter Moe) on AI, writing pedagogy, and helping students think about AI as a tool. Whitworth Student Life leadership team retreat, Ross Point Camp, Post Falls, ID (Aug. 15, 2023).
“Teaching Demo: Stop with the Green Light” for Visiting High School Counselors (“Counselor’s College”), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Oct. 19, 2015); for Parents of Prospective Students (“Parent’s College”), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Mar. 12, 2016; Feb. 17, 2018; Feb. 25, 2023).
Discussion Facilitator, Faculty Reading Group for Willa Cather’s Song of the Lark. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Nov. 3, 2022). In advance of Brent Edstrom’s Dec. 2022 premiere (at Whitworth) of a jazz song cycle inspired by the novel.
“Loving Tomorrowland for Tomorrowland (Some Ideas About Community and Villainy in Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49).” Whitworth University Department of English Faculty Scholarship Presentation (for campus community). Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Sept. 15, 2021).
Invited Introduction for Laurie Lamon, Amy Ryan Reading, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Apr. 23, 2021). An introduction for Laurie’s final reading as the inaugural Amy Ryan Professor at Whitworth.
“Remarks from the Faculty” (Faculty Welcome to Whitworth’s New Provost and Executive VP), Whitworth University, Spring Convocation 2021. Recorded for digital distribution (Feb. 4, 2021).
Invited Virtual Panel Member, “Lessons Learned from HyFlex: Lived Experiences at Three Universities,” with Bryce Bernard (Corban University) and Tim Bergsma (Calvin University). Biola University Faculty Senate (Nov. 9, 2020).
Panel Member, “Teaching Strategies for the Pandemic,” for the FLEXable Course Design Boot Camp, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (July 14, 2020; August 12, 2020).
Panel Member, Q and A for New Department Chairs, New Chair Workshop, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Aug. 29, 2017; Aug. 27, 2019).
“Update from the General Education Implementation Task Force,” with Aaron Putzke, Erica Salkin, and Meredith Shimizu. Keynote presentation for annual Faculty Retreat, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Aug. 30, 2018). Presentation of progress on new shared curriculum model and preparation for discussions. Passed with overwhelming faculty support (90%) in Fall 2018.
“The Four Inquiries.” Presentation of proposed general education model to faculty. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Mar. 19, 2018). Model ranked 1st or 2nd (of 6 presented models) by more than 80% of gathered faculty.
“Response: Against Eloquence.” President’s Colloquy on Civil Discourse, Evening Two: Can We Disagree Without Being Disagreeable? Seeley G. Mudd Chapel, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA. (Feb. 19, 2018). One of three responses to Nathan King’s keynote, “Building Better Discourse.”
“A Honda Civic on the Narrow Ridge: Liberal Arts, Liturgy, and General Education.” Keynote talk for Faculty Development Day, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Oct. 27, 2017).
“Why Liberal Arts is the Best Career Preparation,” with Kathy Storm. Talk for prospective students and parents (“Admissions Snapshot Event”), Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Oct. 9, 2017).
Panel Member, Pre- and Post-Screening Discussions of Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice. The 9th Annual Leonard Oakland Film Festival, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Feb. 11, 2017).
“Academic Freedom and Trigger Warnings,” with Erica Salkin (Communication) and Mark Baird (Psychology). Teaching Roundtable Discussion for Whitworth University Faculty, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Oct. 10, 2016).
“Teaching 100-Level Courses: Strategies and Challenges,” with Megan Hershey (Political Science), Martha Gady (Mathematics), Karen Peterson-Finch (Theology), and Ben Brody (Music). Teaching Roundtable Discussion for Whitworth University Faculty, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Mar. 14, 2016).
“Liberal Arts for Everyone,” with Nicole Sheets (English), Carol Simon (Philosophy), Patty Bruininks (Psychology), and Erica Salkin (Communications). Teaching Roundtable Discussion for Whitworth University Faculty, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Feb. 15, 2016).
“The George F. Whitworth Honors Program.” Presentation for admitted honors students (and parents) at Whitworth’s Honors Colloquium weekend. Whitworth Univesity, Spokane, WA (Feb. 2014; Mar. 2015).
Faculty Panelist/Respondent, This Whitworth Life (a reading of creative non-fiction organized by Prof. Nicole Sheets). Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Nov. 2014).
Moderator/Interviewer, Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist of Over the Rhine. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Nov. 2014).
Facilitator, Discussion of Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge. President’s Book Club. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Oct. 2014).
“Batman-Bono-Colbert,” with John Pell. Whitworth University Department of English Faculty Scholarship Presentation (for campus community). Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Oct. 2014).
“Relationship, Trust, and Learning in the Classroom.” Breakout session, with Brooke Kiener. Whitworth University Faculty Retreat, Fall 2014: Teaching with Heart: How Attachment Research Can Support Learning. Keynoted by Kent Hoffman (Gonzaga University). Camp Spalding, Newport, WA (Aug. 2014).
“Designing Resumes.” Resume and cover letter design sessions for Freshman Seminar (GE 125) students (Department of English section), Composition Commons Consultants (2013), and English Senior Portfolio students. 1-3 sessions each Fall. Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Fall Semesters, 2011 – 2014).
“Teaching Honors Courses,” with Deanna Ojennus and Casey Andrews. Teaching Roundtable Discussion for Whitworth University Faculty, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Nov. 2012).
“Blogging for Teaching and Scholarship.” Breakout session, with Jim McPherson. Faculty Development Day, Fall 2011: Technology for Teaching and Learning: Best Practices. Keynoted by Thomas E. Ludwig (Hope College); Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Nov. 2011).
“Some Easy Slide Designs That Work (PowerPoint Therapy 2).” Teaching Roundtable Discussion for Whitworth University Faculty, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Oct. 2010).
“Sharing Culture.” Media Unlimited: Technology, Ethics, and Life at Whitworth in the 21st Century. Panel Discussion. Sponsored by Weyerhaeuser Center for Faith and Learning & The Center for Ethics at Whitworth University. Robinson Teaching Theatre, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Mar. 2010).
“A Little PowerPoint Therapy.” Teaching Roundtable Discussion for Whitworth University Faculty, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (Mar. 2010).
Recent and Selected Local Events and Presentations
Invited Consultant on Preparing Secondary Students for College Writing, Spokane “Bridge to College” Planning Group, The Saranac Building, Spokane, WA (Mar. 3, 2017; Feb. 23, 2022). A discussion with Language Arts faculty members from area public high schools.
Panel Member, Post-Screening Discussion of Ryan Graves and Kelly McCrillis’s Emily, Magic Lantern Theatre, Spokane, WA (Mar. 10, 2017).
Guest Teacher, “How to Get Images to Say Things” for On Track Academy (Alternative High School), Spokane, WA (June 2, 2016). Seminar session for students studying graphic novels.
Judge, Frog Baby Film Festival 2006. Annual student film festival sponsored by Cardinal Filmworks, Ball State University’s student-run film production company. (Apr. 2006)
Co-coordinator, “Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry National Showcase” (co-coordinator, with Joseph F. Trimmer and James W. Miles) in conjunction with the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, IN (Nov. 2004). Event featured multimedia projects from the Tell-a-Vision program and from the Virginia Ball Center’s many “creative inquiry” seminars.
Invited Panelist, “A Few ‘Do’s’ for Post-Graduate Work.” Panel discussion on careers in English for Taylor University senior English majors, E.B. Ball Center, Muncie, IN (Jan. 2003, Jan. 2004).
Organizer/Host, Penscape, bi-annual graduate poetry/prose readings, Ball State University Department of English. (1999/00, 2000/01)
Coordinator/Host, Gallery Stage, Circvs 1999 and Circvs 2000. Regional independent music festival. (1999, 2000)
Coordinator/Host, Guido’s Coffeehouse series. Muncie Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Muncie, IN. Monthly readings, musical performances, art exhibits. (1998 – 2000)
Recent and Selected Poetry Readings
“The Possum’s Last Free Lunch” and other poems with possums at the Westminster Round Off-Campus Reading, Little Garden Cafe, Spokane, WA (April 27, 2024).
“A Small Airplane, Right in the Teeth,” “After the End, a Greater Depression,” and “Windmill in a Storm” at The Curator Presents: an Evening of Poetry, a Live Virtual Reading in Celebration of National Poetry Month, Virtual (April 29, 2021).
“Opossum, Opossum (The Possum Prays),” “The Boy Unbent,” “Parisian One-Reeler,” “Middle Sky No. 4,” and selections from “Gleaming the Quarantine” at Things Beautiful and Life-giving, a Whitworth English Faculty Reading, Virtual (May 1, 2020).
“Wrist,” “The Liturgy of Turning Screws,” and “Scenes from the Midcentury Chlorophyll Craze” (poems) at the Westminster Round Off-Campus Reading, Boots Bakery, Spokane, WA (April 7, 2017).
“Ten Dramatic Scenarios for the North American Possum” (poem) at Poetry and Pie, Mind and Hearth Coffee Shop, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (November 13, 2015).
“About Possums” and “The Middle Sky” (poems) at the Inland Northwest Faculty Reading, Get Lit! Festival 2015 (Eastern Washington University). Barrister Winery, Spokane, WA (April 26, 2015).
“Trading on the Bass Line,” “Queen Anne Through and Through,” “Safe as Houses,” and “Sweaty Quarters” (poems) at the Westminster Round Off-Campus Reading, Boots Bakery, Spokane, WA (April 18, 2015).
“The Kids with Keys” (poem) at the Westminster Round Off-Campus Reading, Holly Mason Rocket Bakery, Spokane, WA (March 7, 2014).
“Inventory” and “Collections” (poems) at Poetry and Pie, Mind and Hearth Coffee Shop, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (November 7, 2013).
“Punch Blindly Like Children” (poetry reading) at the Twentieth Century Literature Conference, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY (Feb. 2002).
“The Stinkeye Rhymes” (poetry reading) at the Twentieth Century Literature Conference, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY (Feb. 2000).
Selected Honors
Faculty Career Champion, Career Services, Whitworth University. Recognized among a group of faculty especially invested in helping students prepare for the job market. (2018/19)
Kairos Best Webtext Award “Runner Up,” for “Perspicuous Objects.” (2015) (From Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy.)
Innovative Teaching Award, Whitworth University. University-wide award presented to one faculty member each year on the strength of written nominations from faculty peers. (2010)
Distinguished Dissertation Award, Ball State Alumni Association. Single BSU dissertation selected annually by an intra-university committee of faculty scholars on the basis of originality, significant contribution to knowledge, quality of writing, and potential for publication. (2007)
Ball State University Graduate Fellowship. Awarded annually to approximately 8 of more than 2000 graduate students at BSU. Full tuition and stipend. (Aug. 1998 – Summer 2000)
Membership in Professional Organizations
- Modern Language Association. (2002 to present)
- National Council of Teachers of English. (2004 to present)
- Society for Contemporary Literature. (2017 to Present)
- Society for the Study of the American Short Story. (2018 to Present)
Other Noteworthy Community Service/Involvement
School Board Member, First Presbyterian Christian School, Spokane, WA. Participated in a working group that thoroughly revised the board’s policy manual. (Aug. 2020 – July 2023)
Co-Teacher, 2nd Grade Sunday School, Whitworth Church. My wife and I co-taught 2nd grade Sunday school for number of years. The lessons of college pedagogy did not necessarily apply. (Aug. 2016 – May 2022)
Volunteer, Garfield Elementary APPLE (“Alternative Parent Participation Learning Experience”) Program, Spokane, WA. While my sons were enrolled in this program, we participated in general planning and major events, including the annual River Run event. (Fall 2016 – Spring 2019)