Weidemann to be published

EFLJ alumna Stacey Weidemann will see her poem "The Flowers Still Wilted" appear in an upcoming issue of The Coal City Review. Stacey, who worked with Dr. Bill Church on The Mochila Review, credits the  experience of handling submissions by other writers with giving her the confidence to send her own work out into the world.

Congratulations, Stacey!

May Accomplishments

Dr. Kay Siebler presented a paper at the Conference on College and University Teaching and Learning in Washington, D.C. The presentation focused on assessment practices for first year writing students and her involvement in the Missouri Department of Higher Education committee designing a first year writing assessment protocol for all Missouri students attending colleges and universities. 

Dr. Jeanie Crain completed training for AQIP Systems Review process

 Dr. Elizabeth Latosi-Sawin made a presentation on "Real and Imagined Wolves in Literature and Political Life" at the American Democracy Project National Meeting in Denver Colorado and participated (by invitation) in the Stewardship of Public Lands Course Working Group composed of faculty from across the country that will be developing a national hybrid course focusing on engaged citizenship. Dr. Sawin will be reporting on how historical and literary material reveals underlying conceptions and attitudes that play a part in our treatment of wolves today.

Dr. Sawin also attended the Tenth Biennial International Conference of the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment at The University of Kansas where she presented a paper entitled "Changing Our Natures: Material Ecocriticism, Theory of Mind, and the Novel."

Dr. Bob Bergland and Veronica Nagorna Luts’k published the article “Multimedia and Interactive Features of Ukrainian Newspaper Websites” in The Convergence Newsletter, a 10-year-old monthly publication emailed to 1,500 academic and professional journalist subscribers and published by the University of South Carolina.

Tenure and Promotion Granted

Dr. Kay Siebler

Dr. Eduardo Castilla Ortiz

We are pleased to share the news that Dr. Kay Siebler and Dr. Eduardo Castilla Ortiz have been granted tenure by the university.

In addition to receiving tenure, Dr. Siebler was promoted from the rank of Associate Professor to the rank of Professor of English. She currently serves as Director of Composition.

Dr. Trish Donaher, a tenured associate professor, was also promoted to the rank of Professor of English, the university's highest rank.

Dr. Trish Donaher

Congratulations to Kay, Trish, and Eduardo!

Hartley off to Arizona State University

Stephanie Hartley, MAA in Written Communication, has accepted a position as a full-time instructor of English at Arizona State University where she will teach composition starting this fall.

Stephanie completed her MAA in the spring of 2012 and has taught in EFLJ as a part-time instructor for the past two semesters.

Congratulations, Stephanie. Go, Sun Devils!

Graduate Program Update

Kaye Adkins, our director of graduate studies, reports on the fortunes of our MAA graduates:

As of May 2013, ten students have completed the Master of Applied Arts in Written Communication. Here’s what they are doing now, and the kinds of organizations which they are working for:

Technical Communication Option:

User-interface designer (business services)

Compliance documentation specialist (banking)

Web master and technical communicator (software)

Grant writer and education/training materials developer (non-profit)

Communication specialist (civilian with U.S. military)

Ph.D. candidate in Rhetoric and Scientific and Technical Communication (Univ. of Minnesota)

One May 2013 graduate is currently looking for employment

Writing Studies Option:

Full-time faculty and newspaper sponsor (Butler Community College)

Full-time non-tenure track faculty (Arizona State University)

Part-time faculty (Missouri Western), currently looking for full-time employment

If you'd like information about our MAA program or the graduate certificate in the teaching of writing, check out our department site and/or contact Dr. Adkins.

Graduation, 2013

On Saturday, May 11th we sent out the next batch of EFLJ alumni, both undergraduate and graduate.

Dr. Adkins with MAA graduate Anita Ford

Dr. Charlton and MAA graduate Rachel Stancliff

Dr. Donaher and BA graduate Staci Hersh

A gaggle of graduate students

Dr. Siebler flanked by MAA grads Amanda and Sarah

MAA grad Chris clutches the goods

Congratulations! Keep us apprised of your accomplishments and news!

April Accomplishments by Students and Faculty

Conference/Seminars/Committees

Cynthia Bartels attended the annual meeting of the Popular Culture Association and the Editorial board meeting for the Journal of American Culture in Washington, D.C.

Kaye Adkins presented her paper, "Risk Communication and Citizenship: The Air Raid Warden's Manual" at the conference of the College English Association in Savannah, Georgia, April 5.

Kaye Adkins attended the Society for Technical Communication regional Workshop for Teachers on April 26, at Missouri Western State University.

Ian  Roberts presented "Jack London and the Physical Basis of Life," on the influence of T.H. Huxley on Jack London's scientific philosophy at the annual national meeting of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association meeting in Washington, D.C.

Trish Donaher presented "Uncharted Waters: The Course of Ain't in 17th Century Literature," an investigation of the inclusion of “ain't” in the casual speech of characters in literature of the period at the annual national meeting of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association meeting in Washington, D.C.

Student/Community Involvement/Successes

English majors Sarah McClure and Roxanne Chase and English/French major Caitlin McKinney gave papers at the 2013 Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association Conference held in Washington, D.C., March 27-31. The students presented in the area of Literature and Science and were accompanied at the conference by Drs. Ian Roberts and Trish Donaher. Their papers were developed in the fall, in Dr. Roberts' Literature and Science course. 

Students from Missouri Western attended and presented at the Students in Technical Communication Conference on April 27 at Missouri State University. Kris Miller, a graduate student in the Technical Communication option of the M.A.A. in Written Communication presented a poster, "WebCT and Moodle: How User Friendly?". Rachel Stancliff, also a graduate student in the Technical Communication option of the MAA in Written Communication, presented a poster "The Problem of Location: Website Navigation Conventions and User Expectations of Menu Placement on e-Commerce Websites". Both students's posters shared the results of their Master's thesis project. Also attending the conference were two undergraduates, Jennifer Heater and Brandon Herring, and Dr. Kaye Adkins.

EFLJ students presenting posters at the Foundation reception included:

Anita Ford: "Does Current Technical Communication Curriculum Prepare Graduates for the Needs of The Job Market?"

Jennifer Heater, "Visual Media: To Believe or Not to Believe"

Jeanette Kragel: "Proposal Readability: Does It Really Make a Difference?"

Rachel Stancliff: "The Problem of Location: Website Navigation Conventions and User Expectations of Menu Placement on e-Commerce Websites"

Dave Hon: "Website Features of College Newspapers"

Anna Steely: “Les Poètes Maudits (The Cursed Poets)”

April Buntin and Nick Weil presented Spanish flyers resulting from a project in SPA 211. 

William Church accompanied nine of his HON195 Colloquium students to the Great Plains Honors Conference at West Texas A & M, April 4-7. The students had been invited to present posters of original research they conducted last fall on the theme of "What it Means to be Human in the Digital Age."

On April 18, the Alliance Française welcomed Dr. Louis Imperiale for an evening of well-loved French songs. The performance featured Imperiale on accordion, as well as two musicians on guitar and drums. The audience joined in singing on many of the songs.

Ana Bausset Page helped create a program called "Corazon Latino," a series of interviews and conversations (in Spanish) about events in Saint Joseph, our University and other events happening in Missouri. Students Indira Rivas and Sami Atieh will be doing much of the interviews. Ana interviewed Vicki Perez Calzadilla, our Fulbright Spanish instructor. Saint Joseph Music Foundation is the sponsor.