Biography
While completing my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, I realized that I was more interested in being in the field supporting people than observing them in a lab. I have designed my MAPW degree to focus on writing for nonprofit organizations (public relations, communications, grant writing, etc.) and editing and publishing so that I may help provide organizations with the proper funding and communication they need to support society. My previous experience includes working for research professors, The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, The Parental Stress Center (a nonprofit organization that assists families in Southwestern Pennsylvania), Carnegie Mellon's Career Center, and Academic Development (on-campus tutoring).
Education
- MAPW (2009)
- Carnegie Mellon University
- B.S. in Psychology with an additional major in Creative Writing (2008)
- Carnegie Mellon University
Writing and Design Samples
- News Article
“Authors Speak Out, Will Editors Listen?” was written and designed to be published in The Monitor, a journal of the American Psychological Association distributed to all association affiliates.
The news article reviews a 2008 study conducted by Dr. Angela Eaton and her colleagues. The study examined the editorial relationship by surveying authors’ percpectives. In order to appeal to professionals in psychology, I focused on how this study is important to psychologists’ work because they are not only researchers interested in relationships but also writers dealing with editors.
- Research and Recommendation Report
“Enhancing the MAPW Program with International Communication Components” evaluates the possibility of collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University’s Modern Languages Department and MA in Professional Writing (MAPW) program. For this report, Megan Pluskis and I surveyed current English undergraduates, current MAPW students, and MAPW alumni. We also interviewed five alumni to gain further insight on how to best implement international communication components into the program.
The report was submitted to Dr. Susan Polansky, Head of the Department of Modern Languages, and Dr. Karen Schnakenberg, MAPW Director. They will use feedback and recommendations in the report to develop and implement a new international communication focus within the MAPW program.
- Instructional Documentation
“The Painless Resume” is an updated version of “The Midnight Resume,” a step-by-step guide to creating a last minute resume using tables in Microsoft Word.
In writing these instructions, I have learned how difficult it is to prepare a document that will work over time for a general audience. Technology is constantly developing and some people are not properly informed of such developments, making a technical writers’ job very challenging. As of now, “The Painless Resume” makes creating a resume easy, but it may need to be updated in a few years.
- Poster
This poster was designed to advertise an episode of This American Life called "Fiasco!" The episode was made up of several embarrassing stories that ended up being positive experiences. With this poster I wanted to convey both a sense of craziness and comfort to express the beginning and ending of a typical fiasco.