M(e)thos

Over winter break, I made a trip back down to the National WWI Museum in Kansas City, MO.  This trip was funded, and made possible, by the C.R. Anderson Research Grant I was awarded this past fall.  At the museum, I finished my dissertation research by double-checking my intial research and by taking clear scans of needed material.  Once I got back home, I finished writing the results chapter of my dissertation.  I am very excited to see the complete draft of my dissertation take form and I can’t wait to start a new semester this Monday and show my major professor my progress!

At night in front of the WWI Memorial!

This Halloween, I received a treat in my campus mailbox: the check for my C.R. Anderson Research Grant!!!! The funds will help significantly with my dissertation research. Another trip down to the National World War One archives will happen soon!!!!

As I mentioned in my last post, I have another article out in the IOWA ENGLISH BULLETIN.  You can now view my piece at:

http://issuu.com/ICTE_Board/docs/iowa_english_bulletin_v45_2011/1

My other article out in BUSINESS COMMUNICATION is also available this month but you need to subscribe to the journal for access.

As another academic year soon begins, I wanted to share that over the summer I learned that I will have three publications to my name:

One of the articles is in a multimodal format online via the LORE JOURNAL (excuse the rogue hyphens mixed into the hypertext!):
http://www.lorejournal.org/2011/04/confessions-of-a-blogagogue-rethinking-cultural-studies-technology-and-composition/

The other two articles are forthcoming this fall and will be published through the IOWA ENGLISH BULLETIN and BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY.

What a great way to start a new academic year!

On Tuesday, May 3rd my dissertation was born. It is healthy and beautiful and more than I could have ever wished for.  Yes, that’s right, it is official: I am ABD!

Last week I attended ABC … no, not the alphabet … the Association for Business Communication Convention.  It was in Chicago and I presented my preliminary dissertation research.  Overall, it was a productive time and I got to see old friends as I met new ones. 

While I was in Chicago, I got to visit the Field Museum.  It was awesome … well, except for the mummies ….  Here’s a picture of me there!

I just found out today that I passed my comps exam!!!!!  Like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” tune … I am “gonna make it after all!”  Now I need to concentrate on writing up my research prospectus to turn ABD (All But Dissertation) and then actually write my dissertation … so excited at the thought of becoming a doctor … of sentences

My summer is going by quickly!  In May, I attended (and presented at) both Computers and Writing at Purdue and the Rhetoric Society of America in Minneapolis.  Below are some pictures!

I took this picture as I walked around Purdue's campus.

Me by the Mary Tyler Moore statue in downtown Minneapolis-near where I presented!

Also, I had the opportunity to visit the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri to conduct research in their library/archive.  I found some really neat information for my dissertation which is focusing on WWI’s influence on professional communication.  Here’s another picture!

Darrek and I in front of the National WWI Museum.

Next on the list: my comprehensive exam!  I will pick them up on Fri. August 6th and return them on Monday, August 23rd.  Wish me luck

My spring semester is finally wrapping up!  It has been a long few months and I am quite ready for summer.  The signs of spring: our flowers are up!

As for my progress in grad school, I had my reading list for my comps exam passed and I will be finishing up the actual exam soon.  As I wrote before, I have to pass so I’m busy preparing for it! 

Also, I finished up my last grad class which was an elective in history.  I felt that the paper I wrote helped me figure out the direction of my dissertation further and I actually submitted it to the Association for Business Communication.  So, next fall I will be presenting my paper at the conference in Chicago.  I’m very excited!

As for this summer, I am taking it all off from teaching as I finish up my comps.  Plus, I feel that I need a break from grading   Teaching online this past semester was a new experience for me but it was worthwhile in that I found out how to effectively use the new medium for instruction.

Besides doing my comps this summer, I will be presenting at two conferences later this month.  First, Computers and Writing at Purdue and Rhetoric of Society in Minneapolis.  Both should be a great experience!

Another semester will be starting for me this Monday. But, it will be slightly different because I’m done with my grad coursework. Now, I will be working on an independent study and getting ready for my comps exam later this spring. What are comps?  Well, if I pass . . . wait, I have to pass . . . then I will be ABD which means I will just have to write my dissertation before graduating!

Also this semester I will not be teaching in the traditional way that I have been doing for the past 3 1/2 years. Instead, I will be helping to pilot an online writing class. We will see how it goes!

On a side note, I am looking forward to spring . . . even though that seems like a long time away with all of the snow and ice right now . . .