I recently completed two consecutive terms as chair of the English department (2003-2007). During this time, I was a member and/or the chair of the hiring committees that helped to bring seven new tenure-track members to the department. I also faciliated the department’s transition from three to four-credit courses, and then led the department in designing a new major that we began implementing in the Fall of the 2006-07 academic year. One of my goals as chair was to make the work of English faculty and students more visible. To this end, I designed, and then maintained, a department web site that features recent faculty work, new courses, student profiles, and an alumni page with notes from graduates of our program. I collaborated with colleagues in planning department and campus events such as the Janet Grayson Lecture in Literary Studies, the Summer Reading and Keene Reads programs, poetry readings, and the department’s monthly Third Tuesday series. I also worked with alumni and friends of the college to establish two awards that recognize Keene State College students: The Fred Fosher Award for Excellence in Writing and the Eder Award for Creative Writing.
In addition to my courses in English and American Studies, I teach Thinking and Writing (including a section for students in the Honors Program) as well as Interdisciplinary and Perspectives courses in the college’s Integrative Studies Program. My work as a faculty member also involves advising English majors and writing minors. Beyond planning course selection and the academic program, I assist students seeking to transfer courses from other institutions, choosing suitable courses for a semester of study abroad, and making consequential decisions about whether to continue on to graduate school. I consult and write letters of recommendation for non-matriculated students applying for admission to the college, for students seeking financial aid, for students applying to study abroad, for teachers seeking employment after graduation, and for other English majors applying to graduate programs.
