Melanie Yergeau Presents Disability Hactivism

Spread the WoRD’s keynote address will feature DePaul MA in Writing program alumna Melanie Yergeau, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. Her talk, titled Disability Hactivism, discusses the history of the term “hacking,” positing its problematic relationship to identity construction, particularly concerning disability and transgressive activism. If you haven’t already, click here to RSVP for the conference and talk on Saturday, May 11th.

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WRD Graduate Assistant Featured on Zeega

WRD graduate assistant Amy Hubbard’s project, A Ghostly Rendering, was recently featured on the Zeega blog. Zeega is a web publishing tool designed to enable interactive storytelling. “I know that [Zeega] can create complicated documentaries, but I really think the rhetorical power here is in the simple ability to re-envision narratives. Simply put, I’m really excited about this and am eager to see where this technology goes in the future.” Amy was first introduced to Zeega in an NMS digital storytelling course taught by Assistant Professor Lisa Dush.

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Alumni Spotlight: Brooke Becker

Brooke Becker graduated from the New Media Studies master’s program in 2012. She currently works as an interactive web and marketing designer for SpringCM. We caught up with her recently to ask her some questions about her journey before, during and after her time in the MANMS program.

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Unveiling Occult Chicago

Chicago’s long history with esotericism, occultism, and alternative spirituality allows students to explore the disciplines of anthropology, rhetoric, and sociology, through the diverse belief systems that thrive in the city. WRD Instructor Jason Winslade has incorporated themes of occultism in his Explore Chicago classes since 2000. Winsalde’s course “Unveiling Occult Chicago: Secret Societies, Magicians, and Alternative Spiritualities,” examines how the Chicago occult community has influenced mainstream rhetoric and values, particularly politics and activism.

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Buckvold and Skolnik Receive QM Award

The DePaul Online Teaching Series recently awarded WRD faculty members John Buckvold and Christine Skolnik with the Quality Matters Star Award and Certificate. Buckvold’s WRD 202 and Skolnik’s WRD 204 each received a perfect 95 in the DePaul Internal QM Review. The QM Award recognizes DOTS-developed online and hybrid courses that meet course design standards of usability and quality.

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Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Brown

Sarah Brown (MAWRD 2010) currently works as a technology administrator at DePaul’s Center for Educational Technology in the College of Education. Prior to coming to DePaul in 2008, Sarah taught for two years at a career technical high school in Dayton, OH. After refining her career goals, moving to Chicago, and graduating from the MAWRD program, she continued to work for DePaul in Faculty Instructional Technology Services, where she had been a graduate assistant.

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Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Samardzich

Aaron Samardzich graduated from DePaul in 2010 with a BA in English and minors in Interactive Media and Professional Writing. WRD’s Professional Writing minor allows students in any major to take courses in writing, editing, style, rhetoric, and more to prepare for writing in a range of professional settings. In May 2012, Aaron also earned an MS in Technical Communication and Information Design from Illinois Institute of Technology. Since June 2009, Aaron has been working as a technical writing contractor for Thomson Reuters in Chicago.

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LAS Scholarships for Undergraduates

DePaul’s online scholarship platform is now accepting applications for LAS-specific scholarships. You will be automatically considered for several of these scholarships by completing a general application; however, some require an additional application (see notes below). *Undergraduate students ONLY.* The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2013.

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MAWRD Student Shares Her Internship Experience

As MAWRD student Kristen Geil enters the homestretch of the masters program, she reflects on the internships she completed and leaves WRD students with some good advice. Q: What is your major/concentration?  A: MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse with a concentration in Professional/Technical Writing. Q: When did you complete your internship? A: I’ve completed two internships: one during the Spring Quarter of my first year and a second during the summer between my first and second years of grad school.

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