Site Network: Portfolio | Blog |

Writing Samples

A mentor once described writing as "thinking on paper." Effective writing is clear, persuasive, nuanced, precise, and purposeful. My experiences with professional writing, journalism, and academic writing have affected my communication skills overall - I am a better speaker and presenter because of my extensive writing experience.

Published

Just Flipping the Switch| Review of Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War, by Michael J. Neufeld in The Common Review Spring 2008

Professional

Digitization Methodology, Selection for Digitization, Institutional History | University of Fort Hare, Eastern Cape, South Africa
In the summer of 2007, I worked in concert with the university librarian, my professors, and a colleague to write an institutional history of the University of Fort Hare, select documents that provide evidence of this history, and create a methodology for digitizing these materials.

NEH Grant Proposal | Grant to Preserve and Create Access to Humanities Collections
This grant was written to NEH guidelines to digitize the Bentley Historical Library's film collection of University of Michigan football games and make them available both in DVD format and as streaming video on the internet.

Library of Congress | Course Assessment - Basic Searching and Advanced Searching, February 2007
This assessment of a web searching course offered by the Instructional Design and Technology Division at the Library of Congress was completed in late February 2007, as part of the University of Michigan's Alternative Spring Break.

Papers Presented

Librarians, IT, and Who Is Authorized in the E-Library Age | with Dianne Dietrich for Questioning Authority, a Conference by the Special Libraries Association at the Unversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor
In this paper, we address the professional similarities and differences between information technology professionals and librarians in library settings, and argue that in the e-library age, greater cross-pollination in our training and professional points of view is necessary. In short, it is not enough to be a librarian without an IT education, and not enough to do technical work in a library without a library education.

No, You CanŐt Cite Wikipedia | for Questioning Authority, a Conference by the Special Libraries Association at the Unversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor
While much of the debate about the use of wikipedia in academic settings, particularly academic libraries, has to do with questions of reliability and authenticity, a more fundamental question regarding the use of encyclopedias and the librarianŐs role in helping a patron to credential knowledge - related to the basic question of the purpose of academic writing - has been largely ignored. This paper explores how to use wikipedia as a tool to teach larger information literacy issues, and discusses the epistemic sandtraps within a framework that masquerades as democratic.

Academic

Undergraduate Thesis | Pink Harvard and the Crimson: Unfriendly Witnesses and Academic Freedom at Harvard University
Winner of a college-wide prize, this piece discusses the case of "fifth-amendment witnesses" at Harvard University from 1948-1955, and the place of the student newspaper, the Crimson, as a site of discourse.

Journalistic

Reportage | "Bryn Mawr Goes above and Beyond Quorum" March 2, 2004.
A front-page piece reporting on Bryn Mawr's annual plenary to re-affirm self-governance.

Editorial | "Should Enrollment Numbers Dictate What Classes are Offered?" October 28, 2003.
This piece discusses the provost's controvertial plan to discontinue "under-enrolled" courses.

Opinion | "The Case for Nader" October 26, 2004.
Written as part of a special issue for the 2004 elections.