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Master of Arts, Communication, Culture, and Technology (2008)
GPA: 4.0
Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Courses and projects:

• FA 08: Critical Methods: Gender & the Body
• FA 08: Technology & Society
• SP 07: Senior Thesis Facilitator for American Studies undergraduates
• SP 07: Product Development: Innovation, Design, and Usability
• SP 07: Critical Theory and Contemporary Media
• FA 06: Teaching Assistant for CCTP 505: Introduction to Communication, Culture, and Technology
• FA 06: Developing a Digital Interface for Skin: Special collaborative project with Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) scholars Shelley Jackson, Carl Stahmer, and MITH Director Neil Fraistat.
• FA 06: Gender and Popular Culture in the United States
• SP 06: Hyperfiction (Independent study)
  Writing and programming an original work of electronic fiction that demonstrates--in a way that printed texts cannot--current theories of readership and reading communities.
• SP 06: Media Theory and Visual Culture
• FA 05: History of the Book: Theory of Text
• FA 05: Introduction to Communication, Culture, and Technology
  Offered position as teaching assistant for this course.
  Final project: mannequin-essay uniquely illustrated the role of the human body in production, distribution, and consumption.
• Founding contributor to CCT research blog

Lectures attended:

• Matt Kirschenbaum: "Save As: Textual Studies and the Challenges of Born-Digital Literature"
  N. Katherine Hayles, “The Death of Postmodernism and the Rise of Informationalism”
  Mark Poster, “Postmodernity and Information Machines”
  MLA Convention, 2006
• Nicholas Negroponte, "One Laptop Per Child"
  Secretary of State's Open Forum, 2006
• Judith Donath: "Identity, Anonymity, and the Wiki"
  Wikimania, 2006
• Johanna Drucker and Jerome McGann: "Current State of the Digital Humanities"
  Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH), 2006
• Shelley Jackson: "The Interstitial Library"
  Petrou Lecture on New Media Storytelling
  MITH, 2006

Bachelor of Arts (Magna cum laude), English
Minors in Media Studies and Spanish
GPA: 3.86
The Catholic University of America

Honors, awards, and accomplishments:

• Member, Phi Beta Kappa
• Recipient, 2003 H. Edward Cain Award for Outstanding English Senior
• Honors, Senior Comprehensive Exams, Department of English
• Dean's List (8 semesters)
• Studied at Universidad de Sevilla, Spain, spring 2002

• Blogs, Wikis, and Academia in Higher Education, a panel I organized for the new Blogs & Wikis area of the Midwest Popular Culture Association, Kansas City MI, October 12, 2007
• The Story *on* the Body: Textual Tattoos and the Corporeal Canvas, a panel accepted by the Body and Physical Difference area of the Popular Culture Association for the national conference, April 2007
• "The Incorporation of Script and the Inscription of Bodies: Shelley Jackson's Skin," to be delivered as part of my panel (above) to the Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association, April 2007
• "Development of a Digital Poem," delivered to the Midwest Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association, Indianapolis, October 28 2006
• "Diplopedia," delivered at the CCT 10-Year Anniversary Event, Georgetown University, October 13 2006
• "Development of a Digital Poem," delivered at the Thinking Through New Media conference, Duke University, June 7-8 2006

• Modern Language Association
• Popular Culture Association
• Midwest Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association — named 2007 chair of the newly created "Blogs and Wikis" area.

2006-present Senior New Media Advisor, U.S. Department of State (contracted through STG, Inc.)
Conceptualize, design, and construct collaborative new media for the Office of eDiplomacy, an applied think tank within the U.S. Department of State. Serve as Project Lead for Communities @ State internal blogging program, and Assistant Team Lead of the Knowledge Management Action Team. Build wikis, blogs, and websites for both internal and public-facing communication. Develop and foster online communities. Train U.S. Diplomats and other embassy staff members in new technologies. Brief officers in the Department of State as well as other agengies and NGOs on knowledge management and social media. Write white papers.

• Attend roundtables and seminars in Washington DC on social media issues
  • How Do You Measure the Success of Social Media? (May 31, 2007)
  • Blogging and Policy Organizations: Influential Channels for Social Change (April 24, 2007)
  • Creating a Complete Social Media Strategy (March 29, 2007)
  • Web Executives Roundtable on Web Governance (March 15, 2007)
• Presented State's intranet blogging program to APQC sponsors as part of a study on knowledge management best practices (October 2007).
• Attended Synergy 2007 conference on federal inter-agency collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
• Attended 2007 Media in Transition Conference at MIT.
• Quoted in Foreign Service Journal (February 2007)
• Presented "Using the Web: Tips and Best Practices" at the first State Department seminar on Virtual Presence Posts.
• Adapted MediaWiki software to create Diplopedia, the State Department's first wiki.
• Attended GITEX Dubai 2006 in the United Arab Emirates.
• Attended 2006 WikiMania conference in Boston.

2005-2006 Web Developer, U.S. Department of State (contracted through Viatech, Inc.)
Designed and built websites and other electronic media for customers within the U.S. Department of State. Wrote HTML and CSS code that is accessible and Section 508 compliant. Created multi-browser media for use on Department-wide intranet and World Wide Web. Analyzed web statics to improve usability. Met with customers to gather project requirements and solicit feedback. Followed Department standards and best practices for web design.

• Designed and coded blogs and wikis for new eDiplomacy initiative.
• Redesigned large web site for Bureau of Administration, Office of Multi-Media Services.
• Designed and built multi-lingual CD (photographs, animation, audio, text documents) for a global audience.
• Viatech named one of New Jersey's fastest growing technology companies in Deloitte & Touche's "Fast 50" program.

2004-2005 Web Editor, PBS
Wrote and edited copy for online-learning Web sites. Edited multimedia courses designed to deliver pedagogy theory to educators. Standardized grammar, style, and references across diverse media. Designed new customer-focused approach to Web site navigation and architecture. Worked with in-house marketing team and outside marketing firms to develop accurate messaging. Managed Web site projects by: defining requirements and scope of new projects, running weekly meetings, and assigning action items to team members.

Conferences & Workshops:

• Web Design World Conference in San Francisco (2005)
• "Writing for the Web" workshop with Merry Bruns at the National Press Club (2005)

2003 Deputy Bureau Chief, The Capitol Pulse
Edited daily online publication. Wrote press releases. Attended congressional hearings and mark-ups as an accredited member of the U.S. Senate Radio and Television News Galleries and drafted reports within two hours of adjournment. Broadened potential subscriber base of a legislative news service by initiating new relationships with national news networks.

2003 Freelance Publicist
Developed and implemented public relations campaigns for small businesses, individuals, non-profits, and special interest groups. Designed layout and wrote copy for promotional materials, such as brochures, fliers, photographs, and Web sites. Used self-promotion to develop client relationships.

2000-2003 Substitute Teacher, Avon Central School
Taught special and regular education, grades K-12.

Computer

Research

Familiar with Chicago Manual of Style (14th ed.) and AP Stylebook

Photography

Formal training in traditional and digital photography, processing, and presentation

Language

Speak and write Spanish fluently

Instruction

Teach equestrian sports and theory to adult students

• Non-profit Development Assistant, American Farmland Trust
• Office Assistant, CUA, Departments of English and Media Studies
• Peer Tutor, CUA, ATLAS Tutoring Program
• Office Assistant and Substitute Teacher, BOCES Summer Program (grades 9-12)

The following people have written letters of recommendation on my behalf: