Newsworthy: Welcome New MA and MTPC Students
Please welcome three new assistant professors to the English Department.
Tiffany Craft Portewig expects to complete her PhD in Technical Communication and Rhetoric from Texas Tech University in August 2006. She earned a master's degree in English and Technical Communication from Texas State University and a bachelor's degree with a double major in English and Political Science from Texas A&M University.
Her dissertation studies workplace decisions related to the visual design of technical illustrations and graphics. She has conducted numerous research studies, presented at national conferences, and published in the area of visual rhetoric and visual literacy.
Her other research interests include technical editing, document design, and technical communication pedagogy. Tiffany has worked as senior editor of a technical publication, a technical editor and writer, and a consultant in the area of instructional design.
Joanne Tong is an assistant professor of English. She received her bachelor o
f arts degree from the University of Chicago and her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Her research interests are primarily Romanticism, imperial history, and postcolonial theory.
Dave Yeats is an assistant professor of technical and professional communication. He specializes in usability, Web design, and software documentation.
Dave earned his PhD in Technical Communication and Rhetoric from Texas Tech University , where he served as an Assistant Director of User Research. Before that, he wor
ked as a technical writer at several high-tech companies in Austin , Texas . He still works as a consultant or contract technical communicator as time permits.
In the classroom, Dave likes to emphasize skills that students can apply to their future careers through hands-on projects, including Web sites, research reports, or usability studies.
Dave's research interests include an investigation of usability practices in the open-source software community, examination of the rhetorical purposes of various deliverables related to usability evaluation, and the ethics of technical communication.
Dr. Yeats' recent publications include:
"Understanding the Role of the Highlights Video in Usability Testing: A Consideration of Rhetorical and Generic Expectations." Technical Communication , 52.2 (May) 2005, pp. 156-62. (with Locke Carter)
EGO Meeting Today
The English Graduate Organization (EGO) will meet today, September 13, at 3:00 PM in the common area, HC8009. All graduate students are encouraged to attend.
Two English Hour Presentations Scheduled
Jon Bolton will be presenting a talk October 12, 2006, titled "Love Hiberian Style: Courtship and Sexual Initiation in the Irish Bildungsroman." On November 16, 2006, Miriam Clark will be presenting her talk, "Attitude Dancing: Kenneth Burke and American Poetry." Each talk will be held at 4 PM and the location is to be announced.
Calendar for 2006-07 Academic Year
Here is information about Departmental events for academic year 2006-07.
- October 12 - English Hour Presentation - Jon Bolton - "Love Hiberian Style: Courtship and Sexual Initiation in the Irish Bildungsroman" - 4-5 PM - Haley Center 2306
- October 17 - Professor Melvyn New - "Trends in Criticism as Revealed by Thirty Years of Reviewing"- 3 PM - Haley Center 2182
- October 23 - World Literature Faculty Seminar - Jana Gutierrez - "Teaching Latin American and US Hispanic Works in World Literature II" - Haley Center 2104
- October 26-27 - Gregory Orr (English Symposium Series), Poetry Reading
- October 27-28 - William Bartram Symposium
- November 6 - Robert Clem (English Symposium Series), independent film maker "William March's Company K: From Novel to Film"
- November 16 - English Hour Presentation - Miriam Clark - "Attitude Dancing : Kenneth Burke and American Poetry"
- January 18, 2007 - World Literature Lecture: Aiola Irele, Professor of African Studies and French, Harvard University (afternoon- faculty seminar; evening- World Literature lecture)
- March 1-2 - Walter Benn Michael's visit sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa
- March 10 - Graduate Student Colloquium
- March 15 - Trudier Harris (English Symposium Series)
- April 20 - Department Awards Ceremony (3:00 PM)
Here are dates for departmental faculty meetings.
Faculty Meetings
- September 27
- October 4 (ADA Workshop)
- October 11
- October 25 (Graduate Faculty Meeting)
- November 8
- January 31
- February 7
- February 14
- April 4
- April 18
Here are the important dates for the fall 2006 and spring 2007 semesters.
- October 6 - Mid-semester
- November 20-25 - Thanksgiving Break
- December 6 - Last Class Day
- December 15 - Commencement
- January 5 - Lead-Teacher/Co-Teacher Workshop
- January 8 - First Day of Class
- March 26-31 - Spring Break
- April 30 - Last Class Day
- May 10 - Commencement
For more information on these events and more, visit the Department's Calendar page.
To include an item in The English Channel, submit text items by Tuesday at 10 AM for publication Wednesday. Submit items by email to Heather Finch or Margaret Kouidis or put the information in their mailboxes. Please check your submission for accuracy and completion—all calendar items and meeting announcements must include the date, time, and location of the event.
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Last updated September 13, 2006