Catherine Amelia Shuler

Post Office Box 476
Lafayette, Indiana 47902
Home: 765.429.5866 :: Cell: 765.404.5866
Email: cshuler@purdue.edu
http://www.catshuler.com/portfolio

Education

Ph.D. in English, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
August 2010 (expected graduation)

Primary Area: Rhetoric and Composition
Secondary Areas: Rhetoric, Technology, and Digital Writing; Public Rhetorics; Visual Rhetoric and Professional Communication; Cultural Studies

Dissertation: Writing/Fighting to Stay Alive: The Rhetorical Strategies of Trauma Bloggers
Committee: David Blakesley (chair), Samantha Blackmon, Sandor Goodhart, Patricia Sullivan

M.A. in English, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
May 2006

Primary Area: Rhetoric and Composition
Thesis: The “Wordless Universe”: Kenneth Burke and the Search for a Symbolic of Trauma
Committee: David Blakesley (chair), Sandor Goodhart, Michael Salvo

Master’s Certificate in Women’s Studies, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
May 2002

B.A. in English, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Capstone Advisor: Judith G. James
Cognates in Italian and Women’s Studies
May 2001

Awards and Grants

Nielsen/Norman Group Scholarship for participation in Usability Week (New York, NY, April 2006)

Library Fellowship Award for Information and Computer Literacy Integration, Grant for participation in the co-integration of technology instruction into English 106/108 curriculum (Purdue 2004-2005)

Honorable Mention, Kathryn Mostel Teaching Award for teaching portfolio in introductory composition (Purdue 2003)

Teaching Experience

Graduate Instructor, Professional Writing, Department of English, Purdue University (2005-present)
Graduate Instructor, Introductory Composition, Department of English, Purdue University (2002-2005)
Adjunct Faculty, Department of English, Ivy Tech Community College (2005)
Graduate Assistant, Women’s Studies, Women’s Studies Program, University of South Carolina (2002)

Courses Developed and Taught
Purdue University

Technical Writing (English 421, Fall 2009, 2 sections)
Introduced advanced undergraduates from a variety of majors to different issues related to technical communication, including rhetorical theory, professional writing, audience analysis, usability, user documentation, and writing in the workplace. Developed student’s ability to understand and create technical writing documents in a variety of media by assigning a range of work to increase understanding of technical communication and common professional writing genres. Assignments include proposals; analysis of rhetorical situations for web-based, user-developed documents; white papers; annotated bibliographies; usability studies; text-based and multimedia user documentation. Peer reviews are included in all project steps. Weekly assignments include reading responses, comments, and individual project logs posted to the course website. Link to current sections: http://www.catshuler.com/engl421fa09.

Multimedia Writing (English 419, Fall 2007 & Spring 2008, 2 sections)
Introduced advanced undergraduates from a variety of majors to concepts related to composition in multiple media, including rhetorical theory, the history of technologies of writing, the development of new media, audience aware creations, creative use of technology, construction of web-based writing, and the development of documentary films. Developed student ability to understand technology and media as more than computer-based documents. Assignments include rhetorically-situated photographic essays, audio/visual compositions, websites, constructive use of online social media such as Second Life and Facebook, and documentary film making, including the rhetorical analysis of sample documentaries, storyboarding, interviewing, primary and secondary information gathering, filming, editing raw footage, and development of promotional materials. Peer reviews were included in all project steps. Weekly assignments included reading responses, comments, and individual project logs posted to the course website. Links to previously taught sections: http://www.rhetoricat.com/engl419fa07 and http://www.rhetoricat.com/engl419sp08

Business Writing (English 420, Fall 2007, 1 section)
Instructed advanced graduate students in the genres and expectations of professional and business writing. Using David Allen’s Getting Things Done, students developed writing strategies for project development and completion. Focusing on writing for non-profit organizations, students worked with a client, Mona Lisa’s Sword, to develop strategies for including new technologies in their organization and website. Students worked closely with the client to understand their organization as well as needs and expectations for the integration of new technology. Assignments included white papers constructed textually and in html and user documentation in text-based and multimedia documents. Weekly assignments included reading responses, comments, and individual project logs posted to the course website. Link to previously taught section: http://rhetoricat.com/engl420fa07/

Introductory Composition (English 106, Fall 2003-Spring 2006, 5 sections)
Instructed undergraduate students in rhetorical theory, audience analysis, research, and the creation of student-selected “real” texts, using the Rhetorical Situations/ Real Texts approach developed with a group of colleagues. All assignments were student-generated and based on personal experience and issues related to their lives outside of the classroom. Using project development tools such as worksheets on the major aspects of the rhetorical situations, one-on-one conferencing, and peer input, students chose and designed their own projects and set their own schedule for project development and completion. Sample documents include letters to the editor, websites, Flash videos, and Podcasts. This course integrated multimedia instruction, weekly conferencing, and peer review into the curriculum. Weekly assignments included reading responses posted online using Blogger. English 106 is the required composition course for incoming Purdue students.

English Composition II (English 102, Spring 2003, 2 sections)
Introduced incoming students to argument-based writing, emphasizing scholarly based writing. Using the Academic Writing approach, I customized this class to focus on gender-related issues. I developed a course packet that included sample journal articles and related academic writing on gender issues. Reading responses and research journals fostered continued engagement with reading materials. Focusing on topics within their field of study, students completed writing genres associated with academic writing that would be utilized in future courses. Assignments included were summaries, reviews, reports, proposals, annotated bibliographies, and research papers. English 102 was the second class in Purdue’s previous two-semester sequence for introductory composition.

Courses Taught
Purdue University

Technical Writing Online (English 421 Distance Education, 4 sections)
An upper-level undergraduate course focusing on technical communication in the workplace. The distance education version of this course meets exclusively online in an interactive online environment using an open source content management system. This course attempts to find a middle space between the daily assignments, face-to-face discussion, and interaction of an onsite course and the self-pacing student may expect of distance education courses. Interaction between students and with the instructor is accomplished through asynchronous communication via blogs, comments, and email; and through synchronous online chats and/or video conferences. This course helps students become better technical communicators by focusing on successful and ethical communication across multiple audiences and for multiple purposes in technical and professional fields. Working individually and in groups, students learn effective strategies for communicating about and with technology, particularly in networked workplaces and through usability testing. Major projects focus on developing a variety of informative and visually effective print and electronic documents including employment documents, white papers, and user documentation in multimedia. Peer reviews are conducted throughout the stages of each project. Weekly assignments include reading responses, comments, and individual project logs posted to the course website.

Business Writing for Entrepreneurs (English 420E, 3 sections)
An upper-level undergraduate course developed for Purdue’s Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Business Writing for Entrepreneurs endeavors to teach students the rhetorical principles and writing practices useful for launching and nurturing successful entrepreneurial ventures. It teaches the rhetorical practices that help students shape their business communication ethically, for multiple audiences, in a variety of professional and entrepreneurial situations.
As an option course for the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in association with the Burton D. Morgan Center in Discovery Park, the curriculum is informed by current research in rhetoric, professional writing, and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, it is guided by the practices of business, industry, and society at large, as well as the needs of Purdue students and programs. All sections are offered in networked computer classrooms to ensure that students taking the course are prepared for the writing environments of the 21st-century workplace. Assignments include frequent reading responses, elevator pitches, employment documents (including resumes, cover letters, and job ads), marketing analyses, and business plans. Links to previously taught sections: English 420E Spring 2009 (2 sections) http://engl420esp09.catshuler.net/ and English 420E Fall 2008 (1 section) http://catshuler.net/engl420efa08/

Business Writing Online (English 420 Distance Education, 3 sections)
An upper-level undergraduate course focusing on business writing in the workplace. The distance education version of this course meets exclusively online in an interactive online environment using an open source content management system. This course attempts to find a middle space between the daily assignments, F2F discussion, and interaction of an onsite course and the self-pacing students may expect of distance education courses. Interaction between students and with the instructor is accomplished through asynchronous communication via blogs, comments, and email; and through synchronous online chats and/or video conferences. This course teaches students the rhetorical principles and writing practices necessary for producing effective business letters, memos, reports, and collaborative projects in professional contexts. These sections of business writing take advantage of online writing environments to ensure that students taking the course are prepared for the writing environment of the 21st-century workplace. The course teaches the rhetorical principles that help students shape their business writing ethically, for multiple audiences, in a variety of professional situations. Major course projects include employment documents, white papers, and multimedia presentations on new communication technologies. Peer reviews are conducted throughout the stages of each project. Weekly assignments include reading responses, comments, and individual project logs posted to the course website.

Technical Writing (English 421, 3 sections)
An upper-level undergraduate course focusing on technical communication in the workplace. This course helps students become better technical communicators, whose work is characterized by the presentation of technical material in written and visual formats that are user centered and aware of audience and context. The course and its principles are grounded in rhetorical theory and informed by current research in technical communication. This course helps students become better technical communicators by focusing on successful and ethical communication across multiple audiences and for multiple purposes in technical and professional fields. Working individually and in groups, students learn effective strategies for communicating about and with technology, particularly in networked workplaces and through usability testing. Assignments focus on developing a variety of informative and visually effective print and electronic documents including employment documents, white papers, and user documentation in multimedia. Weekly assignments include reading responses, comments, and individual project logs posted to the course website.[Official Course Description, http://www.digitalparlor.org/pwenglish/421]

Business Writing (English 420, 2 sections)
An upper-level undergraduate course focusing on business writing in the workplace. English 420 teaches students the rhetorical principles and writing practices necessary for producing effective business letters, memos, reports, and collaborative projects in professional contexts. All sections are offered in networked computer classrooms to ensure that students taking the course are prepared for the writing environment of the 21st-century workplace. The course teaches the rhetorical principles that help students shape their business writing ethically, for multiple audiences, in a variety of professional situations. Weekly assignments include reading responses, comments, and individual project logs posted to the course website. Major course projects include employment documents, white papers, and multimedia presentations on new communication technologies. Students work individually and in groups to complete assignments and all students are responsible for providing peer reviews of other students’ work. [Official Course Description,
http://www.digitalparlor.org/pwenglish/420]

English Composition I (English 101, 1 section)
A genre-based writing in course in Purdue’s previous two-semester sequence for introductory composition. This course focused on writing that contributes to the college community. Using the Writing their Way into Purdue syllabus approach, students created documents such as brochures for student organizations and short documentaries dealing with issues like drinking on campus.

Courses Taught
Ivy Tech Community College

English Composition I (English 111, 1 section)
The first writing course in Ivy Tech’s two-semester sequence for introductory composition. English Composition I is designed to develop students’ abilities to think, organize, and express their ideas clearly and effectively. This course incorporates reading, research, and critical thinking. Emphasis is placed on the various forms of expository writing such as process, description, narration, comparison, analysis, persuasion, and argumentation. Numerous in-class writing activities are required in addition to extended essays written outside of class.

Courses Taught
University of South Carolina

Women in Society (Women’s Studies 112, 1 section)
An undergraduate class serving as an elective and a required course for the Women and Gender Studies major and minor. This course focuses on issues concerning women and gender in society.

Research Assistantships

Research Assistant, Women’s Studies, University of South Carolina (Spring 2002)
Director: Laura Woliver
Conducted research on women’s studies in relation to political science. Assisted on Woliver’s book The Political Geographies of Pregnancy as researcher and copy editor.

Research Assistant, Women’s Studies, University of South Carolina (Fall 2001)
Directors: Donna Rhoades and Laura Woliver
Assisted in establishing the Women’s Well-Being Initiative and conducted research on women’s health for Dr. Rhoades.
Assisted Laura Woliver in research on reproductive issues.

Service

Disciplinary
Association of Teachers of Technical Writing, Ethics Committee (2009)
Chair, “Visual Communication and Comprehension: Responding to the needs of our communities” ATTW Conference, New Orleans, LA (2008)
Chair, “Mystic Writing: Tao and Zen in the Classroom” CCCC, Chicago, IL (2006)
Chair, “Teaching Tools, Teaching Theory” ATTW Conference, Chicago, IL (2006)
Focus Group for The Thomson Handbook by David Blakesley and Jeffrey L. Hoogeveveen (2006)

University
Purdue Graduate Student Government Senator (2005-2007)
PGSG Newsletter Developer and Editor (2006-2007)
PGSG Legislative and Strategic Planning Committee Vice Chair/Interim Chair (2005-2006)
Purdue Campus Appeals Board (2005-2007)

Departmental
Purdue Online Writing Lab Usability Testing (2006)
Introductory Composition at Purdue Committee (2005-2006)
Graduate Student English Association, Vice President (2004-2005)
Graduate Student English Association, Secretary/Treasurer (2003-2004)
“Rhetorical Situations/Real Texts” Syllabus Approach Development Committee (2003-2004)
“Academic Writing in Women’s Studies” Workshop, University of South Carolina (2002)

Community
Girl Scout Troop Leader, Sycamore Council, Lafayette, IN (2005-2006)
Field Producer Volunteer, Brave New Media (2006)
Instructor, “Writing and Political Activism” Looseleaf Workshop, Lafayette, IN (Fall 2004)
Volunteer, Women’s Well-Being Initiative, Columbia, SC (Spring 2002)
Domestic Violence Advocate, Sister Care, Columbia, SC (1999-2002)
Volunteer/Translator, Habitat for Humanity (1993-1996)
Volunteer, Writing and Literacy Tutor (1993-1996)
Volunteer, The Regional Medical Center (1992-1996)

Conference Presentations

“Constructing Identity in Second Life: Avatar Creation as a Form of Visual Composition”
Conference on College Composition and Communication, New Orleans, LA (April 2008)

"Teaching and Learning in Second Life."
Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference. West Lafayette, IN (March 2008.)

“I’m not a feminist, but...”: Feminism and the Rhetoric of Denial”
Feminism(s) and Rhetoric(s) Conference (October 2005)

“‘I met a man who wasn’t there’: Dissociative Responses to Trauma in Identity and Memento”
Midwestern Modern Language Association, Milwaukee, WI (November 2005)

“The Parlor: A Role-Playing, Interactive, Scripted, Multimedia Extravaganza” (with David Blakesley and Ernest Enchelmayer)
Conference on College Composition and Communication, San Francisco, CA (March 2005)

“Sex, Drugs and Nineteenth Century Women”, Roundtable Discussion Facilitator
“University of South Carolina Women’s Studies Conference: An Odyssey of Body, Mind and Soul”
USC, Columbia, SC (February 2002)

“Girls Kick Ass: Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Third Wave Feminist”
Third Wave Feminism Symposium, West Lafayette, IN (April 2002)

Poster Sessions

"A Pirate's Life for Me: Design and Collaboration in the Technical Writing Classroom"
Professional Writing Pedagogy and Technology Showcase, West Lafayette, IN (November 2008)

“Generous Texts: Defining Writing in the Multi(ple) Media Classroom”
Professional Writing Pedagogy and Technology Showcase, West Lafayette, IN (November 2007)

Invited Lectures
University of South Carolina

“Girls Kick Ass: Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Third Wave Feminist”
Women’s Studies Research Series Graduate Student Panel
University of South Carolina (March 2002)

“Third Wave Feminism”
Women’s Studies 112: Women in Society (Spring 2002)

“Body Image and Identity”
Women’s Studies 112: Women in Society (Spring 2002)

“Feminist Literary Theory”
Women’s Studies 111: Women in Culture (Fall 2001)

“Emily Dickinson”
English 287: American Literature (Fall 2001)

“Body Image and Identity”
Women’s Studies 112: Women in Society (Fall 2001)

Publications

“Liberatory Medicine: The Construction of Knowledge and Narrative between Doctors and Patients.” Medical Humanities. (under review)

“Any Attempt at Passing is Proof of Deceipt: The Invisible Disability of Chronic Illness” Journal of Disability Studies. (under review)

“It was not a story to pass on: The Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Beloved and Paradise.” Multi-Ethnic Literature in the United States. (under review)

“‘I met a man who wasn’t there’: Identity, Memento, and Cinematic Representations of Trauma” Screen. (under review)

“Review of The Economics of Attention by Richard Lanham.” Journal of Technical Writing and Communication. (January 2008)

Digital Scholarly Projects

Stu-dent Av-a-tar Website
A scholarly project developed with colleagues (Mark Pepper, Karen Lee, and Morgan Reitmeyer). I designed the Stu-dent Av-a-tar site using the content management system, Drupal. I continue to be the administrator, webmaster, and a site contributor. The purpose of the site is to provide information on Web 2.0 and virtual worlds for students, instructors, and the general public. Included in the site are articles written on the above topics and a machinima constructed in Second Life, which provides an introduction for students and instructors interested in using Second Life in the classroom. Stu-dent Av-a-tar can be found at the following url: http://studentavatar.com

Machinima on Teaching in Second Life
A video created in Second Life with colleagues, Mark Pepper, Karen Lee, and Morgan Reitmeyer, and with the assistance of Second Life expert Jeff Lee. This video demonstrates how Second Life can be used in teaching and provides viewers with a glimpse of the different types of individuals who participate in the virtual world. In addition to being useful to teachers and students, the video serves as a general introduction to Second Life. The video was filmed within the virtual world in which the avatars that we created interacted and discussed the potential of Second Life. My avatar, Story Writer, was cast in the role of experienced Second Life educator and was responsible for explaining to others the potential of Second Life in education. Mark Pepper and I wrote the script and after filming our avatars’ interactions, all four of us provided voice-overs used in the machinima. The machinima in its entirety can be viewed at: http://studentavatar.com and the “trailer” for the film is available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4g3R8gPH0A.

Writing New Media: Resources for Writing and Teaching New Media
A website created to provide information on new media and focused specifically on providing resources for teachers and writers interested in integrating new media into their work. I designed the site using Drupal and focused on ensuring accessibility. The project is ongoing, but the current material includes instructions on how to implement the multimedia writing curriculum that I developed at Purdue University. I continue to be the administrator, webmaster, and sole contributor to the site. The site can be found at: http://writingnewmedia.com.

Visual Rhetorics: Seeing and Writing the World
A website created to provide information and resources for scholars, in various disciplines, who are interested in visual rhetoric. Again, I designed this site in Drupal, focusing on accessibility. It currently contains information regarding my design choices (a significant part of any site but particularly one addressing visual rhetoric) and bibliographic resources, some with annotations, dealing with visual rhetoric. This project is also ongoing, and I hope to involve other scholars in contributing to the collection of sources available and providing insights into their own scholarship in the field of visual rhetoric. I continue to be the administrator, webmaster, and sole contributor to the site. The site can be found at:
http://www.visualrhetorics.com/.

Freelance Work

Tutored both first and second language students in writing.
Assisted and taught the installation and use of Drupal sites and accompanying modules.
Assisted in the use of other blogging and content management systems, such as Joomla and Wordpress.
Edited manuscripts in a variety of disciplines.
Formatted and edited theses and dissertations.
Assisted in the creation of white papers and business plans.
Tutored students in the reading and writing of Italian.

Relevant Coursework

Rhetoric and Composition
Introduction to Composition Theory (Irwin Weiser)
Classical Rhetoric (Richard Johnson-Sheehan)
Modern Rhetoric (Patricia Sullivan)
Postmodernism and Composition (Thomas Rickert)
Empirical Research in Composition (Patricia Sullivan)
Writing Assessment and Response (Irwin Weiser)
Practicum in Teaching Introductory Composition (Jessie Moore)

Public Rhetorics
Public Rhetorics Seminar (Patricia Sullivan)
Kenneth Burke and Contemporary Rhetorical Theory (David Blakesley)
Cultural Studies and Rhetoric (Thomas Rickert)
Trauma and Representation (Sandor Goodhart)

Visual Rhetoric and Professional Communication
Digital Rhetoric and Design Studio (David Blakesley)
Visual Rhetoric in a Technological Age (David Blakesley)
Practicum in Teaching Professional Writing (Jennie Blankert)

Rhetoric, Technology, and Digital Writing
Computers and Composition (Samantha Blackmon)
New Media (Samantha Blackmon)
Rhetoric of Access (Michael Salvo)

Literature
Jane Austen Seminar (Emily Allen)
Faulkner and Morrison Seminar (Minrose Gwin)
Twentieth Century African-American Literature (Ingrid Reneau, USC)
American Women Writers (Judith G. James, USC)
British Women Writers (Paula Feldman, USC)

Women’s Studies (University of South Carolina)
Feminist Political Theory (Ed Wingenbach)
Feminist Theory (Nancy Lane)
Feminist Research and Methodology (Patricia Munhall)
Language and Gender (Laura Ahearn)
Women’s Studies Capstone Seminar (Lynn Weber)

Additional Professional Training

Nielsen/Norman Group Usability Conference (Seattle, WA, October 2006)
Information Architecture (Dan Brown)
Communicating Design: User Experience Documentation (Dan Brown)

Nielsen/Norman Group Usability Conference (New York, NY, April 2006)
Interaction Design (Bruce “Tog” Tognazzini)
Usability in Practice (Jakob Nielsen, Kara Pernice Coyne, Hoa Loranger, and Amy Schade)
Fundamental Guidelines for Web Usability (Jakob Nielsen and Hoa Loranger)
Eyetracking Web Usability (Jakob Nielsen and Kara Pernice Coyne)

Computer Proficiencies

Operating Systems
Mac OS, Windows, Linux

Web Authoring and Graphics
HTML, PHP, Dreamweaver, BBEdit, Ruby on Rails, Fetch, Adobe Photoshop, Flash, Fireworks, InDesign

Computer-mediated Communication Technologies
Drupal Content Management System, Wordpress, Blogger, Skype, Adobe Connect, Joomla, Wikis, Second Life, Zoho, Vimeo, YouTube, instant messaging, social networking sites, RSS

Desktop Publishing
Microsoft Word, Pages, InDesign

Other Applications
Microsoft Suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access; iWork: Pages, Numbers, Keynote; Open Office: Writer, Impress; Browsers: Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, OmniWeb; Omni Suite: Outliner, Graffle, Focus, Web; Bento; Scrivener; EndNote; Notebook; Evernote; Animoto; Scribd; SlideShare; Book Smart

Professional Affiliations

Association of Teachers of Technical Writing
Modern Language Association
National Council of Teachers of English
Rhetoric Society of America
Society for Disability Studies
National Women’s Studies Association
American Association of University Women
The Toni Morrison Society

Languages

Spanish, Italian, Latin

References

David Blakesley
Professor of English, Director of Professional Writing
Department of English, Purdue University
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
494-3772
blakesle@purdue.edu

Samantha Blackmon
Associate Professor of English, Director of Composition
Department of English, Purdue University
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
494-3742
blackmos@purdue.edu

Patricia Sullivan
Professor of English, Director of Graduate Program in Rhetoric and Composition
Department of English, Purdue University
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
765.494.3768
psulliva@purdue.edu

Sandor Goodhart
Associate Professor of English, Director of Interdisciplinary Program in Classics
Department of English, Purdue University
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
494-3778
goodhart@purdue.edu

Jennifer L. Bay
Assistant Professor of English
Department of English, Purdue University
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
494-8122
jbay@purdue.edu

Dossier

Julie Henderson
Credential Coordinator
Department of English, Purdue University
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765) 494-3730