Faculty graduates honored
The Maroon Institute for Writing Excellence recently saw more than a dozen Mississippi State faculty members graduate from the three-week program.
The program - which is part of the university's quality enhancement plan (QEP) - is now in its fifth year and provides intensive training to teachers from a variety of university departments to modify course syllabi to incorporate more writing-to-learn strategies into class assignments.
“We ask a lot of our faculty participants. They learn new strategies for incorporating writing in their classes and they challenge their pre-existing ideas about how writing assignments and student engagement can and should work in their classes,” said Deborah Lee, co-director of the Maroon & Write QEP. “The faculty who are chosen for participation in the MIWE are committed to enhancing their skills as a teacher and care passionately about their students' success.” English Instructor Ann Spurlock serves as the other co-director. For their their participation, graduates received a commemorative framed certificate, T-shirt and portfolio embossed with the Maroon and Write program's logo.
This year's MIWE summer graduates and the writing-tolearn courses they'll be teaching during the upcoming academic year include:
• Martha Barton, instructor of biological sciences teaching special topics in biological sciences.
• Joanne Beriswill, assistant professor of instructional
systems and workforce development teaching graphics and web design.
• Christine Cord, postdoctoral associate in food science, nutrition and health promotion teaching food law.
• Brian Counterman, associate professor of biological sciences teaching population genetics.
• Robert Green, undergraduate coordinator for the Bagley College of Engineering, will further incorporate writing assignments as part of his engineering administration course.
• Jeffrey Haupt, professor of art teaching painting survey.
• Gail Kopetz, instructor of music teaching foundations of music education.
• Kenya McKinley, assistant professor of sociology teaching social work with communities and organizations.
• Holli Seitz, assistant professor of communication teaching elements of persuasion.
• LaShan Simpson, assistant professor of agricultural
and biological engineering, will apply enhanced writingto-learn concepts this fall in her biomedical materials course for upperclassmen.
• Kim Smith, instructor of curriculum, instruction and special education teaching middle level literacy.
• Lesley Strawderman, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering teaching industrial ergonomics. • Byron Williams, assistant professor of computer science and engineering teaching software architecture and design paradigms.