Major: General Studies
How long have you been teaching at MSOE?
I began teaching at MSOE in 1989 and, while I occasionally take years off here and there to tend to family issues or other work, I have taught part-time most of the years since.
What classes do you teach?
I teach basic and technical composition, speech, contemporary issues in the humanities, and creative thinking.
Can you tell us a bit about your career background and experience?
I got my B.A. at Marquette University (majoring in English and minoring in math) and my M.A. in Literary Studies at UWM. Before teaching at MSOE, I worked as a technical writer for an investment software company. In addition to teaching, I write freelance articles, non-fiction and fiction books, and blogs. I also do occasionally public speaking, and I freelance as a book indexer.
You recently wrote a book about Oscar Micheaux, a man who formed his own publishing company and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Why did you choose him as your subject?
I first learned about Oscar Micheaux while doing some research on my family home, which is the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When I discovered that this accomplished and fascinating man had homesteaded near where my grandparents had lived at the beginning of the 20th century, I knew I had to write about him. Eventually I decided to tell his story for a younger readership in the form of a middle grade historical novel.
Why is it important for business, engineering and nursing students to develop good writing skills?
I find that many of the business, engineering and nursing students I have taught enter college thinking they are destined to be poor writers, and that is just not the case. While most people understand the importance of good writing skills for better workplace communication, I also think that improving one's writing skills leads to greater confidence overall and makes us more likely to be the people we want to be. Whenever we can do a better job of expressing the thoughts and ideas and questions in our minds, we improve those thoughts and ideas and questions, and we become better able to put our ideas into practice. Writing is about so much more than writing. Better writing leads to better thinking.