Curriculum Vitae Mark Isham Business Address: Department of English University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 Phone: 319-338-7369 E-mail: [email protected] EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL HISTORY Higher Education Dissertation work with the late Merle Brown, after Brown’s death (1978), Sherman Paul on Ezra Pounds Cantos, The University of Iowa. Comprehensive Exams for Ph.D. in English, the University of Iowa, 1976. M.A. in English, Pass Plus, the University of Iowa, 1972. B.A. in English and History, Honors, the University of Illinois, 1971. Professional and Academic Positions THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA (1987-present Adjunct Professor and Visiting Professor) FIRST YEAR SEMINAR: DRAWN INTO LEARNING: USE CARTOONS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING: 08N:029 (Fall 2010; Fall 2011; FALL 2012, Fall 2013) Students record, compose, and apply first college experiences as a series of stories and images, study the work of those who use journals that reflect on their life experiences, talk with some of these artists and writers who will come to class, write and draw in class workshops, compose in a journal, and create a course project: a sequence of cartoons and writing. WRITING FOR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY: 8N:113 (1991-present); practical techniques and exercises for memo writing, letter writing, report writing, proposal writing, cover letter and resume writing. • I also teach the correspondence version of the course. ADVANCED WRITING FOR BUSINESS: TEAM WRITING AND DOCUMENT DESIGN: 8N:133 (1993-present); techniques for team writing in business and administrative settings: work with clients from the community, analysis of process, document design. • Featured in Continuing Connections newsletter for The Division of Continuing Education: “Writing Students meet the 'Real World'". TEAM LEADER, CONSULTANT, ADVISOR, READER (Fall 2000-present) College of Engineering University of Iowa for writing assignments for Statics 57:001, Experimental Engineering 58:080, Biomedical Engineering Fundamentals 51:030, Materials Science 57:015, and the Hanson Center for Technical Communication. Give oral presentations to classes and visitors. Help students with oral presentations. T.A. SEMINAR (Spring 2004-Spring 2007) 57:015 Materials Science, College of Engineering University of Iowa; helping T.A.s grade lab reports. Discuss common student writing problems and ways to fix them. Create handouts for T.A.s in future semesters. Mark Isham E-mail [email protected] EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL HISTORY: Academic Positions continued TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR ENGINEERS (56:195/58:195): College of Engineering (Fall 2004); a course for Engineering graduate and upper lever undergraduate students stressing abstracts, technical reports, proposals, a clear and logical writing style, logical arguments, sentence and paragraph structure, and large scale document outline. ESSENTIALS OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION (59:004); College of Engineering (Spring 2003 and Spring 2004); a course for Engineering undergraduates in workplace writing, research, and presentation taught with John Forys, Director of the Engineering Library, who teaches the research portion of the course. MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATIONS (for MBA students, 1987-91); practical techniques and exercises in design and tone of transactional communications. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS (for MBA students, 1987-88); transactional speech and writing skills, strategies in document design and execution. Teaching Assistant, 1976-84: • RHETORIC 10:1, 10:2, 10:3; beginning, intermediate, and advanced expository writing, reading, speaking, and research writing. • INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE; drama, poetry, fiction. • NARRATIVE LITERATURE; drama, poetry, fiction. KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE (1980-1999, 2002, Adjunct Professor)--Certificate of Appreciation for 5, 10, and 15 years of service. ELEMENTS OF WRITING Originated ELEMENTS Computer Classroom course COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS I COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS II COMPOSITION I MASS MEDIA & COMMUNICATION COMPOSITION II COMPOSITION II: TECHNICAL WRITING COE COLLEGE (Fall 1984): READING LITERATURE; drama, poetry, fiction. UNIVERSITY OF POITIERS Audio-Visual Center at Royan, France (1973-74, English as a Second Language tutor). CORPORATE SEMINARS ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC.; Cedar Rapids, IA; Writing Workshop Designed for Engineering Professionals: Basic writing Tools, Writing for Different audiences, Choosing the best Medium, Choosing an Appropriate Style, Strong Sentences: Full day seminar including note taking, e-mail writing • July 25, 2013 • February 15, 2011 • January 22, 2009 • February 13, 2013 • December 14, 2010 • October 23, 2008 • September 20, 2012 • July 27, 2010 • May 20, 2008 • June 21, 2012 • April 13, 2010 • January 14, 2008 • March 22, 2012 • January 19, 2010 • November 20, 2007 • December 7, 2011 • October 20, 2009 • June 19, 2007. • September 8, 2011 • August 20, 2009. • February 8, 2007 • May 17, 2011 • May 21, 2009 • June 6, 2006. Mark Isham E-mail [email protected] CORPORATE SEMINARS continued DELTA DENTAL PLANS ASSOCIATION; Oak Brook, Illinois; Work Place Writing: defining common writing problems, getting to the point, organizing around reader questions, using persuasion when appropriate, creating more effective sentences, choosing an appropriate style, and conveying difficult messages. I also trained Delta Dental staff as writing coaches worked as a consultant to Delta Dental for the next six months examining correspondence and other documents: March 28, 2008. FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC, EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEMENT; Marshalltown IA; Creating and Revising Effective Documents: clarifying technical material, organizing for clarity, making the case for what comes next, solving problems for customers, choosing the proper medium, choosing a tone, first aid for sick sentences: • Half day seminar on January 31, 2008. • Half day seminar on January 24, 2008. • Two seminars on January 5, 2006. • Two seminars on January 12, 2005. • August 4, 2003 (I also gave follow-up consultations for individual workers) • July 28, 2003. JOHN DEERE AND COMPANY, Moline. IL; Creating and Revising Effective Documents: clarifying technical material, organizing for clarity, making the case for what comes next, solving problems for customers, choosing the proper medium, choosing a tone, and giving first aid to sick sentences: October 19, 2004. PEARSON GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS, Coralville Iowa; Creating an Effective Correspondence: Solutions to specific correspondence problems encountered when writing Department of Education responses to specific client questions: June 8, 2004. MAYTAG RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS GROUP, MAYTAG CORPORATION; Newton IA; Workplace Writing Seminar: Review sentence structure, organization, audience, industry standards for product specifications: October 8, 2002. NCS, NATIONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC.; Iowa City, IA 52244; Grammar Seminar: Review of sentence structure, basic grammar, and building document organization for effective writing: • November 4, 1999 • October 19, 1999 Writing to Meet Business Needs, four-week writing course; report and proposal writing; bottom-line, reader- based, paramedic editing for managers, engineers, customer service: • July 7, 1998-July 30, 1998 • September 9, 1997-October 2, 1997 • July 8, 1997-July 31, 1997 • April 29, 1997-May 22 1997 Mark Isham E-mail [email protected] CORPORATE SEMINARS continued STANLEY CONSULTANTS, INC.; Transactional Writing Workshop; Stanley Building, Muscatine, IA 52761; September 5, 1997. HOWARD R. GREEN AND COMPANY, CONSULTING ENGINEERS; WRITING SEMINARS: • January 8, 1997--Collins Plaza Hotel; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Bottom-line, reader- based, paramedic editing for engineering and office staff. • January 7, 1997--The Inn at University; Des Moines, Iowa; Bottom-line, Reader- based, paramedic editing for engineering and office staff. • November 8, 1996--Center for Conferences at Des Moines Area Community College; Bottom-line, reader- based, paramedic editing for project managers. IOWA ENGINEERING SOCIETY TECHNICAL WRITING SEMINAR, Center for Conferences and Institutes at The University of Iowa (January 30, 1995); techniques for memo writing, report writing, sentence structure. COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, UNIVERSTIY OF IOWA, Seminar on Writing for all sections of Business Policy: 6B: 165 (August-September 1994); techniques for team writing, report writing, effective transactional strategies. TRAINER IN MANAGEMENT SEMINARS (1987-1989) Cedar Rapids Economic Development Commission. EQUIFAX INSURANCE SYSTEMS, Seminar on Writing (January-February 1986), techniques for report writing, effective transactional strategies, grammar. TECHNICAL WRITING, EDITING WRITER/RESEARCHER (February-March 2008) Writing That Works for Delta Dental: defining common writing problems, getting to the point, organizing around reader questions, using persuasion when appropriate, creating more effective sentences, choosing an appropriate style, and conveying difficult messages--also created coaching materials for writers to help one another; DELTA DENTAL PLANS ASSOCIATION; Oak Brook, Illinois. WRITER (June-August 2006) National Science Foundation Report on Sustainability and Chemistry Workshop, May 30-June 1 2006. Vicki Grassian, University of Iowa and Gerald Meyer, John Hopkins University co-chairs, Katharine Covert, NSF Program Officer. CONSULTANT (May-June 2006) National Science Foundation Workshop on Sustainability and Chemistry, May 30-June 1 2006 Report. Vicki Grassian, University of Iowa and Gerald Meyer, John Hopkins University co-chairs, Katharine