ROBERT L. KAISER

CURRICULUM VITAE 2015-2016

CONTACT INFORMATION § Address: 395 Mount Vernon Road, Amherst, New York 14226 § Phone: 716.936.5021 (cell); 716.931.9666 (home) § Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION AT A GLANCE § Teaching: Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Canisius College; Writing Coach at two daily newspapers § Administration: Director of the Journalism Program at Canisius College § Advising: Faculty Advisor to the Canisius College student newspaper, The Griffin, and the Canisius chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists § Journalism: Staff Writer at the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Tribune Magazine; Writing Coach and Assistant Managing Editor for Sundays and Projects at the San Antonio Express-News; Columnist and Editorial Writer at The Cincinnati Enquirer; Central Kentucky Bureau Reporter and Assistant City Editor at the Lexington Herald-Leader; Senior Editor for Public Service, Writing Coach and Columnist at The Post-Crescent; County Government Reporter and Editorial Cartoonist at The News-Enterprise § Degrees: MFA degree in writing (creative nonfiction) from Spalding University; Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from University of Kentucky

PROFESSIONAL WEBSITES § Archival: 10,000Afternoons (under construction) § Summary: LinkedIn

FORMAL EDUCATION § Master of Fine Arts in Writing (started Spring 2008; graduated Spring 2010) w Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky Completed 64-hour degree program Graduated with a concentration in creative nonfiction Wrote extended critical essay titled Of All the Nerve: When Biographers Make Themselves Part of the Story Wrote creative thesis titled Breathing Like Houdini § Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (started Fall 1980; graduated Spring 1984) w University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky Received PRIDE Award as outstanding journalism graduate/editorial sequence Graduated “With High Distinction” from the UK Honors Program Served by appointment of the dean on the Student Advisory Council for journalism Completed two summer journalism internships: The Cincinnati Enquirer (1984) Lexington Herald-Leader (1983)

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING § Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching (2012) w Miami (Ohio) University, Oxford, Ohio § Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching (2011) w Miami (Ohio) University, Oxford, Ohio § Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference (2011) w Grapevine, Texas § Poynter News University’s “Best Feature Ideas” webinar (2010) w online § American Association of Sunday and Features Editors Show & Steal webinar (2010) w online § Poynter Multimedia Journalism Workshop for College Educators (2010) w The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida § Basic HTML coding course (completed 2010 with grade of ‘A’) w Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton Wisconsin § Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference (2007) w Grapevine, Texas § Nieman Seminar for Narrative Editors (2006) w Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts § Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference (2006) w Grapevine, Texas § Duke/Knight-Ridder Fellowship (1994) w Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

PUBLICATION HISTORY Books & Anthologies Kaiser, Robert L. (TBA**). Houdini, Breathing: The Death and Life of an American Original. **In progress; literary agent awaiting manuscript Kaiser, Robert L. (2016*). What the Baboon Was Hiding: Narrative Journalism and the Art of Truth. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt. *Forthcoming Kaiser, Robert L., et al. American Lives: The Stories of the Men and Women Lost on September 11. New York: Camino Books, 2002. Print. Kaiser, Robert L. “Man, We Are the Real Police.” Best Newspaper Writing 2000. Ed. Christopher Scanlan. Chicago: Bonus Books, 2000. 111-120. The showcase of America’s best journalism, Best Newspaper Writing has for thirty years anthologized stories recognized for excellence in the American Society of Newspaper Editors’ prestigious annual awards competition Magazines & Newspapers The following list is incomplete. A fuller accounting is on my website, www.10000afternoons.com Kaiser, Robert L. “Cool Stuff: So Goes Seismology in Western New York.” Buffalo Spree magazine. June 2012. Print and online. Buffalo Spree, Western New York’s general-circulation magazine, is an award-winning monthly publication Kaiser, Robert L. “ ‘I Wanted to Ask You a Question’: A New Media Adviser Navigates Uncharted Waters at a Private College.” College Media Review. Spring 2012. Print and online. College Media Review, the flagship Publication of College Media Advisers, Inc., is a quarterly magazine of popular and peer-reviewed articles Kaiser, Rob. “Jimmy Dean’s Last Song.” The Louisville Review 70 (2011): 88-92. Print and online. Founded in 1976, The Louisville Review is a peer-reviewed literary magazine with an acceptance rate of less than three percent. Kaiser, Rob. Introduction. Ten Spurs: Best of the Best: Literary Nonfiction of the Mayborn Conference 1 (2007): 13-15. Print. The award-winning Ten Spurs is the nonfiction literary magazine of the annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference Kaiser, Robert. “Case Shows a Child and a Man, in One Body.” The Post-Crescent 11 June 2009, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Subject of Portrait at History Museum a Mystery for the Ages.” The Post- Crescent 12 Oct. 2008, all ed., sec. 2: 2+. Two-part story: Kaiser, Robert. “Taking America’s Pulse inside Sears Tower: Part One of a Two-Part Tribune Special Report.” Chicago Tribune 11 Sept. 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “After the Fear, a New Normalcy.” Chicago Tribune 12 Sept. 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “His Blood Runs Coal: Even with a BS in Business, Phil Walker Prefers His Black-Collar Job in the Mines.” Chicago Tribune Magazine 2 Sept. 2001: 18; 20; 30; 32. Kaiser, Robert. “Sept. 11 Emotions Pour Our Anew.” Chicago Tribune 10 February 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Home Front: An American Journal: More Visitors Heed the Call of Patriotism.” Chicago Tribune 2 November 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Tiny Muddy Resists Move to Stamp Out Post Office.” Chicago Tribune 25 February 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “For Mullen, It’s Peace At Last.” Chicago Tribune 18 March 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Chicago’s Picasso Hits the Big Three-Oh.” Chicago Tribune 15 August 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Reward Dispute Keeps Tragedy Alive.” Chicago Tribune 13 July 2000, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Home Front: An American Journal: Patriotism Rises Above All Else.” Chicago Tribune 28 October 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Marines Return to Open Arms.” Chicago Tribune 8 June 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Developers Gives Up On Cemetery Homes.” Chicago Tribune 3 May 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Chicago’s Cops Must Learn Fast During Hard Times.” Chicago Tribune 1 September 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Book Spurs Gullible with Images of Largesse.” Chicago Tribune 26 July 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “A Fuller View of a Genius Painter.” Chicago Tribune 27 October 1998, all ed. sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Wartime Streets: School Tries to Soften War’s Hard Edges.” Chicago Tribune 19 March 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Shredding Industry Refuses to be Trashed.” Chicago Tribune 28 January 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “City Tries to Pump Up Its Crews Down Under.” Chicago Tribune 20 July 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Small Town Looking at Art for Economics’ Sake.” Chicago Tribune 20 December 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Small Southern Town Feeling the Absence of 150.” Chicago Tribune 6 April 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “In Moment of Fury, Family Is Shattered.” Chicago Tribune 29 December 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Parents in Forefront of This Graduation.” Chicago Tribune 21 June 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “For Down-Home Voter Appeal, Find a Good Nickname.” Chicago Tribune 21 February 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Teen Girl’s Slaying Entangled in Politics.” Chicago Tribune 30 December 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Home Front: An American Journal: One Family Rejoices in Thanksgiving Homecoming.” Chicago Tribune 23 November 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Mystery Gone, But Not Disbelief.” Chicago Tribune 24 October 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “A Dirty Job, But They Do It.” Chicago Tribune 3 August 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Time-Lapse Torment.” Chicago Tribune 4 May 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Undercurrent of Unease on the Mississippi.” Chicago Tribune 21 October 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Mullen Faces Man Who Shot, Paralyzed Him.” Chicago Tribune 12 March 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “ ‘We Are Not Free.’ ” Chicago Tribune 30 November 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Bering Witness, Saying Goodbye.” Chicago Tribune 2 December 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Home Front: An American Journal: Statue Still Closed To Visitors.” Chicago Tribune 6 October 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Veterans Breathe Life Into War Tales.” Chicago Tribune 25 May 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “A New Year’s Mystery Deepens.” Chicago Tribune 7 February 2000, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Back Porches Face New Scrutiny.” Chicago Tribune 6 July 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Ceriale Case Was Trial By Fire.” Chicago Tribune 28 September 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Illiniwek Controversy Gets Personal.” Chicago Tribune 5 March 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Drum Still Beating for Men’s Movement.” Chicago Tribune 14 November 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Blazing a Trail Through Lost Chicago.” Chicago Tribune 5 August 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Following Their Dream to Chicago.” Chicago Tribune 11 August 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Indiana Steel Generations See Way of Life Melt Away.” Chicago Tribune 17 February 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “After 25 Years in U.S., Hmong Still Feel Isolated.” Chicago Tribune 27 December 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Town Waits, Prays for Lost Marine.” Chicago Tribune 4 April 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “High-Speed Train Passes Rail Test.” Chicago Tribune 1 November 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “A Hero Cop’s Final Hours.” Chicago Tribune 7 July 20012, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Pressures of College Life Can Be Deadly.” Chicago Tribune 26 April 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Neighbors Relieved Gacy Dig Is Over.” Chicago Tribune 24 November 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “No Family But Many Tears for Stillborn.” Chicago Tribune 16 January 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Back in the Air.” Chicago Tribune 2 October 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Defense: Evidence Coerced in Cop’s Death.” Chicago Tribune 13 August 2000, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Musician Took Twisted Road to FBI’s ‘Most Wanted’ List.” Chicago Tribune 26 February 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Doctor Follows Higher Calling All the Way to Africa.” Chicago Tribune 16 July 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Mom Wrestles with Patriotism, Grief.” Chicago Tribune 6 July 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “To Us, A Grabowski in Saints Clothing.” Chicago Tribune 22 August 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “City of New Orleans Rolls on Despite Tragedy.” Chicago Tribune 21 March 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Shooting Provides Another Grim Reminder.” Chicago Tribune 29 August 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Grandfather’s Hand Lifts Boy From Urban Tragedy.” Chicago Tribune 12 October 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Stylish Woman Goes In Style.” Chicago Tribune 7 October 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Angel Won’t Let Slain Boy Be Forgotten.” Chicago Tribune 22 November 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Accounting’s Bloodhounds in Demand.” Chicago Tribune 10 March 2002, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Home Front: An American Journal: Muslims Find Welcoming Home on the Range.” Chicago Tribune 21 November 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “In Snowstorm’s Wake, A City’s Cold Heart Melts.” Chicago Tribune 4 January 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Memorial Day Opens Wounds.” Chicago Tribune 6 May 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Farmers Reap Politics As Well As Wheat.” Chicago Tribune 26 November 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Sailors Recall WWII Nightmare.” Chicago Tribune 23 April 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Anti-Terror Work Revitalizes Los Alamos.” Chicago Tribune 26 November 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Home Front: An American Journal: ‘End of Road’ Gets Taste of Fear.” Chicago Tribune 4 November 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Home Front: An American Journal: Town’s Focus on Ball, Not Sept. 11.” Chicago Tribune 29 November 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “God’s Soldier Works the Gang Battlefield.” Chicago Tribune 16 February 1998, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Rites Honor Something Found in Death of Student.” Chicago Tribune 23 March 2001, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “The Homecoming of Pfc. Lynch.” Chicago Tribune 23 July 2003, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Revolution, Revelry and Rags.” Chicago Tribune 30 April 2000, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Sad, Short and Perplexing Life of a Whiz Kid.” Chicago Tribune 21 May 2000, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Commuter Train Wreck Still Haunts a Survivor.” Chicago Tribune 9 November 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “On a Frigid Dawn, a Baby is Found Dead at a Church’s Front Door.” Chicago Tribune 5 January 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Killings Steal Rural Innocence.” Chicago Tribune 7 December 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Losing Estelle: A Haunted Artist, the Woman He Loved, and a City That Misplaced a 3½-Ton Sculpture.” Chicago Tribune Magazine 21 Jan. 2001: 12-17; 21. Kaiser, Robert. “The Science of Fitting in: Whether Growing up an Indian Immigrant or Studying Life at Robert Taylor Homes, Sudhir Venkatesh Has Learned How to Adapt.” Chicago Tribune Magazine 10 Dec. 2000: 15-16; 18; 20. Kaiser, Robert. “Gone but Not Forgotten: Chicago’s Police Investigator for Lost Adults Is Often the Only One Who Misses the Missing.” Chicago Tribune Magazine 19 Nov. 2000: 10-16. Kaiser, Robert. “Confederate Flag Can Still Draw Blood.” Chicago Tribune 19 March 2000, All ed., sec. 1: 1+. Four-part story: Kaiser, Robert. “Partners in Peril, a Story in Four Parts: ‘Welcome to the Deuce.’ ” Chicago Tribune 15 August 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Partners in Peril, a Story in Four Parts: ‘Man, We Are the Real Police.’ ” Chicago Tribune 16 August 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Partners in Peril, a Story in Four Parts: ‘You’ve Fought Long Enough.’ ” Chicago Tribune 17 August 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Partners in Peril, a Story in Four Parts: ‘All of Us Are Suffering.’ ” Chicago Tribune 18 August 1999, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “Postcard-Perfect Inns of Past Still Have Place in U.S.” Chicago Tribune 6 July 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Robert. “A Vacancy, and a Void, on Main Street: Woolworth’s Move Closes Chapter on Five-and-Dimes.” Chicago Tribune 18 July 1997, all ed., sec. 1: 1+. Kaiser, Rob. “A Fallen Priest Prepares Case for Parole.” The Cincinnati Enquirer 6 Feb. 1997, Ky. ed., sec. 2: 1+. Kaiser, Rob. “Flynt a Rascal, but He’s Their Rascal.” The Cincinnati Enquirer 19 Jan. 1997, all ed., sec. 2: 1+. Kaiser, Rob. “Unlisted Little Town Has Big Heart, and Now It’s Broken.” The Cincinnati Enquirer 14 June 1996, Ky. ed., sec. 2: 1+. Kaiser, Rob. “Galbraith: Have Joint, Will Travel.” The Cincinnati Enquirer 12 May 1996, Ky. ed., sec. 2: 1+. Kaiser, Rob. “Is Bureaucracy to Blame for Death of Fort Wright Woman?” The Cincinnati Enquirer 25 April 1996, Ky. ed., sec. 2: 1+.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE Canisius College w Director of the Journalism Program; Assistant Professor of Communication Studies (August 2010-November 2014) § Served as faculty advisor to the student newspaper § Served as founder and co-advisor to the campus chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists § Taught: COM 203 Writing for the Public Media Intensive writing assignments employing message-design principles provide opportunities to prepare news, features, press releases, advertising copy and opinion pieces COM 351 Media Ethics Explores ethics across mass media disciplines, through the work of professional communicators—journalists, broadcasters, advertising and public relations practitioners, as well as the new cyber-communicators. Develop practices of making crucial media decisions based on principles and idealism JRN 301 News Gathering/Reporting I Grounded in the social-responsibility theory of the press, this course covers the fundamentals of journalism: pursuing and producing basic news and feature stories that help people make sense of the world. Exploring everything from traditional methods such as beat development, source cultivation, interviewing and writing to newer approaches such as crowd-sourcing and video, students write and produce stories across a variety of media platforms JRN 302 News Gathering/Reporting II Advanced study and practice of all aspects of journalism addressed in News Gathering/Reporting I JRN 310 Journalism I – JRN 311 Journalism II Co-requisite courses in deep, magazine-style multimedia storytelling JRN 322 Feature- and Magazine-Writing Profiles and other human-interest features developed for newspapers, magazines, broadcast. Free-lance writing introduced JRN 342 Narrative Journalism The advanced study and practice of long-form, literary-influenced journalism, from magazines and nonfiction books such as Team of Rivals and Secretariat to cross-platform, online media outlets such The Atavist, Narrative Magazine and longform.org. Students explore methods of conceptualizing, reporting, researching and writing long-form journalism while working on a literary nonfiction project of their own JRN 363 Journalistic Editing Cultivate the skills and sensibilities necessary for shepherding multimedia news and feature stories from conceptualization to publication. Explore how to shape and sharpen journalism across a variety of media platforms. Develop an eye for reporting deficiencies, inaccuracies and potential legal problems.. Explore journalism theory and ethics. Edit for content and style. Write headlines. Design and lay out pages using pagination software. § Developed and taught: JRN 100 Introduction to Journalism The study of journalism as a free and democratic society’s consciousness, conscience, and conversation-starter, this course explores the news media’s history and evolution through the lens of its abiding imperatives to facilitate the unfettered flow of information and ideas; to champion the public’s right to know; and to serve as a force for social justice even as tectonic shifts in the media landscape bring every news organization’s responsibilities as a public trust into sharp conflict with its growing bottom-line concerns as a business. Students do stories of their own while reading and analyzing the work of professional journalists JRN490 The Journalism Capstone Conceptualization and development of a journalism capstone course emphasizing social- justice journalism JRN 342 Narrative Journalism (See above) JRN 200 Multimedia Storytelling I (See above) JRN 201 Multimedia Storytelling II (See above) JRN 301 News Gathering/Reporting I (See above) JRN 310 Journalism I and JRN 311 Journalism II Co-requisite deep multimedia storytelling courses to work in concert toward the meaningful, mid-curriculum integration of everything students have learned by taking a deeper, more holistic approach to cross-platform journalism. Students generate rich, meaningful stories conceptualized with careful thought to strategic reporting, compelling writing, and the effective and appropriate use of various storytelling platforms JRN 322 Feature/Magazine Writing (See above) JRN 363 Journalistic Editing (See above) § Arranged for the following guest speakers: Chicago-based freelance photojournalist Taylor Glasscock Sports Illustrated writer and Secretariat author William Nack The New York Times columnist and blogger Sarah Maslin Nir Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel business reporter Tom Daykin Hollywood “publicist to the stars” Stan Rosenfield The American Way of Eating author Tracie McMillan Burchfield Penney Art Museum curator Kathy Shiroki AOPA-Pilot managing editor and photojournalist Michael P. Collins The Cincinnati Enquirer sports columnist Paul Daugherty Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel multimedia journalist and photographer Mike DiSisti Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski ESPN writer and blogger Tim Graham The Buffalo News managing editor Brian Connolly The Buffalo News multimedia journalist Lauren Mariacher The Atavist editor Abigail Ronck Narrativist founder Noah Rosenberg § Received the following course-evaluation comments from students: “We had some impressive speakers in the class, from Tim Graham to Kathy Shiroki.” “It's incredibly evident that the professor has actual work experience in the field.” “This course's presentation was probably the most interesting and unique of all my classes this semester.” “He used exercises to develop his points as an understanding of the material rather than just letting us memorize a textbook.” “I really enjoyed the refreshing presentation of material. Exercises such as rewriting a news story as a song were very different and kept the class interesting.” “Best presentation of material in a class, easily.” “I remember my jaw dropping when I read through the syllabus throughout the first few days of school when I saw the final project in this course. Projects such as the ad presentation and the basketball story seemed so intimidating at first; how could I contact an ad agency?! However, the projects proved very doable. The course challenged me and made me step out of my comfort zone a little bit, contacting an advertising agency's Creative Director, standing alone in the corner of the gym at a basketball practice, etc. The assignments ended up not being as difficult as I'd anticipated, and I felt extremely accomplished knowing I finished all of them without a problem. These assignments will actually help me in the future.” “Mr. Kaiser has a passion for what he does” “He has a very thorough understanding of course material. He has a background in this field. I respect the way he teaches from experience and other platforms than merely preaching the textbook and taking notes. I registered for a class with him next semester on Narrative Journalism, and I'm looking forward to it.” “This has been one of my most enjoyable courses at Canisius College.” “I feel the professor makes learning to write for the media a fun learning experience.” “Strong credibility and knowledge of course content come from his personal experience as a journalist.” “Takes time to clarify material if students are confused instead of moving on. Also, presents multiple ways of thinking about different concepts which is very helpful.” “He was extremely helpful and cared greatly that the students learned what was truly important/essential for the class.” “He's a great teacher and you can tell he really cares a lot about what he is teaching and he does it well. He also likes to add in humor which is nice.” “The instructor was very helpful and when I needed to schedule an appointment he didn’t hesitate. E-mailed back promptly, which is good for us students.” “He is very likable, easy to deal with, makes everything very clear, genuinely cares for the students.” “He clearly knows what he is doing and I feel like I got a lot out of this class.” Spalding University w Student Lecturer in the MFA in Writing Program (May 2010, November 2009); Student Workshop Leader, MFA in Writing Program (November 2009) The Post-Crescent w Writing Coach (October 2007-July 2009) San Antonio Express-News w Writing Coach (September 2003-September 2007)

JOURNALISM EXPERIENCE The Post-Crescent w Senior Editor for Public Service; Writing Coach; Columnist (October 2007-July 2009) Oversaw major journalistic projects across media platforms; worked to develop staff; wrote a regular reportorial column about the people, events and issues of the Fox Valley San Antonio Express-News w Assistant Managing Editor for Sundays and Projects; Writing Coach; Columnist (September 2003-September 2007) Oversaw major journalistic projects across media platforms; worked to develop staff; wrote an occasional column Chicago Tribune w Staff Writer (May 1997-September 2003) Wrote major stories on a variety of subjects, mostly for the front page. Major solo projects included: “Partners in Peril,” an award-winning four-part narrative series about the shooting death of a Chicago police officer; “Home Front: An American Journal,” ten dispatches from the road about life in America after 9/11; “Taking the Pulse of America inside Sears Tower,” a two-part narrative on aftermath of Sept. 11 Chicago Tribune Magazine w Staff Writer (May 2000-January 2001) The Cincinnati Enquirer w Columnist & Editorial Writer (February 1996-May 1997) Wrote columns and editorials; served as Kentucky representative on the editorial board, suggesting and writing opinion pieces on issues of importance to the state. Lexington Herald-Leader w Assistant City Editor (1993-1996); Central Kentucky Reporter (1986-1993) The News-Enterprise w County Government and Health-Medical Reporter; Editorial Cartoonist (August 1984-February 1986)

PRESENTATIONS Panel presentation on using art to teach other subjects, the Burchfield-Penney Art Museum, Buffalo State College, March 2012 Panel presentation on rock-n-roll journalism, May 2012 International Association of Literary Journalism Studies Conference, Tampere, Finland Joint presentation, “Smeary Theory,” on multimedia storytelling approved by peer review for the College Media Association’s March 2012 conference in New York City Presentation, “The Undertaker Drinks his coffee black,” on the use of detail in nonfiction writing, approved by peer review for the College Media Association’s March 2012 conference in New York City Presentation at the International Association for Literary Journalism Studies Conference, May 2012, in Toronto ("When Numbers Haunt Words"; blind peer-reviewed with acceptance rate of less than 50 percent);

Presentation at the International Lilly Conference on Teaching, Fall 2011, at Miami University (The paper, titled “Rhythm & News: Using Song Choruses and Nut Graphs to Teach Writing,” explores the use of pop-music structures to teach feature-writing structures in journalism; blind peer reviewed with acceptance rate of less than 10 percent); Presentation at College Media Advisers Conference in New York City, March 2012 ("The Hearse Has 71,000 Miles On It: How to Find the Haunting Detail"); Presentation at College Media Advisers Conference in Orlando, October 2011 ("The Hearse Has 71,000 Miles On It: How to Find the Haunting Detail"); Presentation, The Pointy-Toed Kicker: How to End Your Stories with a Hard Kick, Annual College Media Advisers National College Media Convention, the largest gathering of college media advisers and journalists in the world Presentation, The Art and Craft of Digital Pretending (or, The Day Things Got Really Bad at the Bank That Wasn’t There). Presentation on building a reporting-simulation exercise for use as a teaching tool in journalism classes. Session given at Digital Day at Canisius College, February 2011. Presentation, Dead Man Shaving: Reporting the Telling Details that Breathe Life into a Story. Workshop conducted for the Press Club of Dallas, November 2005. Presentation, Why Use Three Words When You Can Use Four: The Value of Rhythm in Writing. Seminar conducted at The Poynter Institute for Journalism’s National Writers Workshop, San Antonio, Texas, May 2004. Talk given to journalism class at Trinity University, San Antonio, February 2004 Talk given at the Texas Outdoor Writers’ convention, October 2003 Talk given to the staff of The Dallas Morning News, August 2003 Talk given to the staff of The Daily Oklahoman, October 1999 Talk given at the Kentucky Press Association’s winter convention, January 1998

SERVICE Worked with Dr. Barb Irwin, chair of the Communication Studies Department, to coordinate the AP Presidential Photos exhibit in the library, an event that included some of my students’ giving public readings of stories they wrote about photos of their choice; Developed an all-new assessment and course-mapping plan for the journalism program, with all-new goals and objectives, in the interest not only of gauging students’ academic progress through the curriculum but also of establishing a clearer vision and stronger sense of mission the nascent program; Developed and implemented a workable journalism-curriculum course cycle through the year 2021 so that students may see when certain courses will be available during their time at Canisius and will be better able to plan their academic careers, especially if they are interested in studying abroad or joining the program later than their freshman year; Updated the Communication Studies Department’s “Fast Facts” sheet for journalism to adjust for changes made to the program since the last sheet was printed; Proposed, conceptualized, developed and wrote a new, first-ever student handbook specifically for journalism majors; Conceptualized, developed and conducted a new, first-ever orientation session for journalism majors; Negotiated with Creative Writing Director Mick Cochrane a small overlap between our curriculums: Creative writing majors now have the option of taking JRN342 / Narrative Journalism as an elective, and journalism majors now have the option of taking ENG 393 / Advanced Creative Writing – Memoir as an elective. Arranged through contacts at the Chicago Tribune for Canisius journalism major Nick Veronica to interview with ranking editors at that paper for a sports internship that he would not otherwise have been in competition for; Accompanied Nick Veronica to Chicago for his Tribune internship interview and the College Media Advisers conference despite having walking pneumonia at the time; Started BACKSTORY: The Voice of the Journalism Program at Canisius College (http://backstories.weebly.com/), a regular online newsletter, student-work showcase and promotional tool for the journalism program; Worked closely with Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement Dianna Civello to secure a $4,000 gift to the journalism program from Buffalo resident Maria Scrivani, establishing the Scrivani Journalism Fellowship at the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette; Finalized the journalism program’s all-new assessment objectives and goals; Conducted second-annual orientation for journalism majors according to a new orientation program I developed with Professor Shanks; Continued working with Dr. Barb Irwin and Professor Shanks in taking specific measures to perfect the journalism curriculum, including conceptualization and development of a new, co-requisite approach to JRN310 JOURNALISM I and JRN311 JOURNALISM II under which the two courses, beginning in Academic Year 2013-14, will work as newsroom-style, mid-curriculum integration of everything students have learned up to that point in their academic careers; Wrote several letters of recommendation for students for jobs, internships, scholarships and the study-abroad program; Served on the annual-review committee of Dr. Rosanne Hartman and Professor Shanks Wrote a detailed memo about the value to a college campus at large of having an athletics program – a memo requested of me by my colleague Dr. Melissa Wanzer in the course of her work on an Athletics Task Force Report that later was submitted to President John Hurley. “Your comments were definitely helpful,” Dr. Wanzer stated to me in a subsequent email. Here’s an excerpt: Another relatively new academic major that is closely connected to the athletics department is Journalism. Rob Kaiser, Program Director, addressed the relationship between the Journalism Department and the athletics department: I believe any college journalism program anywhere would be hard-pressed to recruit, retain, and properly educate students without the existence on campus of a healthy intercollegiate athletics program. At a college such as Canisius, however -- a college with a relatively new and growing journalism program faced with raising its profile and establishing a footprint -- having an athletics program is imperative. When I staff admissions events and open houses and go to high schools to talk to prospective journalism students, at least half of them ask me what Canisius offers in the form of opportunities for aspiring sports journalists. Being able to tell them about the athletics program here as well as the courses we offer is an incalculable benefit. When I teach my journalism courses I teach students to write deadline stories by assigning them to cover a game or match and sending me the story in an email within a certain amount of time after conclusion of that game or match. Outside of athletics the opportunities for deadline journalism on campus are too few and far between.

RESEARCH The role of the narrator in biography and the use of speculative writing; The effect of hyperlinks on the imagination and the reading experience; The effective use of numbers and, in particular, numerals, in artistic expression; The relative capacities for audience engagement of various media and storytelling platforms; The relationship between writers, readers, and hyperlinks, and what it suggests about technology’s implications for storytelling; Narrative journalism as an impressionist art form and the natural cross-disciplinary pedagogy of teaching it as such; The life and times of Harry Houdini, legendary escape artist and late-career debunker of Spiritualist mediums (for a biography in the works); The life and times of Francis Church, 19th-century journalist and author of “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” (for a biography in the works); The history, evolutions, and unique storytelling power of epistolary journalism

AWARDS AND HONORS Selected on literary merit from a competitive field of applicants for a berth in the book- manuscript workshop at the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writing Conference, July 2011 Awarded second place for graduate academic writing in the Kentuckiana Metroversity Writing Competition, 2010 Recognized for best investigative journalism by the Wisconsin Newspapers Association, 2008 Recognized for best column writing by the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors, 2007 Recognized for best feature story by the National Association of Black Journalists of Chicago, 2003 Nominated for Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing by the editors of the Chicago Tribune, 2000 Anthologized in Best Newspaper Writing 2000 Recognized as one of the nation’s top long-form narrative nonfiction writers by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, 2000 Received the Chicago Tribune’s annual writing award, 1999 Received a writing award from the Queen City Chapter Society of Professional Journalists, 1997 Recognized for best feature writing by the Kentucky Press Association, 1997 Named best columnist in Kentucky by the Kentucky Press Association, 1996 Received community service award from the Queen City Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, 1996

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PUBLIC READINGS

MFA graduate reading, Spalding University, May 2010

MFA student readings, Spalding University, November 2009

MFA student readings, Spalding University, May 2009

MFA student readings, Spalding University, November 2008

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC)

Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)

Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

College Media Advisers (CMA)

Journalism Educators Association (JEA)

LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC SERVICE (ON CAMPUS)

Serve as director of Canisius College’s multimedia journalism program, Fall 2011-present

Serve as faculty adviser to The Griffin and thegriffincanisius.com, Canisius College’s student-run newspaper, Spring 2011-present

Serve as Library Liaison for the Department of Communication Studies

Served as greeter/presenter at a number of Canisius College’s open houses for prospective or admitted students, Fall 2010-present

Participated as chosen presenter at Canisius College’s Digital Day, Spring 2011

Participated as teacher/presenter at Canisius College’s Communication Specialty Day, Spring 2011

Established local student chapter of Society of Professional Journalists, Fall 2011

Conceptualized/proposed/coordinated/led Canisius College’s first summer workshop for high school newspaper advisers, August 18, 2011

Served as advisor to fifteen Journalism Majors at Canisius, including six freshmen, Fall 2011

Spoke to newspaper staffs at Canisius and St. Joe high schools, Spring 2010

Developed ads to promote the new Journalism Major at Canisius and arranged to run them in area high school newspapers, Spring 2010.

LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC SERVICE (REGIONAL AND NATIONAL)

Served as member of advisory board for First Inkling literary magazine, State University of New York at Rockland.