Passed!

This semester has been one for the books, but the results are in-- I have passed my dissertation defense and revisions! As of Monday, April 17th, 2017 I was done!! Thinking back over the milestones, it does feel somewhat strange to be at this point. At times I felt that I would never be here. I am honestly so very thankful for the support of my committee in getting me to this point. I don't take it for granted that I was able to complete my degree in three years, and I know that I could not have done it without them be ready and willing to help me through the process.

My checklist is finally complete, though, and it feels great!

The defense went pretty smoothly. For my twenty minute defense presentation, I prepared this Dissertation Defense Presentation. Preparing the presentation actually took me longer than I expected it to take. I think that it took so long because it was really hard to narrow down what exactly I wanted to include in the presentation. I cut down my 190ish page dissertation to 24 slides to present in just over 20 minutes. I designed the presentation slides based on the Hufflepuff colors, my Hogwarts house. Gotta have some fun with it!

Maureen's advice was to write a script to read from during the presentation, and I'm glad I did. My working notes kept me centered and on track. I read pretty much straight from these notes during the presentation, and then I answered questions for about 40 to 45 minutes. I answered at least three questions from each member of my committee, and then I answered a couple questions from the audience. My questions were generally focused on asking for clarification on a few terms, the decisions I made in teaching my course, and then the responses from my students.

After the questions, I went out in the hall with my friends who attended the defense and waited for my committee to make their decision. That part was probably less than five minutes, but I can honestly say that it was by far the worst part of the day. Maureen came out into the hall (with Ellie on my phone on Skype) and announced that I passed! That was a relief. I went back into the room, then, and we made a plan for completing my revisions.

After that, it was time to celebrate! My friends and I took some photos outside, and then we went to for a champagne toast and some delicious lunch at Postino Annex. That night, I ate dinner with my college roommate at Cibo Urban Pizzeria. The next day, after flying back to the midwest, Wade took me out to dinner at Bonefish Grill and gave me my graduation gift-- a trip to Harry Potter World in Orlando, FL! So fun.

The next week was spent on revisions. I completed my revisions from Maureen first, then Ellie, then Trish, then my own, then the formatting from the college. It was intense work, but I feel really good about the final product. I was able to highlight and clarify the elements of the dissertation that I highlighted in the defense but wasn't as clear in the actual draft. Submitting that finalized version felt really good, and it felt even better when I received my pass. Phew! All that's left is just to walk in the commencement ceremony in Tempe on Monday, May 8th. I'm so excited!

Dissertation Revisions

It's Done!

As of Tuesday, April 4th, 2017 I have earned a Ph.D. in English from Arizona State University

#almostphdone

CCCC 2017

The 2017 CCCC Annual Convention in Portland, OR was a wonderful conference and an amazing week. I arrived in rainy Portland on Tuesday night and had some lovely Oregon sushi. The main portion of my conference activity was on Wednesday when I attended the Research Network Forum, and I really enjoyed the day and learned a lot.

I had initially proposed to discuss my dissertation work, but by the time the actual RNF came around, I thought that advice about the job market would be more helpful. So, I presented parts of my dissertation in the two roundtable sessions, and I asked about ways that I could present my research on the job market and publish my work. The advice that I received in the roundtables, from presentations and discussions about publishing, as well as from my meeting with a faculty mentor was very helpful. I have a clear direction for my work and ways to prepare to go on the market.

The rest of the conference I spent attending sessions, meeting old and new friends, and soaking up the energy of the conference attendees. The city of Portland was dynamic, engaging, and very fun to explore. I found a lot of good places to eat and great places to meet up with friends from the conference and chat more.

The most refreshing part of the week was at the end when Casie Moreland, Jessica Boykin, and I drove to Neskowin on the coast of OR. We stopped in McMinnville for a night to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and then we settled into a quaint beach condo literally on the coast. After the hustle and bustle and constant idea exchange at the conference, we took a deep breathe and watched the waves and ate some filling food the first day.

The next couple days was spent as a writing retreat. On this retreat, I submitted my first full draft of my dissertation to the college and to Maureen! That felt like a victory for me, especially after the inspiration and ideas I gleaned from the conference. We talked, ate, laughed, and enjoyed our time on the beach, especially in such a beautiful place to stay. We also prepared for next year's conference! We read over the CCCC 2018 proposal, talked about our ideas, and discussed the changes we see and want to see in the conference. I love spending times with these ladies because, even while we don't always agree, our ideas compliment each other's and build on each other's. I came back from OR tired but ready to jump into the completion of this doctoral degree!

Tutoring Time!

As I gear up to defend my dissertation in Tempe in one week (AH!), I am also looking at the next steps for employment for this summer and beyond.

This summer I will be teaching one section of Written Communication at Madison College, and I am excited about that possibility and to be back in a classroom of students.

In addition to that course, I am also planning to rebuild my tutoring business and work with students in my area or online. Please check out my tutoring website to find out more!

An Update in Photos

Instead of just describing the events of the last couple months in text, I thought I'd give an overview of what's gone down and a preview of what's to come in this semester with photos and captions. Enjoy!

Climbing Cotopaxi Volcano

Sea lions and iguanas on Santa Cruz

Just after Christmas and over the new year, I went to Ecuador. It was my first time in South America, and it was a wonderful trip. My husband Wade and I toured Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, for one week with our friend Ben and then went to Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands for the second week. 

Women's March in Madison, WI

On January 21st, 2017 Wade and I attended the offshoot of the Women's March on Washington in Madison, WI. Over one million people marched around the world to protest Trump's blatant sexism and disregard for women's rights and issues. We didn't actually march, but it was electrifying to join a group of people speaking out for equality and human rights. The quote above really exemplifies my motivation behind attending the march. As a feminist scholar and as a woman, it was an exciting day.

Sushi Birthday Dinner with Family 

The day after the march, I celebrated my 28th birthday with my family and my in-laws. We ate sushi and cupcakes together to celebrate. Another year older and, hopefully, another year wiser ;) 

During and after all that fun, I have been writing away on my dissertation. I actually wrote the majority of my sixth chapter of my diss on the plane back from Ecuador. I have been meeting regularly with my writing group, and I shared this image with them the other day. We all know how true it is! Hoping I'm in that last uphill climb now!

Background Image on my Course Shell

Apologies if this is hard to read, and I believe I have shared this quote on the blog before. This is the background image on my ENG 301: Writing for the Professions course shell in Blackboard. It is a quote from Amy Poehler that says, "and then you just do it." She is talking about writing, and it is the motto I try to communicate to my students and adopt myself. I am teaching just one course section this semester, and I have a group of really great students. They are making it easy to be a teacher, and I've enjoyed working with them in these first six weeks. 

Invitation to Present at CCCC 2017

And now for the stuff that is coming up-- I am planning to travel to Portland, Oregon in March to present at the Research Network Forum at the Conference on College Composition and Communication 2017. I am looking forward to going because I hope to gain some insight and input on my own work at the forum, plus the energy and ideas shared at Cs is always so valuable. This is the third time I have been able to attend this conference, and I've enjoyed it every time. I am able to go this time thanks to a Professional Equity Project grant as well as generous funding from the ASU Graduate and Professional Student Association. I'm also so excited to go to Oregon because the second half of the week will be spent doing a writing retreat with my writing group (actually in person!) at a beach house. I'm hoping it will get me to the end of drafting and formatting my dissertation because... 

My dissertation defense is schedule for April 4th, 2017. I'll be flying out to Tempe, AZ and presenting and then defending my dissertation to my chair and committee members. This is a big day, and I'm happy it's scheduled but also very nervous about what it means! I'll need to have my dissertation close to completion weeks before, and then I'll have to be ready to defend all the decisions and arguments I've made. If all goes well, I'll be walking in graduation on May 8th! 

That's what's been going on thus far this semester! I'll share one quote in parting from the movie La La Land that we saw on Valentine's Day (and loved!) that pretty much sums up where I'm at.

"Here's to the ones who dream/ Foolish as they may seem/ Here's to the hearts that ache/ Here's to the mess we make." 

- Benji Pasek & Justin Paul