Program: MAWP

Graduate Assistant Role:  Editor of Ex Libris, webmaster of graduate programs websites, assistant in the graduate office, and tutor at the Writing Center

Accomplishments, Publications: My most recent accomplishments include a proofreading internship at Sourcebooks, Inc. this summer where I spent my days scouring the Chicago Manual of Style and reading romance novels, and a story recently published in Michigan Audubon Society’s bi-monthly magazine, the Jack-Pine Warbler, about owling.

Favorite Author or Period of Study: I’m drawn to literary nonfiction and nature writing, especially essays by Annie Dillard. I can’t help but devour anything Jonathon Safron Foer and Junot Diaz write. As for myself, I focus on nature and science writing, particularly birding and finding natural spaces in urban locales.

Plans for the school year: Making Ex Libris the best graduate student blog on the internet (with your help, of course) and submitting to the EGSA conference. After I graduate, I plan to look for a job in publishing.

I’m a Michigander fairly new to city life, and although I have been at DePaul for over a year, I’m still discovering new things in Chicago–especially all of its wonderful food. My background is in professional writing and writing for the web, and the MAWP program is helping me delve into the more creative side of writing. My dream is to one day ride a segway around the city and heli-ski in Alaska. When I’m not at school, I’m usually watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, crocheting, or finding a new place to eat outstanding brunch.