This vitae foregrounds materials in the field of humor studies.
Founded in 1973 by Professors Joanne Travis, LeMoyne Farrell and Mary Ann Rishel, the Ithaca College course, Writing Humor, was the first in the nation to offer full academic credit for humorous writing. The course continues today, forty-six years later,
This vitae also includes representative information about my professional work in argumentation and composition that I completed during twenty years at Ithaca College and ten years at Weill Cornell Medical College – Qatar.
Professor – Humanities
2003-2012
Weill Cornell Medical College
- Qatar
Education City, Doha, Qatar
Professor Emerita
Humanities – Writing Department
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York USA
Mailing Address:
2007 Savage Farm Drive
Ithaca, New York 14850 USA
Citizenship: USA
Cell: (607) 319-6147
Landline: (607) 273-4788
E-mail: rishel@ithaca.edu
Education Background
MFA Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
MFA Thesis: Nickel Dirt and Other Stories - Fiction
MA University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Literature and Education
BA University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Liberal Arts – English and History (Graduated in two and a half years.)
Post-graduate study:
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA: History
California State University, California, PA: Education
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA: Art History; English
***
Courses taught at Weill Cornell Medical College – Qatar
Twenty courses over a ten-year period in medical humanities for writing seminars.
Courses taught at Ithaca College
Exposition: Academic Writing I, First-Year Writing Seminar, Personal Essay, Writing Center Tutorials, Foundations of Writing, Apprenticeship, Teaching Writing, Senior Seminar
Creative: Writing Fiction I, Writing Fiction II, Writing the Short Novel, Independent Study, Humorous Writing (Established Humorous Writing as the first course in the US to give academic credit for this subject. There are now over fifty similar courses in this area taught in US universities.)
Professional Membership
American Humour Studies Association: 1980 to present
International Society for Humor Studies: 1976 to present
Member of the Executive Committee 1998-2001; Awards Committee 2000;
Nominating committee 2000-2001; Constitution Committee 1989-2002.
Past-President l994-1995; President l993-1994; President-Elect 1992-1993
During my presidency of the humor society, I organized the 1994 International Society of Humor Studies annual conference at Ithaca College where we held over 200 sessions with presenters from over thirty countries.
Modern Language Association: 1978 to present
College Communication and Composition Association: 1978 to present
National Council of Teachers of English: 1978 to present
Poets and Writers: 1973 to present
Professional and Organizational Development Committee: 1995 to present
Honors and Awards
Emerita Professor. Ithaca College. Awarded spring 2010
Dean’s Award for Extra-Meritorious Teaching Performance, Ithaca College: 2004; 2003; 2002; 2000
Ithaca College Research and Development Grants: 2004; 2003; 2002; 2000; 1999; 1997; 1995; 1994; 1993; 1992; 1982
Dana Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching, Ithaca College: 1984 (Ithaca College’s Highest Teaching Award)
Provost's Summer Research Grant: To develop interdisciplinary pedagogy of writing and mathematics, Summer 1997
Ithaca College Provost's Grant: To develop Mathematical Exposition 405, Cornell, Fall 1995
Ithaca College Course Reassignment Grant for ISHS conference: 1993-1994
Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center Writing Fellowship: 1984-1985 (one of twelve chosen nationally out of 420 writers)
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Staus." l983 Finalist, American Film Festival, New York
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Staus.” First Prize, Arthur Lynn Andrews Award, Cornell, 1976
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Uncle Perk's Leg." Honorable Mention, Arthur Lynn Andrews Award, Cornell, l977 Class of 1916 Award: Sponsored by M.H. Abrams, 1978
Ph. D. Dissertation Review Committee Member:
Ph.D. dissertation committee member for Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. The candidate’s subject, What’s so funny: humour as a subversive technique in contemporary feminist literature, challenges patriarchal humour by using dialogic subtexts as a feminist political voice. The dissertation replaces patriarchal critical theory with subversive feminist humour to establish a new literary aesthetic (2018)
Ph.D. dissertation committee member for Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Thesis: Analysis of the comic novel, The Future of Food and exegesis, “Work, Meaning and Boredom in David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King” (2016)
Publications
Book – Theory and Language: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Rishel, Mary Ann. Book. Writing Humor: Creativity and the Comic Mind. Detroit, MI: Wayne State Univ Press, 2002. 329 pages. (creative writing theory and pedagogy) Her book was selected by Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor for the New Yorker, as a theoretical base for his international TED presentation, “Anatomy of a New Yorker Cartoon.” He also selected her book as a text for his humor class at Michigan State.
Creative (fiction)
Rishel, Mary Ann. "The Crash Window." Scrivener (McGill University), VII, No. 1 (Winter 1986), 27-29; 34-35.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Staus." Narodny Kalendar. 1990. The 98th edition in Commemoration of the l00th Anniversary of the National Slovak Society (Narodny Slovensky Spolok).
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Lunenberg, Nova Scotia." Shankpainter 25 (Winter 1985), 27-34.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Uncle Perk's Leg." Cornell Review 7 (Fall 1979), 97-103.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Staus." Best American Short Stories. Anthology. Awarded by Houghton Mifflin, 1978.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Staus." Hudson Review, XXX, No. 2 (Summer 1977), 210-226.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Nickel Dirt." Red Cedar Review (Michigan State Univ), XI, No. 1(Jan 1977), 26-31.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Associated Writing Programs Pedagogy Papers: 2003; 2002; 1999; 1996
Book – Creative Writing
Rishel, Mary Ann. The Near Absence of Blood. Novel in progress.
Film
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Staus." Selected as pilot for PBS series by the Labor Theater of New York: Realizations--Aging in America. Producers: Chuck Portz and Bette Craig. Grant from NEH, 1982 "Staus."
Critical reviews of work written by Mary Ann Rishel
O’Quin, Karen. BK Rev. Writing Humor: Creativity and the Comic Mind. By Mary Ann Rishel. Humor: International J of Humor Studies. 20-1 (2007) 97-101.
O'Neill, Catherine. "Taking the Pulse of Short Fiction in America." The Chronicle Review, supplement to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Interview with Ted Solotaroff. November 27, 1978, 3-4.
Romano, John. "Saved by Sentiment." Review of The Best American Short Stories 1978. The New York Times Book Review (November 26, 1978), 10 and 99 Solotaroff, Ted. "The Well-Tempered Story: Part II." The Nation (June 10, 1978), 701-705.
Writing Humor: Creativity and the Comic Mind has been referenced numerous times in articles and books by Don Nilsen, Jessica Milner Davis, Vladimir Chopicki, and others for humour and rhetoric; humour and creativity; humor and writing; humour and cognition; humour and education. See for example, Farce by Jessica Milner Davis (Australia).
Book Reviews
Mary Ann Rishel, Review of: Toplyn, Joe. Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV. New York: Twenty Lane Media, 2015. 430 pp. IBSN (13) 9780615953892. Print.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of: Davis, Jessica. Farce. Transaction, New Brunswich, USA/London. In HUMOR, International Journal of Humor Research, 18-4 (2005) 419-422.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of : Olsen, Kirby. Comedy and Postmodernism: Rereading Comedy from Edward Lear to Charles Willeford. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech Univ Press. In HUMOR, International Journal of Humor Research, Fall 2003.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of: Hengen, Shannon, ed. Performing Gender and Comedy: Theories, Texts and Contexts. Gordon and Breach Publishers, Canada, 1998. Vol. 4 in the series, Studies in Humor and Gender, Regina Barreca and Nancy Walker (Eds.) In HUMOR, International Journal of Humor Research, 14-1 (2001), NY: Mouton de Gruyter, 98-105.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of: “Using the Process-Based Interview to Investigate Comedy Writing. Rev. Humour J: International J for Humour Research. Nov 18, 2010.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of: The Changing Seasons of Humor in Literature: Northrup Frye by Ingrid Daemmrich. International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 9-3/4, 1996. NY: Mouton de Gruyter, 406-410.
Recommender for Wayne State University Press, book manuscripts
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of: Larry Mintz (University of Maryland) and Sanford Pinsker: Humor in the American Grain, 2002.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of: John Morreall (William and Mary): Soul Laughter: The Comic Core of Spirituality, 2001.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Review of: Gilbert, Joanne R. (Alma College, Alma, MI): Performing Marginality: Humor, Gender and Cultural Critique, 1996.
Academic Presentations: humor as language
Rishel, Mary Ann. “A Unified Theory of Humor: Are we there yet?” International Society for Humor Studies Conference. University of Quebec, Montreal. July 2017.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “New Yorker Cartoons, and Friends. What they know you don’t know, and how they know they know it.” International Society for Humor Studies Conference, College of William and Mary, Maryland, July 2-6, 2013. (See also New Yorker blog, Epistemology, ed. Bob Mankoff, posted Aug 19, 2013.)
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Humor in Qatar: Markers of National Identity and Social Rank.” EC Liberal Arts/Social Sciences Research Forum Lecture Series. CMU and WCMC-Q. Oct 19, 2010.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Humor among Gulf Citizens and Expats: Culture and Cultural Sensitivity in the Middle East.” International Society for Humor Studies Conference. University of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain), July 7-11, 2008.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Satire and the Public.” International Society for Humour Studies Conference, University of Youngstown, Ohio, July 2004.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Humorous Writing and the State of the Union.” International Society for Humor Studies, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, July 2003.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Short Novel: Pedagogy and Craft.” Facilitator and Discussant. Roundtable. Associated Writers Program Conference, Baltimore, MD, February 2003.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Creativity Theory and Second Class Status.” International Society for Humour Studies. University of Maryland, July 2001.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Language and Creativity: Analyzing and Writing Humorous Fiction." Workshop presented at the International Society for Humor Studies, Holy Names College, Oakland, CA, June 1999.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Writing Satire." Workshop on satire presented at the International Society for Humor Studies, Univ of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, June 1998.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Writing Humor and Comedy.” Guest Lecture. Invited topresent course materials in Humorous Writing. Two-day lecture and workshop. West Virginia University, English Department, October 24-26, 1997.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "When the Writer Wears a Smile." Workshop on comedy and language presented at the International Society for Humor Studies, Oklahoma State Univ, Edmond, OK, July 1997.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Theory and Pedagogy in the Teaching of Comedy." Lecture and workshop. Associate Writers Program Conference, Washington, D.C., April 1997. (Teaching Post-Modern Short Short fiction: Writing Without E’s.” Pedagogy Forum)
Rishel, Mary Ann. Guest Lecturer. Language Arts Day. Seneca Falls Middle School, March 1997
Rishel, Mary Ann. "In a Devil-May-Care-World, Who Cares About the Devil?" Paper presented at the International Society for Humor Studies Conference, University of New South Wales, Sidney, Australia. Also chaired four sessions. July 1996.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "The Humorous Writer as Literary Outcast: Why Isn't Humorous Writing Taken Seriously?" With Katharyn Howd Machan. Paper and roundtable presented at the Associated Writers Program Conference, Atlanta, April 25, 1996.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Teaching Imagery in Fiction Writing." Paper presented in the Pedagogy Forum, Associated Writers Program Conference, Atlanta, April 1996.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Presidential Address. “The Here and Now of ISHS.” International Society for Humor Studies Conference, Ithaca College, June 1994.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Funny You Should Ask: How To Write Humor."Workshop. International Society for Humor Studies Conference. Ithaca College, June 1994.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Totem and Magic Realism in 'Uncle Perk's Leg.'" North American Magical Realism. Central New York Conference of NCTE, Cortland, NY, October l994.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Voices of Velvet and Steel: Ethnic and National Identities in Slovak Literature." Post-Communist Societies: Into the Next Century. Symposium. Ithaca College, November 12, 1992.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Rolling Out the Measuring Tape: Do Standard Instruments Really Measure Sense of Humor?" Eighth International Humor Conference, International Society for Humor Studies, Sheffield, England, July 30-August 3, 1990.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf: A Survey of the Field in the Teaching of Humorous Writing." Eighth International Humor Conference, International Society for Humor Studies, Sheffield, England, July 30-August 3,1990.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Going for the Jocular Vein: A Study of Humorous Insults in Student Writing." Sixth International Humor Conference, International Society for Humor Studies, Tempe, Arizona, April 1-5, 1987.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Pulling the Chair from Under..." Revised. Co-author: Thomas W. Rishel, Mathematics Department, Cornell U. Presented at Second Annual Academic Conference at Ithaca College, May l3, 1987.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Pulling the Chair from Under: A Study of Empathy forVictims of Practical Jokes, Pranks, and Hoaxes." World Humor and Irony Conference, Tempe, Arizona, March 28-April 1, 1986.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Filming 'Staus': the Americanization of a Short Story." Conference on Minorities and the American Literary Tradition. Utica College, Utica, New York, April 12 and 13, 1985.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Humorous Metaphors: How To Shape the Perfect Meatball." Western Humor and Irony Conference (WHIM), Phoenix, Arizona, March 30-April 2, 1983.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Sexual-Sexist Humor: What's the Difference Anyway?" Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC),Washington, D.C., March 13-15, 1980
CONFERENCE PAPERS
(not humor)
Academic Papers on Composition and Culture
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Critical Thinking in Medical Humanities: A Sequenced Lesson.” The International Forum of Innovators in University Teaching Conference. Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. February 3-5, 2013.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Epistemologies in Moral Codes.” Presentation to WCMC-Q and Education City faculty. Doha, Qatar. December 2011.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Global Positioning Systems: Tracking Concepts in Student Thinking.” English Teaching Excellence for Qatar: The Transition to College. Poster. WCMC-Q and Carnegie-Mellon University, Education City, Doha, Qatar. November 14, 2009.
Rishel, Mary Ann and Thomas Rishel. “Writing in the Mathematical and Scientific Disciplines.” Workshop. Conference on New Perspectives on Teaching English: English Teaching Excellence in Qatar. Oct 9, 2010.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Concept Thinking in Writing Seminars.” Family Day Education City. Poster. Oct 2, 2010.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Shifting Centers: Meta-Reasoning in Moral Choices. International Conference of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. University of Singapore, Singapore, December 2008.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “Conceptual Thinking in Student Writing: A Story of Three Bears.” Teaching Series “Teaching Academic Writing: Issues and Concerns.” Education City Conference on Language and Learning. Texas A&M, Education City, Doha, Qatar. April 23, 2008.
Rishel, Mary Ann. “The Place of Literature and Writing in Medicine.” Writing Faculty Lecture Series – WCMC-Q, Literature, Life in Words. Roundtable, Spring 2007.
Rishel, Mary Ann. Conference on the Teaching of Writing in Education City, WCMC-Q, discussant, 2007
Rishel, Mary Ann. Conference on the Teaching of Writing in Education City, Carnegie-Mellon, discussant, fall 2006
Rishel, Mary Ann. “The Writing Process in Mathematics.” Conference on Education and Learning, Lebanon-American University, Beirut, Lebanon, summer 2004
Rishel, Mary Ann. Conference on College Communication and Composition: Philadelphia, PA, 2006; New York City, NY, 2005; Washington D.C., 2001; San Diego 1993; Chicago 1990; Minneapolis 1985; Philadelphia 1976 (chaired sessions)
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Writing, Rhetoric and Mathematics." Classroom lecture in Mathematical Exposition (Math 405), Mathematics Department, Cornell, October 1997.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Writing, Cognition and Mathematics." Talk presented at the Occasional Seminar, Mathematics Department, Cornell, April 1997.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Some Double Talk on Writing and Mathematics. With Thomas Rishel, Mathematics Department, Cornell. IC Symposium, November 16, 1996.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Cognitive Patterns in Writing Mathematics." With Thomas Rishel. Talk presented to the Mathematics Department, Suffolk University, Boston, November 1996.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Using Writing in Mathematics." Presentation at the National Science Foundation Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Workshop, Teaching Undergraduate Geometry, Mathematics Department, Cornell, Summer 1996.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Writing in Mathematics." With Alan Back, Birgit Speh, Thomas Rishel and Gene Hwang, among others. Mathematicians and Education Reform (MER) Forum. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Cornell, November 1995. Invited as adjunct Assistant Professor, Cornell, Mathematics Dept, Fall 1995.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Some Double Talk About Writing Assignments in Mathematics Courses." Co-author Thomas Rishel, Cornell University. Mathematical Association of America, Seaway Section Meeting, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, November 4-5, 1994.
Rishel, Mary Ann. "A Writing Instructor's Perspective on Using Writing in Mathematics." The Occasional Seminar on Undergraduate Teaching. Mathematics Department, Cornell. November 22, 1993
Rishel, Mary Ann. "Voices of Velvet and Steel: Ethnic and National Identities in Slovak Literature." Post-Communist Societies: Into the Next Century. Symposium. Ithaca College, November 12, 1992.
CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS ATTENDED
Attended numerous conferences, institutes, workshops, debates and readings, of which the following are representative:
Conference on College Communication and Composition. Tampa, Florida, USA. March 2015.
Women as Global Leaders Conference: Creating a Sustainable Future for the World. Zayed University. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 13-15, 2012.
The Eleventh Lecture of Qatar Foundation Distinguished Lecture Series. “Gene Therapy and the Future of Medicine. Professor David Baltimore, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1975) 17 November 2011.
Conference on Literature as Voice. University of Transylvania. Brasov, Romania. June 2011.
Conference on College Communication and Composition. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. April 6-9, 2011.
Medical Education Curriculum Retreat I – Hosted by Dr. Lyuba Konopasek. Feb 5, 2011.
Education City Literary Social Sciences Research Forums. Monthly sessions. Fall 2010 and Spring 2011.
Teaching Writing: Issues and Concerns. Monthly sessions. WCMC-Q. Fall 2010 and Spring 2011.
WCMC-Q Faculty Retreat. May 15, 2010.
MCAT and USMLE Workshop. Presented by Dr. Lawrence Hilmar Doyle. Hosted by Dr. Lyuba Konopasek. May 9 and 10, 2010.
Fifth Annual Arab World Conference. Harvard-Arab Alumni Association. April 22, 2010.
Attended over 25 educational and cultural presentations and events in Doha, including those at Education City held at Carnegie-Mellon, Georgetown University and WCMC-Q. These include but are not limited to lectures such as the Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by Georgetown (“Wealth and Power in the ‘New International Order’” presented by Carol Lancaster, and the “State of Denial: Western Journalism and the Middle East,” presented by Robert Fisk).
Modern Language Conference. December 2009.
WCMC-Q Literary Lecture Series. Literature, Life in Words. Katherine K. Gottschalk, “Telling Stories; Three Doctors Who Write” (April 1); Peter Fortunato “Doha Ma’alsalama: a reading and discussion” ( April 8); Alan S. Weber, “In the Shadow of Shakespeare: The Minor Elizabethans” (April 15); Autumn Watts, “Is It Dark Where You’re Sitting?” (April 22); Rodney Sharkey, “Excited, Passionate, Fantastical Imagination: W. B. Yeats and the Personal Political” (April 29). 2009.
Readings of Qira’at. Anthology of Student Writing, WCMC-Q. Nov 2008; March 2009.
“What the Best Teachers Do.” Institute for Faculty Development: Montclair St Univ, Northwestern U, Univ of Texas, Rhode Island School of Design and Vanderbilt. New Jersey, June 16-19, 2008.
McLeod, Paul. WCMC-Q Faculty Development Webcast Audio Seminar Series: “Generational Differences: Implications for Teachers and Learners,” April 23, 2008.
Education City Faculty Development Lunch, Foundation Program, “Teaching Academic Writing: Issues and Concerns,” March 16, 2008.
“Innovation in Islam: New Directions for Humanity.” Georgetown University, Doha, Qatar, April 5-6, 2008.
English-Arabic Comparative Literature International Symposium. “Crossing the Literary Divide.” Georgetown U and Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. March18-19, 2008.
Fourth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, University of Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia, Summer 2007.
Conference on Education and Change in Qatar and the Arab World, Georgetown University, Education City, Qatar, Spring 2007.
“The Place of Literature and Writing in Medicine,” Writing and Humanities Lecture Series, Literature, Life in Word, Spring 2007.
“US-Qatar Relations.” Lecture. Mr. Chase Untermeyer, US Ambassador to Qatar, Qatar University, 2007.
“Arab Women, Past and Present: Participation and Democratization.” Georgetown University, Doha, 2006.
WCMC-Q Faculty Retreats, Spring 2007, 2006.
Associate Writers Programs (creative writing), Baltimore, MD, February 2003.
American Association of Higher Education Conference on Assessment, Charlotte, NC. June 13-18, 2000.
American Association of Higher Education Conference on Faculty Rewards. San Diego, CA. Jan. 2000.
Assessment at Ithaca College. Workshop. Jon Wergin Guest Scholar, Sept. 21-22, 2000.
American Assoc of Higher Education Conference on Assessment: Charlotte, NC. June 13-18, 2000.
American Assoc of Higher Education Conference on Faculty Rewards: San Diego, CA. Jan. 2000.
Writing Across the Curriculum Conference: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. June 1999.
Professional and Organizational Development Conference: Split Rock, PA, October 13-17, 1999; “Steps in Developing a Comprehensive Faculty Evaluation System,” workshop by Raoul A. Arreola.
American Assoc for Higher Educ Conference: Orlando, FL, Jan 1998; San Diego, Jan 1999.
Palmer, Parker, Conversation with. “The Recovery of Community in Higher Education Focus on Teaching and Learning.” Workshop. SUNY Oneonta, Oct. 1-2, 1999.
Lilly Conference on College Teaching: Miami Univ, Oxford, OH, Nov. 19-22, 1998.
Critical Thinking. Workshop presented by John Chaffee. Ithaca College, Feb. 28, 1998.
Technology in the Classroom. Workshop presented by Sam Shmikler. IC, Feb. 21, 1998.
"Faculty Roles and Rewards." AAHE Conference, Orlando, Florida, Jan 31-Feb 1, 1998.
Mathematical Association of America Conferences: Baltimore 1998; San Diego, 1996; Saranac Lake, 1993; San Francisco 1991; Baltimore, 1989.
Humor Creativity Seminar. Saratoga Springs, April 1994.
Writing on the Web. Workshop given by Barbara Adams, Ithaca College, January 1996.
LSD Tutoring. Workshop given by Margaret Meyer, October 3, 1995. Writing Program Faculty Retreat.
Grant Writing Workshops. Paul Hamil. Ithaca College, May 12, 1995; 1992.
"The Writing Process: Retrospect and Prospect." Conference at the University of New Hampshire, October 9-11, 1992.
"Evolving Pedagogies on Computing." Ithaca College, May 19, 1992.
“Grades and Grading Issues." Brown Bag Luncheon. Panel discussion with Richard Creel, Jane Kaplan, David McKeith, and Richard Schissel. Ithaca College, February 18, 1992.
"Creativity Theory." Workshop by Marian Walters, University of Oregon, Spring 1991.
"Interacting with the 'Modern' Student." Brown Bag Luncheon. Panel discussion with Harold Cohen, Paul McBride, John Schwartz and Peter Seligman. Ithaca College, December 3, 1991.
"Mastering the Textbook." Reading/study skill workshop. Orientation, Ithaca College, August l989.
Speakers Series Director: Guest Speakers Robert Haas and Archie Ammons: 1992; 1989.
"The First Upstate Writers Conference." Cornell, April 30, l989. "Research on Teaching Methodology." Presented by Greg Colomb, Ithaca College, October l4, l988.
Retreat on the Common Intellectual Experience, Ithaca College, l988.
"SUNY Council on Writing." Dir. Mary Kennedy. SUNY Cortland, March 25-26, 1988.
"Writers' and Editors' Conference." Santa Barbara, California, June l986.
"A Library for Faculty." Sponsored by the Public Services Department of Ithaca College Library, October 26, l985.
"American Comedy Conference." Pennsylvania State University, April 26-28, l984.
"Reading & Writing from a Cognitive Perspective." SUNY Cortland, l982.
"Composition Theory & Teaching Practice: Notes Toward a Pedagogy of Writing as Process." Presented by Ben McClelland, Ithaca College, December l981.
"Evaluating Writing Holistically." SUNY Cortland, December l5, l980.
FICTION READINGS
The Near Absence of Blood. A reading from my novel. WCMC-Q. April 28, 2010.
Readings in New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
Readings at Ithaca College included shared readings with students as part of the "Teacher and Student Writers" series, "Women Out Loud," and readings annually in the "Writers' Harvest for the Homeless."
Readings at Cornell included recording my work for the Cornell University oral literature archives, by invitation.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
Nova Scotia Teachers' Professional Number: 26024 Permanent; reciprocal throughout Canada; certification to teach all grades l-l3 English, 1970
New York State Certificate Number: 207309389 Permanent; certification to teach grades 7-l2 English and Social studies, 1965
Pennsylvania State Certificate Number: l966 Permanent; certification to teach grades 7-l2 English and Social Studies, 1965
SERVICE FOR WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE – QATAR
Mentor, Faculty Development. As requested by writing seminar course director, Dr. Katy Gottschalk, Cornell-Ithaca, 2010 to 2012
Faculty Promotion Committee (developed and have written all documents to date) 2010 to 2012
Middle States Review of Curriculum Document. First-Year Writing Seminars – WCMC-Q. Fall 2010.
Video Documentary on Teaching at WCMC-Q. “Learning through English.” Dir. Alan Weber. Posted on Cybertower website, Cornell Univ, Ithaca, NY. April 2010.
Faculty Recruitment Committee: 2007 - 2012
Task Force on Faculty Affairs: spring 2010 – 2012
Promotion and Graduation Committee: 2009 - 2012
Mission Statement Task Force: 2009
Qira’at Student Anthology. Recommender and Faculty Editor. 2008 - 2012
Orientation Book Selection Committee: 2007 - 2012
Cornell-Ithaca Essay Writing Contest. Recommender. 2006 - 2012
Lecture: Foundation Students: 2008; 2009; 2010
Orientation: 2003 - 2012
Advisor: 8 - 12 students – 2004 - 2012
Foundation Summer Program Teaching: May 2008
Adjudicator: Student Debate Society – spring 2008 -2010
Recruitment for Foundation Program: summer 2007
Foundation Program Task Force Committee: 2006 – 2007
Writing Program Coordinator: 2003 - 2006
Writing Faculty Search Committee: 2003 - 2006
Participant: Study by Gerlinde Sarkar, Director, Research & Planning, for her PH.D from College of the North Atlantic on standard values test, January 2008
Representative from Cornell: Kainat Foundation Awards Ceremony, World Environment Day, spring 2007. Invited by student Dhritiman Gurkha, joining Drs. Chris Odgen, Rodney Sharkey,Alan Weber, Roger Hinricks and the Japanese Ambassador to Qatar in presenting awards to the children. Composed the congratulatory statement from Cornell for the Kainat Magazine, spring 2007
Hosted summer students studying in Ithaca. With Dr. Thomas Rishel prepared a visit to Kendal, a nursing home facility in Ithaca, for students to observe facility. Students participated: Aalia Al Barwani;Oman Suehyb Al Khatib USA; Manisha Deb Roy Bangladesh; Heba Haddad Iraq; Fouad Otaki USA; Ali Saad Lebanon; Nancy Zaki Egypt. Published an article about this visit for the Cornell Alumni Association Newsletter. 2004 – 2005
SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION AT LARGE
Reviewer. Oman Medical Journal. Editor in Chief: Ibrahim Al-Zakwani. April 2013.
ANAC Academy: Planning Group to establish a national academy for teaching and learning through a nationwide consortium of comprehensive colleges, with the hope that in the future it will become comparable to the Carnegie Foundation in Washington, DC or the Institute at Princeton – 2003 - 2004
International Society for Humor Studies: Member of the Executive Committee, 1998-2001; Awards Committee: 2000; Nominating Committee: 2000-2001; Constitution Committee 1989 to present; Past-President l994-1995; President l993-1994; President-Elect l992-1993
Vice-President Slovak Studies Association (Affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Slovak Studies): 1998-2001
Consultant: Writing in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics co-authored by Thomas W. Rishel and John Meier, accepted for publication by the Mathematical Association of America and Cambridge University Press, 2000
Participant: Research on differential effects of course taking patterns conducted by Dr. James Ratcliff, Beth Jones, and David Oehler of the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Pennsylvania State University, l990
Delegate to Czechoslovakia from Slovak National Council for cultural exchange, U.S. State Department sanctioned: May-June l988
Board of Trustees Feminist Women's Writers Workshop: Wells College, l985 to l989.
Board of Trustees Ithaca Community Poets: l984 to l988
Associate Editor, Epoch, Literary Magazine, Cornell University: 1975 to 1988. Fiction Editor for Epoch Spring-Summer 1982; Fall 1979; Summer 1976
Awards Committee Member (by invitation) of Slovak Studies Association with Louise Hammer of Indiana University to select best paper on Slovak studies for the year 1993. Nominated for Vice-President of the Society, 1997.
SERVICE TO ITHACA COLLEGE
All-College Service
- Community Outreach Lecture. Humor in Qatar: Cultural Perceptions of Women and Women’s Voice. Longview Senior Living Center. Ithaca, NY. Oct 9, 2013
- All-College Tenure and Promotion Committee: 2001- 2003; chair 2002-2003
- Quality of Life Task Force Sub-Committee (Planning and Priorities): 2001-2002 All-College Faculty Development Committee: 1998-2001
- Assoc Provost Search Committee (ex-officio as Fac Dev Coordinator): 1998
- Faculty Council Member: 1996 to 2002 (sabbatical 1997-1998); 1985-1987; 1983-1984
- Executive Committee of Faculty Council: 2001-2002; 1984-1985 and 1986-1987. Council Secretary: 2001-2002
- Faculty Council Faculty Attitude Survey Subcommittee: Chair 1985-1989. Faculty Council Handbook Committee for Part Time Status: 1981-1983
- Writing Contest: reviewer 1975 to 2002; founded contest in l975; director 1979-1980; l975-l976; 1998-1999
- Judge: Forensic Association Tournament, Speech Communications Department, Ithaca College, February 1997
- Registration Representative: 1997, 1996, 1995
- Discovery Days and Person to Person: 1996
- United Way Representative: 1994-1997
- Ithaca College Racial Awareness Committee: 1981-1982
- Advisor to Stillwater, student literary magazine: Spring l981
Service to the School of Humanities and Sciences
- Faculty Senate: 2000-2001
- Humanities and Sciences Curriculum Committee: 1979-1981
- Humanities and Sciences Scholarship Committee: l978
- Humanities and Sciences Task Force, AWP Representative for Speech and Theater: l976
Service to the Department of Writing
- Tenure and Promotion Committee: 1996 - 2004
- Department Faculty Development Committee: 2001-2003
- Department Personnel Committee: 2000 - 2004
- Writing Program Executive Committee: 1998 - 1999
- The Writing Major Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee: co-chair, 1994-1996
- Writing Program Curriculum Committee: 1990 to present; 1975-1981.
- Subcommittee on Pedagogy: 1991-1992. Chair 1977-1978
- Tenure and NTE Search Committee: 1992-1993
- Creative Writing Committee: 1992
- Faculty Mentor: 1988
- Writing Program Personnel Committee: 1985-1990; 1981-1984; Chair 1986-
- 1988; 1985-1986
- Writing Program By-Laws Committee: 1983-1984; Chair 1983-1984
- Writing Program Executive Committee: 1985-1986; 1983-1984
- AWP Full-Time Proposal Committee: l975-l983
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Epistemologies in Teaching and Learning; Moral Codes and Social Values; Argument and Rhetoric; Composition Theory
- Humor Theory; Humor and Creative Writing; Creativity Theory; Fiction