 Former Students
Amy Tigner, 1996
Assistant Professor of English, University of Texas, Arlington
After graduating with an MA in English at UW in 1996, I taught as a lecturer in the English Department for two years. Deciding that my true passion was Renaissance literature, I decided to get my Ph.D. in English and was accepted at Stanford University to begin doctoral studies in 1998. Working with Jennifer Summit, J. Martin Evans, and Roland Greene, I wrote my dissertation England's Paradise: Horticultural Landscapes in the Renaissance, which argues that gardens dramatize issues of art, artifice, and global power in the early modern period. After receiving my Ph.D. in 2004, I taught as a post-doctoral fellow in the Stanford Introduction to Humanities program and in 2006 joined the faculty at the University of Texas, Arlington, which is located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Currently I am working on a manuscript based on my dissertation and plans to write my next book on the connection between the garden and the kitchen and the aesthetics of growing, cooking and eating in the Renaissance. I maintain my connections with the English Department faculty, meeting them at conferences and exchanging research ideas; recently I brought Susan Frye to UT, Arlington's campus as a plenary speaker for a graduate student conference.
Laurie Milford, 1999
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Executive Director, Wyoming Outdoor Council
I'm the executive director of the Wyoming Outdoor Council, which is Wyoming's oldest independent, statewide conservation group. Our role is to protect the state's world-class public lands and wildlife, safeguard our clean air and water, and blaze the trail toward sustainable energy. We influence the actions of decisionmakers, including agency and industry staff and elected officials. We educate and activate citizens and work in alliances with conservation, religious, and labor groups. When all else fails we take legal action to meet our mission, which is to protect Wyoming's environment and quality of life for future generations.
The master's program in the English Department helped me to prepare for a career in nonprofit management by sharpening my skills in research, analysis, and communication, both oral and written. Most importantly the program bolstered my self-confidence: As a teaching assistant, I learned how to lead others. And as a student, I learned how to meet consistent deadlines for high-quality work. The master's program in English is rigorous. It would benefit those who are preparing to perform marketing and communications, fundraising, or management in the nonprofit sector.
Kristen Thoen, 1999
Executive, 3M Technologies
While earning my masters degree in English from the University of Wyoming, I attended the UW career fair and saw a sign from 3M that said, "Hiring Technical Writers." I thought, "I've never done technical writing, but I know how to write." I applied and was hired as a technical writer for the Corporate Information Technology department at 3M, a Fortune 100 company. Shortly after starting, I convinced my manager that I could put to good use the skills I learned while a teacher's assistant at UW, and my role expanded into global training for 3M's Corporate Marketing department. In that role, I delivered onsite & virtual eBusiness training for 9 corporate eBusiness systems & processes in US, Europe, Asia, & Latin America. In this role the communication and teaching skills I learned at UW were key, as every message needed to be customized for each region. Next, I became a Business Operations Manager for 3M's Medical Division. In this role, I managed a team of people responsible for customer verification, contract membership, incentive payments, and distributor communications. One of my largest projects was re-engineering information delivery models to fundamentally change how the 3M Medical Division shared and leveraged information internally and externally. While most saw that project as one involving technology, I viewed it as one that allowed me to take my analytical and communication abilities into a different medium the Web. Currently, I am Lean Six Sigma Black Belt for 3M's Medical Division. This two year assignment is part of a leadership development program. Most of my colleagues are engineers, and many wonder how an English Major can perform this role that relies heavily on statistics and analysis. I am always quick to point out that my Masters in English taught me how to analyze: the same skills are required whether I am analyzing a poem or a manufacturing process. Literature, however, still speaks to me, and I have relied on extracurricular activities to continue to fulfill my love of the written word: I edited a book about day trading that was featured on the New York Times Bestseller List, wrote the lead article for an internationally published book about Early American Theater, and presented a paper that was adapted from my masters thesis at a conference in Spain.
Delissa Hayano, 2001
Associate, Holland and Hart
At its core, a sophisticated legal practice demands the intellectual rigor fostered by the English MA program. The ability to delve beyond the words on the page to find and construct meaning is as essential to the practicing attorney as it is to the English MA candidate. The skills developed in the MA program --to identify and analyze threads of thought across various works, authors, genres, and periods--are the same skills required to identify clients' legal issues, to analyze the applicable law across various courts and jurisdictions, and to advise clients on possible courses of action. Every day, whether with my clients, opposing counsel, or the court, I rely upon the skills honed in my MA courses. Last Updated on 9/23/2009 10:39:00 AM |
