April Heaney

Biography

April Heaney is a lecturer in the department of English and director of the Learning Resource Network (LeaRN) Program at UW. She teaches courses in composition, creative non-fiction, and professional writing. In her role as LeaRN director, April works with academic success and transition programs for undergraduate students, including underprepared and underconfident student populations. LeaRN programs include Freshmen Interest Groups (FIGs), Fall Bridge, STEP tutoring and supplemental instruction, First Gen Scholars, Writing Center and Communication Across the Curriculum, and First-Year Experience courses.

Education

PhD, University of Wyoming

M.A., University of Wyoming

B.A., University of Wyoming

Recent and Upcoming Courses

First-Year Seminar

Non-fiction Workshop: The Experimental Essay

College Composition & Rhetoric

Composition and Rhetoric II: College & Career

Introduction to Non-Fiction

Writing for Public Forums

Selected Publications

Heaney, April. “Early Adopter: Older Teens Conceptions of Their Significant Social Media Practices.” Reading Research Quarterly. June 2025.

Prather, J. F., McCoy, D. P., Heaney, A., Smith, L., Grimes, E, Bloomston, N., & Courtney, N. "Student Perceptions of COVID-19 Challenges Reveal Factors Affecting Student Motivation, Well-Being, and Success in Online Education." PLOS One. 2024
Brock, Cynthia, Welsh, Kate, Tarullo, Cara, Montgomery, Josh, Kelly, Avia, and Heaney, April. “Using Positioning Theory and Narrative to Explore Doctoral Students’ Developing Understandings About Theory in Educational Research." Studies in Higher Education, 1-15. 2024
Stevens, Anne, Hartung, Cynthia, Shelton, Patrick, & Heaney, April. “The Effects of a Brief Organization, Time Management, and Planning Intervention for At-Risk College Freshmen." Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 9(1). 2018. DOI: 10.1080/23794925.2018.1551093
Heaney, April, and Joyce Stewart. “Admissions rhetoric and academic self-efficacy: The importance of first-communications for conditionally-admitted students.” Journal of College Admission. 2012.
Heaney, April and Rick Fisher. “Supporting Conditionally-Admitted Students: A Case Study of Assessing Persistence in a Learning Community.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11(1). 2011.
Belanger, Kelly and April Heaney. “Critical Pedagogy as Socially Progressive Research: Challenging Programmatic and Institutional Traditions.” Socially Progressive Research Methodologies. Eds. Katy Powell and Pamela Takayoshi. Hampton Press. 2010.
Knievel, Michael, April Heaney, and Meg Wood. “Bucking the Rules: Teaching Grammar “Wrong” for the Right Results in Technical Communication Consulting.” IEEE: Professional Transactions. 2009.
Heaney, April. “The Synergy Program: Reframing Critical Reading and Writing for At-Risk Students.” Journal of Basic Writing. 2006.

Creative Work
Heaney, April. "Finding Simret." Dovetails: Writing for Peace. 2023
Heaney, April. “Picture Postcard: Ethiopia.” There’s This Place I Know… Serving House Books. 2015.
Heaney, April. “Homebound.” Prick of the Spindle. Winter 2009.
Heaney, April. “Lesson Plan.” Wyoming Fence Lines. Ed. David Romtvedt. Wyoming Humanities and Wyoming Arts Councils. Fall 2007.
Heaney, April. “Fast Filth.” Alimentum: The Literature of Food. Winter 2007.
Heaney, April. “The Mindlamp.” FMAM Magazine. Spring 2004. 72-75.
Heaney, April. “The Waking.” Mudrock: Stories and Tales. Fall 2003. 21-31.
Heaney, April. “The Garden of Live Flowers.” American Nature Writing. Ed. John Murray. Golden: Fulcrum, 2002.

Selected Awards

2025. Shepard Symposium on Social Justice Outstanding Faculty Award. University of Wyoming.

2014. National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate.

2012. Extraordinary Merit in Teaching, University of Wyoming

2009. Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Freshman Teaching. University of Wyoming.

2007. Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Learning, Synergy Program.

2004. Conference on Basic Writing Award For Innovation, Synergy Program. Conference on College Composition and Communication.