English graduate teaches at Georgetown

Jodi, William, and Nathaniel Rivers

A 2003 graduate from the University of Southern Indiana’s English Department, Nathaniel Rivers completed his MA in English and PhD in Rhetoric and Composition at Purdue University. While at Purdue, Nathaniel served as a Graduate Instructor in the First-Year Composition Program and in the Professional Writing Program. Additionally, he served as the Assistant Director of Professional Writing for two years. The Kenneth Burke Society named Nathaniel an Emerging Kenneth Burke Scholar for his work as an editor of a collection of all of Burke’s previously uncollected literary reviews.

Following the completion of his doctorate, Nathaniel accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of English at Georgetown University. He teaches writing courses at the undergraduate level and rhetorical theory courses at the graduate level. He is currently working on an article length study of Kenneth Burke’s notion of “attitude” and its place at the boundary of nature and culture and an article on fostering student engagement with local publics through rhetorical action. Additionally, he is at work on a book length project expanding the realm of rhetorical action to include bodily and environmental activity.

In 2005 Nathaniel married Jodi Rasche, also a 2003 graduate from USI’s English Department. Both were active in Sigma Tau Delta and it is through this involvement that they met. Jodi currently teaches language arts at Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Washington, DC. Working with sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students, Jodi serves an at-risk population. She finds the work both challenging and rewarding.

In 2008, Jodi and Nathaniel welcomed the birth of their first child, William James. The child of two English majors, William, it is safe to say, doesn’t stand a chance.

Nathaniel’s professional website is located at: http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/nar26/

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2007 English graduate succeeds at Yale

Craig Fehrman, a 2007 graduate from USI’s English program, recently passed his qualifying PhD. Exams at Yale "with distinction."  He was the only person in his group (third-year students) to achieve this level.

While at USI Craig started Amalgam and produced the first two issues, among many other accomplishments.

Originally intending to concentrate on medieval literature in graduate school, he has decided to become an Americanist; his dissertation is about books by presidents.

Craig is also a freelance writer and lives in Connecticut with his wife Candice, who works at Rizzoli, one of the top publishing houses in NYC.

Learn more about Craig at his blog, http://craigfehrman.com/.

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English major learns through internship

Kara Waggoner

Kara Waggoner is an intern with the Center for Applied Research (CAR) at USI. Kara, an English major and a Marketing minor, talks about the valuable experience the internship is providing: "The knowledge I have gained from my English background has enabled me to be successful in my internship in numerous ways.  With the internship, I write press releases and articles concerning the events and projects we work on at CAR.  Through my internship I have learned many valuable lessons and processes.  I have also been given the opportunity to do all of the marketing for one of our projects, and I have been doing consulting work on another project.  The people I work with daily guide me when I have problems and are sure to give me meaningful work.  Previously, I had not considered a career in communications, but through my experience at the Center for Applied Research, I believe communications is a very possible career path for me."