Biographies

This page contains information about preparing your

biography: sample biographies | communication or rhetorical
aspects of sample biographies
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Sample Biographies

In this section, you will find biographies for Philip Rubens and
Sherry Southard. They provide a pattern for you to adapt as
you write your biography, and they tell you a bit about
persons who may be your instructor.

Philip Rubens came to East Carolina University after nearly
twenty years of service to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. At
RPI he developed many unique academic programs that relied
on the impact of emerging technologies on the communication
process; he also served as the Director of the Technical
Writers' Institute and the Director of Graduate Studies. Before
joining the RPI faculty he directed undergraduate and
associate degrees at Michigan Technological University and
William Rainey Harper College. He is a Fellow of the Society
for Technical Communication, as well as a former board
member and director-sponsor, and has received numerous
awards for his contributions to the profession. His Science and
Technical Writing: A Manual of Style will soon be released in
a 2nd edition from Routledge.
His professional career outside of academia includes writing
for the Wall Street Journal, the Democratic National
Committee, LTV Aerospace, Braniff International, Woodall
Publishing, and various government agencies, as well as a
considerable career in freelance writing. He has applied this
combination of practical and academic experience to a
variety of consultancies for major corporations and political
agencies throughout the world. These professional efforts
have been recognized by the Society for Technical
Communication and the IEEE Professional Communication
Society.
He is active in a variety of civic and cultural organizations
including Habitat for Humanity, Sierra Club, the Women's
Philharmonic, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Outside of professional interests, he travels widely, reads,
writes, sails, and enjoys living in Cary with his family and
cats.

Sherry Southard joined the ECU faculty in 1989 after nearly
ten years on the graduate faculty at Oklahoma State
University. Since coming to ECU, she has served on the English
Department's Computer and Instructional Technology
Committee for over six years and has written grant proposals
collaboratively to fund computer-aided classrooms and
laboratories. She currently teaches students to use electronic
components in her classes in order to collaborate as well as
develop information products. Together with Philip Rubens,
she helped develop the post-baccalaureate online Certificate
in Professional Communication. At both Oklahoma State and
East Carolina University, she has served in many
administrative positions.
Her advising has been recognized with an ECU 1999
Outstanding Advisor Award for Undergraduate Studies and a
national 2000 Outstanding Advisor Award given by the
National Academic Advising Association. A Fellow of the
Society for Technical Communication, she received the Jay R.
Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching Technical
Communication. In addition to serving actively in STC
activities, she has participated in the Association of Teachers
of Technical Writing and Council for Programs in Technical
and Scientific Communication.
Her professional career outside of academia includes writing
and editing for employers such as NASA (Langley Research
Center), Fire Protection Publications ("redbooks" for
firefighters), and Carolinas Association of General
Contractors.
An important aspect of her life is family -- her husband
(another academic in linguistics and Teaching English as a
Second Language), two sons (both studying psychology and
philosophy, one a gourmet cook and the other a disc golf
champion player), and four cats.
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Discussion of communication or rhetorical aspects of
sample biographies

In this section, in bold at the left-hand margin, you find the
name of the rhetorical aspect being discussed. Then in a
salmon (or peach) boxes following the names are discussions
of the rhetorical aspects with references to the sample
biographies (what your instructor would say to you in class).
You do not have to pattern your biography EXACTLY as the
samples are written, especially in terms of content.

Audience & purpose
Whom are you directing this biography to? You've
not been told directly, but probably are assuming
that the audience is your instructor. Is there
anyone else who might read this biography? ...
possibly other member of your class??
What is the purpose of this biography? Above you
are told that the sample biographies "provide a
pattern for you to adapt as you write your
biography, and they tell you a bit about persons
who may be your instructor." The other side of
the coin then--you are indicating that you can
write a biography that adapts the pattern
provided and that tells your instructor a bit about
yourself.
Content
Look at the sample biographies paragraph by
paragraph.
1. Describes work experiences and roles in
those work environments. For both
instructors, you learn about where they
have taught and related experiences. Dr.
Southards first paragraph is really two
paragraphs. If you've not worked full time in
your field, then your "work experiences"
may translate as your educational
experiences. You should also note that the
work experiences are presented in reverse
chronological order with current ones first.
2. Describes experiences related to their
experiences as teachers, but completed
outside the academy. You learn about their
work as technical communicators for
employers outside the university.
3. Describes a few personal items about them,
although no names are given. The
information is person but somewhat
sanitized.
Organization
First, you learn about their credentials, very
important to you as a student in their classes.
Then you learn how their credentials include
practical application of what they teach. And
finally you learn some personal items which are
not that important is demonstrating their ability
to teach the course that you are taking, but
which flesh them out as persons.
Style (words and sentences among other matters)
The biography is written in third person: he or
she. Precise words are used. For example, you
are told that he "served" as a director, not that
he "was" one, and she "received" an award, not
that she "got" the award. The style is not a slangy
or particularly conversational one.
Visuals
No visuals are used, only text. However,
photographs could have been use to show them
teaching and with their families and cats.
Format & layout & design
The biographies are present here as part of a
website. If the biographies were printed, they
would be paragraphed text similar to what essays
look like. The biographies could have been
presented in columns with headings. Design
elements could have been included.
As is, the layout is sparse with only the names
bolded. The paragraphs are single-spaced with
double-spacing between paragraphs. Remember
the directions you have been given in the syllabus
about spacing as well as size and type of font to
be used.
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