Kristen B. Miller

kmiller@kristenbmiller.com

website: http://www.kristenbmiller.com

 

Education

 

Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama

          Doctor of Philosophy – English (in progress – expected graduation: 2008)

      • Focus: Rhetoric & Composition
      • Exam Areas: Composition (Major Area), Visual & Multimedia Rhetoric (Minor Area), Writing Centers (Minor Area)
      • Dissertation: Rhetoric and the Composition of Film
      • Committee Members: Michelle Ann Sidler (Chair), Isabelle Thompson, Kevin Roozen

 

          Master of Arts – English (May 2004)

      • Focus: Literature
      • Exam Areas: British Literature 1800-1900, World Literature 1900-1945, World Literature 1945-Present, Rhetoric & Composition

 

LaGrange CollegeLaGrange, Georgia

          Bachelor of Arts – English (May 2001)

 

Publications

 

“Persuading Pirates: Rhetoric and Power in Pirates of the Caribbean” in a forthcoming edited collection on Pirates of the Caribbean. (Ed. Matthew Rohweder)

 

“Masks and Machine Ethos: Traces of Techno-Horror in the Slasher Film” in Monsters and the Monstrous, Volume 5 (e-book), 2008

 

From Fears of Entropy to Comfort in Chaos: Arcadia, The Waste Land, Numb3rs and Man’s Relationship with Science in Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 25.1 (2007), 81-94.

 

Conference Presentations

 

“Max Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide: Using the Unreal to Teach Ethos” as part of panel “Leaving Reality Behind: Fantasy, Virtual Space, and Literacy” with Victoria Lisle, Susanna Coleman, and Joanna Phillips at the Conference on College Composition and Communication in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2008.

 

“Masks and Machine Ethos: Traces of Techno-Horror in the Slasher Film” at the conference 5th Global Conference: Monsters and the Monstrous: Examining Enduring Myths of Evil” in Oxford, England, September 2007. (Upcoming)

 

“The Importance of Being Dishonest: Oscar Wilde, Moulin Rouge, and the Role of the Lie” at the LaGrange College First Week Academic Symposium in LaGrange, Georgia, August 2007.

 

“Dialectic in the Buffyverse: Episode Structure, Series Structure, and Theme” at the Popular Culture Association Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, April 2007.

 

“Note Taking: Student Preference, Tutor Practice, and Student Satisfaction” at the Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, February 2007.

 

“Examining Student and Tutor Satisfaction with Writing Center Conferences” with Susanna Coleman at the Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, February 2007. (Presentation also written by Isabelle Thompson and Alyson Whyte.)

 

“Aristotelian Appeals in Film: Applications for the Composition Classroom” as part of panel, “Criticism and Instruction on the Screen: The Rhetoric and Composition of Film” with Michelle Ann Sidler, Angela Farmer, and Jennifer Riley Campbell at the Popular Culture Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, April 2006.

 

“Aristotelian Appeals in Film: Applications for the Composition Classroom” at the Association of College English Teachers of Alabama Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, February 2006.

 

“The Effect of Learning Styles on Tutor Strategies and Student Satisfaction in the Writing Center” at the Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, February 2006.

 

 “Visual-Spatial Learners in the Writing Center” with Julie Zorn at the Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, February 2005.

 

Teaching Experience

 

Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama

Graduate Teaching Assistant (2001 to present)  

 

English 1100 (Composition I)

The focus of this course is developing student skills in expository and argumentative writing in addition to giving them a strong foundation in rhetorical principles.  I have taught my own sections of 25 students each since Fall of 2002.  I utilize the portfolio grading method, which places strong emphasis on revision.  Because it increases student engagement and allows for additional reinforcement of rhetorical principles, I tend to utilize film and other visual and multimedia texts in class discussion and paper topics in addition to traditional example essays and articles.

 

English 1120 (Composition II)

The focus of this course is developing student skills in research and research paper writing in addition to further developing their understanding and utilization of rhetoric.  I have taught my own sections of 25 students each since Spring of 2003.  I utilize the portfolio grading method, which places strong emphasis on revision.  I have developed an approach to this course that fits each of the department’s required assignments within an overall project of the students developing a film and preparing to pitch it to a production company.  This allows for student creativity, heightened student interest, and fostering of students’ problem-solving skills while they learn common research paper formats. 

 

English 2200 (World Literature I)

The focus of this course is providing the students with a survey of World Literature to 1660 in addition to further developing their writing and communication skills.  I taught my own section of 30 students during Spring of 2006.  I chose not to include objective exams as part of my section of this course, but instead chose to spend much more time on writing, assigning two major essays and four shorter writing assignments.  With the shorter assignments, students were given creative options such as turning an argument they perceived in a work into a different medium (website, PowerPoint presentation, visual ad) in addition to more traditional essay topics.  I also use movies and television frequently, not in lieu of readings, but as connections to be made between the readings and issues we still address in our own culture.   

 

LaGrange CollegeLaGrange, Georgia

          Adjunct Professor (2002 to present)

 

English 0100 (Basic Composition)

This is a remedial composition course with placement determined by SAT Verbal score; it is a non-credit course in which a passing grade is required for admission to Composition I.  I have taught my own sections of up to 18 students since Fall 2002.  In my instruction of this course, I heavily emphasize revision of writing and helping students find error patterns and learn to correct them.  This course has been discontinued by the LaGrange College English Department as of Fall Semester 2005. 

 

English 1101 (Composition I)

The focus of this course is on developing student skills in expository and argumentative writing in addition to giving them a strong foundation in rhetorical principles and introducing them to the research paper.  I have taught my own sections of up to 18 students each since Fall of 2003, usually Spring sections composed of students who were enrolled in Basic Composition during the previous Fall Semester.  I have worked to adapt the portfolio grading method to LaGrange College’s Department Requirements.  Because it increases student engagement and allows for reinforcement of rhetorical principles, I tend to utilize film and other visual and multimedia texts in class discussion and paper topics in addition to traditional example essays and articles.

 

English 1102 (Composition II)

The focus of this course is writing about literature, including introducing students to writing literature research papers.  I will teach this course for the first time in Spring 2006, teaching two sections of up to 18 students each.

 

English 3300 (History of the English Language)

The goal of this course is to help the student gain an understanding of the origins and development of the English language along with introducing them to some of the basic principles and concepts in the field of linguistics.  I taught this course as an independent study for one English undergraduate student in Spring 2005.

 

Additional Academic Experience

                                 

Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama

Assistant to the Coordinator of the English Center (2004 to present)

I help the English Center Coordinator with most tasks involved in running the Center, including hiring, training, payroll, scheduling, practicum planning, practicum facilitation, and keeping the computers and other technology running well.  During the Summer of 2004, I helped in the planning and development of our online reservation system, and during the Summer of 2005, I helped in the planning and development of the database and other data collection methods to be used for a massive data collection and research project conducted during Fall 2005.

English Center Consultant (2001 to present)

I work with students on an individual or small group basis on developing reading, planning, revising, editing, and proofreading skills.

 

LaGrange CollegeLaGrange, Georgia

Writing Center Tutor (1999 to 2001)

I work with students on an individual basis on developing reading, planning, revising, editing, and proofreading skills.

 

Honors & Awards

 

Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama

Runner-Up – Masters Level GTA Teaching Award – 2004

 

LaGrange CollegeLaGrange, Georgia

Magna Cum Laude Graduate

Murial B. Williams Award for Excellence in Literary Studies, 2001

Walter D. Jones Award for Excellence in Composition and Scholarship, 2001

First Place - Fiction, LaGrange College Writing Contest, 2000

Inducted into Sigma Tau Delta, 2000

 

Academic Service

 

Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama

Graduate Student Representative to Hiring Committee for Technical & Professional Communication Job Search (2005)

English Graduate Student Organization Representative to English Center Committee (2005-)

English Center Practicum Planning Committee (2004-2005)

 

 

 

Other Work Experience

 

New Community ChurchLaGrange, Georgia

Children’s Ministry Intern (Summer 2007)

I worked with the Children’s Ministry Director to plan and carry out the children’s services over the months of June and July while regular children’s service volunteers take a break.  I also helped revise the training policies and information for children’s program volunteers.

 

Alabama Prison Arts & Education Project – Auburn, Alabama

Intern (Fall Semester 2005)

I work with program director Kyes Stevens on documents such as fliers and posters to be used for informational and publicity purposes; I maintain the APAEP Website; and I perform additional copy editing and administrative tasks.

Web Designer (Spring Semester 2005)

As part of my course requirements for English 6910 (Practicum in Technical and Professional Communication), I worked with one other student in the class on developing a website for APAEP.  My responsibilities were primarily site coding (HTML and CSS) and visual design (including some flash animation).

 

Carmike Cinemas – LaGrange, Georgia

Relief Manager/Staff Leader, Projectionist (May 1998 to April 2006)

I was moved to a management position two months after I was hired.  I acted as the theater manager for two months during the Summer of 1998.  I have trained or assisted in the training of every manager hired since November 2000.  Though I have a working knowledge of the responsibilities involved in all theater positions, my primary expertise is in projection, which includes running, building, and breaking down movies; troubleshooting mechanical problems; and conducting minor maintenance and repairs.  In addition to extensive experience in customer relations, I have experience with all administrative tasks related to running the theater, including scheduling, hiring, maintaining theater files, completing the theater’s weekly reports, and all money-related tasks.      

Concession Worker (March to May 1998)

 

Computer

 

Computer Skills:

HTML writing, basic java scripting, CSS, web design, flash animation, Microsoft Office, elementary graphic design, sound/music editing, video editing

 

Notable Websites Designed and/or Maintained:

          Alabama Prison Arts & Education Project (www.auburn.edu/cah/apaep)

Keeth’s Karate Website (www.teamkeeth.com)

Wayne & Wallace Dalglish Publicity Websites (www.waynedalglish.com)

Film Rhetoric: A Guide For Students (www.auburn.edu/~millekb/filmrhetoric)

The Rhetorical Problem of Natural Born Killers (www.auburn.edu/~millekb/nbk)

 

Foreign Languages

 

Reading Proficiency

  • German
  • Latin
  • Old English

 

 

Conversational

  • German

 

Activities

 

Keeth’s Karate – LaGrange, Georgia (1992 to Present)

Volunteer Instructor & Competition Coach (1994 to Present)

I am currently the lead instructor for the children and adult classes one to two nights per week.  I organized a demonstration and competition team for the school in 2001 and continue to run this program; in addition to fulfilling the administrative duties involved,   I choreograph and teach group demonstration performances and choreograph and teach individual form and weapon routines for students to use in tournament competition.

Tournament Competitor

§         Ranked #1 Regionally in Women’s Black Belt Forms in 2003 & 2004

§         Ranked #1 Regionally in Adult Black Belt Weapons in 2004

§         Ranked #1 Regionally in Women’s Black Belt Fighting in 2004

§         Ranked #6 in NASKA National Ratings in Women’s Open Weapons in 2003

§         Ranked #7 in NASKA World Ratings in Women’s Open Weapons in 2003

Tournament Judge

I act as a volunteer judge for forms, weapons, sparring, and team demonstration competition at sport karate tournaments in Georgia and Alabama sanctioned by the International Karate Circuit.

 

New Community ChurchLaGrange, Georgia (1993-present)

Elementary Sunday School Teacher (1996-present)

I am currently the teacher for the 5th Grade Boys’ small group during the children’s service on Sunday mornings.  I have been with the same group of boys for the last four years at the request of several of their parents, and in addition to teaching them on Sunday mornings, I occasionally meet with the boys and their parents to discuss problems and issues in their lives and work to counsel the boys about these issues if necessary.

 

American Poolplayers Association (Billiards)Auburn, Alabama (2004-present)

Team Member in 9-Ball League (January 2004 to Present)

§         Team won 2004 Auburn City Cup Championships

§         Team placed 17th in Nation at 2004 APA National 9-Ball Team Championships in Las Vegas

§         Team Captain (August 2005 to Present)

                                             

Team Member in 8-Ball League (September 2004 to Present)

§         8-Ball Team Captain (January 2005 to Present)

§         Team won session championship Fall 2004, Summer 2006