DIANE DOWDEY
Associate Professor of English
Associate Director of the Academic Enrichment Center Sam Houston State
University
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1984 Major: English, Minor: Rhetoric
Dissertation: Literary Science: A Rhetorical Analysis of an Essay Genre and Its
Tradition Director: Walter B. Rideout
M.A., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1977 Major: English
B.A., Magna cum laude Texas Christian University, 1976 Majors: English/History, Minor: Philosophy
EXPERIENCE:
Associate professor Sam Houston State University 1995--present
Assistant professor Sam Houston State University 1989--1995
Undergraduate courses taught: Developmental Writing, Freshman Composition, Readings in the Literature of the United States, Readings in the Literature of Great Britain and Its Commonwealth, Readings in Literature of the Western World, Advanced Composition, Technical Writing, American Novels, Composition Theory and the Teaching of Writing, Studies in Multicultural Literature
Graduate courses taught: Studies in Rhetoric and Composition Theory: History of Rhetoric, American Literature from 1860-1920, Modern British Literature, Practicum in College Composition
Assistant professor Texas A & M University 1984--1989
Undergraduate courses taught: Freshman Composition, Introduction to Literature, American Literature: Colonial to American Renaissance, American Literature: Civil War to Present, Technical Writing, Literature and Science
Graduate courses taught: Business Communication, Rhetoric of the Essay, Rhetoric of Science, History of the Essay
Adjunct assistant professor Tarrant County Junior College 1979--1980
Courses taught: Freshman Composition, Introduction to Literature, Survey of British Literature: Beginnings to 1700
Instructor University of Texas at Arlington 1980
Courses taught: Introduction to Literature
Teaching Assistant University of Wisconsin-Madison 1977--1984
Courses taught: Developmental English, Freshman Composition, Intermediate Composition, Nineteenth-Century Literature, Twentieth-Century Literature, Tutored in Writing Lab
PUBLICATIONS: Textbooks
TR5 To Research, To Read, To Reason, To Write, To Report: An Introduction to
Research
Writing. With Barbara Jones and Katie Pannell. Needham Heights, MA: Simon and
Schuster.
1998.
The Researching Reader: Source-Based Writings Across the Disciplines. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1990. Instructor's Manual. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1991.
PUBLICATIONS: Articles
“Online Education and Writing Across the Curriculum.” Panelists
Statements. WAC 2002: The Sixth National Writing Across the Curriculum Conference.
“Science Essay.” Encyclopedia of the Essay. London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997. 754-755.
"Citation and Documentation Across the Curriculum." Constructing Rhetorical Education. Edited by Marie Secor and Davida Charney. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1992. pp. 330-351.
"Society of Mind by Marvin Minsky." Masterplots II: Nonfiction Series. Salem Press, 1989. pp. 1383-1387.
"Stephen Jay Gould: 'This View of Science.'" Markham Review 16 (1987): 26-34.
"Rhetorical Techniques of Audience Adaptation in Popular Science Writing." Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 17 (1987): 275-285.
"Bridging the Gap: Science for a Popular Audience" in Proceedings in Technical and Business Communication: The Conference on College Composition and Communication, Minneapolis-1985. Ed. Douglas M. Catron. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University, 1985. 147-155.
"Song for a Widow." (poem) Descant 24 (Fall-Winter 1979-80):46.
"I Do Not Want to Leave Alone" (Translation from the Spanish of B. Montellano), The Pawn Review July, 1976.
PRESENTATIONS:
“Out in the Street: Moving the
“How Can Technology and Intellectual Property Provisions Enhance
Writing Across the Curriculum?” Invited Panel. “Online Education and Writing
Across the Curriculum.” WAC 2002: The Sixth National Writing Across the Curriculum
Conference.
“Supporting
Computer-Mediated Communication and Technology Across the Curriculum: Pre-service Teachers
Help 8th Grade Students Research the Internet.” Computers and Writing 2000 Conference. May 25-28, 2000.
Fort Worth, Texas.
“Preparing Students for Writing in the New Millenium.”
South Central Writing Center Association Annual Conference. Fort Worth, TX. March 24-25, 2000.“Tapping into Expertise for Tutor Training.” Texas Writing Centers Association Special Session.Conference of College Teachers of English. College Station, TX. March 2-4, 2000.
"Ten Years of Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Freshman Composition and Writing across the Curriculum." Fourth National Conference. Ithaca, NY. June 5-8, 1999.
"Transforming Basic Writing: Theories, Perceptions, and Sites of Practice." Conference on College Composition and Communication. Atlanta, Georgia. March 25, 1999.
"Dear Amanda to Dear Amanda: Preservice Teachers Respond to Special Needs Junior High Students." Texas Council of Teachers of English. Fort Worth. Feb. 5, 1999.
"Our Freshman Composition Program and Writing Across the Curriculum." Third National Conference on Writing Across the Curriculum. Charleston, South Carolina. Feb. 6-8, 1997.
"Innovation and Tradition in the Teaching of Writing." Texas Association of Directors of Writing Programs Session. Conference of College Teachers of English. South Padre Island, Texas. March, 1997.
"Interviewing Developmental Writers." Second Annual Developmental Educators' Exchange. Phoenix Institute. May 21-23, 1997.
"Cultural Issues: What Does 'Culture' Mean in a Multicultural Course?" Texas Council of Teachers of English Conference. El Paso. 25-27 January 1996.
"Developmental Reading and Writing at Sam Houston State University" Conference on Non- Traditional Pedagogies. Texas A & M University--Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi. 11-13 January 1996.
"Braggin' Writes: Implementing and Assessing a Successful WAC Program Using Faculty and Student Input for Assessment." Second National Conference on Writing Across the Curriculum. Charleston. 2-3 February 1995.
"What to Do on the First Day of Class in the Computer Classroom: Lessons and Observations." Association of Computers in English Poster Session. National Council of Teachers of English. Pittsburgh. 18-22 November 1993.
"Check Your Mailbox: Using Junk Mail and Magazines in the Writing Classroom." Sam Houston Area Reading Council. Bryan, TX. 13 February 1993.
"Collaborative Learning in the Writing Classroom." Metro Council of Teachers of English. Houston. 30 January 1993.
"Pick Up Your Pens: Pre-writing Strategies for the Classroom." Sam Houston Area Reading Council. Spring, TX 24 October 1992.
"Male and Female Realities and the Composition Paradigm." Conference on College Composition and Communication. Cincinnati. 19-21 March 1992.
"Asynchronous Conferencing: How a System Grew." Conference on Computers and Writing. Biloxi. 23-25 May 1991.
"Composition and Telematic Systems: Integrating Databases into Freshman Composition." Conference on College Composition and Communication. Boston. 21-24 March 1991.
"Scientists and Nuclear War." Modern Languages Association convention. New Orleans. 28 December 1988.
"The Composing Process of Professional Essayists." Texas Joint Council of Teachers of English. McLennan Community College Waco, Texas. 1 October 1988.
"Citation and Documentation Across the Curriculum." Conference on Rhetoric and Composition. The Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania. 8 July 1988.
"The Cook as Rhetorician." Conference on College Composition and Communication. St. Louis. 19 March 1988.
"Observations on Science: The Essays of Stephen Jay Gould." South Central Modern Languages Association Meeting. Houston. 31 October 1987.
"Topoi as Critical Tool." International Society for the History of Rhetoric Convention. Tours, France. 16 July 1987.
"The Use of Topoi." South Central Modern Language Association. New Orleans. 29 October 1986.
"A Rhetorical Analysis of the Assumptions Underlying Arguments about Recombinant DNA Research." Texas Sesquicentennial Scholars Symposium. Austin. 4 April 1986.
"Bridging the Gap: Science for a Popular Audience." Conference on College Composition and Communication. Minneapolis. March 1985.
"The Trying Out of the Essay: How Scientific Essayists Compose." Conference on College Composition and Communication. New York. March 1984.
"How Aristotle's and Cicero's Topoi Are Implemented Today." Conference on Rhetoric and Composition. The Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania. July 1982.
HONORS:
Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. An Honorary Society for Women Educators.
Who's Who in American Education. 1992-1993, 1993-1994, 1994-1995.
Outstanding Young Women of America. 1991.
Who's Who of American Women. 1986-1999.
Domestic Travel Fellowship University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1982.
Master's Fellow University of Missouri-Columbia, 1976--1977.
Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Tau Delta
FUNDED RESEARCH:
Reshaping the Past: Images of the American Civil War in Contemporary Novels funded by the
Research Council of Sam Houston State University. Summer 1999.
A Profile of Developmental Writers at Sam Houston State University funded by the Research Council of Sam Houston State University. Summer 1997.
SERVICE:
Professional
Chair, Texas Writing Centers Association. 2000-2002.
Webmaster: Conference of College Teachers of English in
State of the Profession Committee. Texas Council of Teachers of English. 1996-1999.
Publications Committee. Texas Council of Teachers of English. 1995-1998.
Reviewer. Studies in Technical Communication: Selected Papers from the 1992 CCCC and
NCTE Meetings. Brenda R. Sims, ed. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 1993.
Associate Chair "Breaking Into Print: An Editor's View of Scholarly
Publication." Conference on College Composition and Communication. Chicago. March,
1990.
Chair "Technical Writing and the Liberal Arts." Conference on College
Composition and Communication. Atlanta, March, 1987.
Respondent "Aristotle, Isocrates and the Sophists Re-examined." Conference on
College Composition and Communication. New Orleans, March, 1986.
Chair "Literary Form in English Non-fiction Prose Genres." South Central Modern
Language Association. New Orleans, October, 1986.
Respondent "Dominant Metaphors in Popular Culture." Midwest Modern Language
Association. Cincinnati, November, 1982.
Professional Consulting
Textbook reviews for Longman, Burgess, McGraw-Hill, D. C. Heath, St. Martin's Press,
Harper Collins, Delmar Publishers, and Mayfield Publishers.
Sam Houston State University
Presentation: "Reading Right: How to Read and Comprehend Textbooks." Academic
Enrichment Center Student Workshop. February 14, 2000.
Presentation: "Revising and Editing: Improving Editing and Correspondence and
Publications."Across-the-University Writing Program. January 31, 2000.
Editor, Graduate Education, Self-Study Report for Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools
Faculty Advisor for Mandatory Student Advising, 1996-to present
Presentation: "Revisiting Revision." Across-the-University Writing
Program. Jan. 27, 1999.
Presentation: "Responding to and Evaluating Student Writing"
Across-the-University Writing Program. Nov. 11, 1996.
Presentation: "How to Handle the Paper Load" for Across-the-University Writing
Program. 25 January 1995.
Special Advisory Committee on Multicultural Education 1994-1995.
Presentation: "Good Grammar Isn't Everything, But Bad Grammar Is Distracting"
for the Across- the-University Writing Program. 22 October 1992.
Faculty Tenure Grievance Committee 1992.
Special Advisory Committee to the President's Cabinet on Information Technology 1991-
Presentation: "Computers and Composition" for the Across-the-University Writing
Program Retreat. 9 November 1990.
Black History Committee 1990-1993.
Presentation: "Have You Read the Latest? Recent Research on Writing" for the
Across the- University Writing Program. 19 February 1990.
Across-the-University Writing Program committee 1989-1993 Reappointed 1993
Coordinate the Freshman English Essay contest 1990-
Faculty Involvement Program 1990-1993
Faculty Mentor 1995-1996
DIVISION OF ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Job search committee for Romantics position 1999
Job search committee for English methods position 1998
Chair, Freshman Writing Committee 1995- 1999
Chair, Curriculum Committee 1994-1996
Job search committee for linguistics position 1994
Program Committee 1994-
Curriculum Committee 1996-1998
Computer Committee 1993-
Library liason 1991-1993
Curriculum Review Committee: Sophomore Literature 1991
Freshman English Committee 1989-1991
U.I.L. Spelling Contest Judge 1990-1992
Job search committee for Rhetoric and Composition position 1990
Texas A&M University
Supervisor of English Department Teaching Assistants 1986-1988
Chair Subcommittee on Genre Course 1985
Freshman English Committee 1984-1986 (Curriculum development)
Writing Outreach Workshops 1985-1987
Texas A&M Mentors 1987-1989
University of Wisconsin
Organizational Committee for Implementing Writing Across the Curriculum Program
1983-1984
Introductory Courses Committee 1978-79
Community Service:
Crockett:
Advisory Board Friends of the Library, 1998.
Huntsville
Treasurer, Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma 1997-
Chair, Board of Directors of the Wesley Foundation of Sam Houston State University 1993.
Habitat for Humanity, Public Relations Officer 1990-1993
Board of Directors Good Shepherd Mission 1991-1992
Board of Directors Wesley Foundation 1991-1993
Society Memberships
National Council of Teachers of English, Conference on College Composition and
Communication, Texas Council of Teachers of English, Conference of College Teachers of
English, Texas College English Association, South Central Writing Center Association,
National Association of Developmental Educators, Texas Writing Centers Association