UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, BOSTON

ALUMNI MAGAZINE

PUTTING A HUMAN FACE ON SCIENCE

Roderick Jensen’s research in functional genomics was the subject of this article [pdf]. I wanted this article to help non-scientific readers understand both the basics of DNA microarrays and the impact of Jensen’s work on their lives. My first step: a self-study refresher course on the basics of genetics and chaos theory. Reading the final draft, Jensen commented, “This is a fantastic job. I have no changes. You described my interests, motivations, and activities perfectly. Thank you.”

MAKING RESEARCH ACCESSIBLE

The challenge with this article [pdf] was to make Professor Alice Carter’s clinical research in infant and toddler development accessible to the general reader. I chose to examine the topic through the eyes of typical new parents with normal concerns about their children. In her office I found the oversized fluffy-eared dog puppets she uses in her interviews with toddlers, which ended up on the cover.

A TOUCHY SUBJECT

Subsuming Boston State College into UMass Boston 25 years ago was economically and institutionally smart-but hard on many people. The challenge of this article [pdf] was to acknowledge and respect painful memories, yet make the story about the result: the strengthening of public higher education in Boston. In reply to my submission, the editor wrote, “Right away it looked like a terrific solution to a very difficult problem, and I'm grateful.”

REMEMBERING DAISY

For this memorial to a late beloved faculty member, I interviewed over a dozen people. Each one provided anecdotes that, taken together, created a multifaceted portrait of a woman whose life touched so many people.

INDELIBLE IMAGES

This article profiles an alumna who, after retiring as a school principal, joined the board of directors of an intiative to build a Rwandan girls’ school. During her five-week sojourn in Rwanda as an educational consultant to the board, she met the principal of a different school and found herself drawn into a more significant mission. The article is currently in production; sample not yet available.

UNIVERSITY ADVISING CENTER WEB SITE

I worked with the Vice Provost of Academic Support Services and her staff to overhaul the advising center’s Web site. The site consists of about 30 pages in seven separate areas. I worked with UAC staff to create a site outline and navigation scheme, complete a content inventory of the existing site, and develop a content outline. I wrote new copy for 80% of the site and revised the rest.