Resume | Curriculum Vitae |
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DEBI MARTIN, B.J., M.A.
CURRENTLY: Adjunct instructor of Journalism, Austin Community College, and freelance writer. Blogger and content provider for various websites including www.noofanglemedia.com 's www.shopperati.com., where I've written about just about anything that can be bought online -- books, music, fashion. Recently updated new media skillls and teaching credentials in UT Austin's graduate journalism program, completed alternative certification program to teach English Language Arts and Reading and Journalism, grades 8-12, and have worked as substitute teacher for Austin Independent School District.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE: 9/2000 – 8/2006. Adjunct Instructor, St. Edward’s University. Contract renewed for more than five consecutive years. Taught required interdepartmental survey courses including English Comp I, Intro to the Liberal Arts, The American Experience, (based on the PBS series of the same name), and American Dilemmas, an interdisciplinary Sociology/Composition/Ethnics course on researching and writing about social issues and solutions.Initiated cross-listed interdisciplinary Sociology/History/Journalism course on the Sixties Counterculture and the emergence of underground newspapers. Initiated Cultural Foundations course on The History of Rock 'n' Roll. Adjunct magazine journalism instructor for more than three years in New College, for non-traditional undergraduates. McNair Scholar mentor. Supervised student Honors Thesis and Independent Study. Acted as resource for students interested in real world contacts in journalism. 9/1992 – 5/98 and 8/99-5/2000. Adjunct Instructor, Austin Community College. Contract renewed for more than six years depending on availability. Taught several sections of Writing Skills II designed for students inadequately prepared to enroll in English Composition I. Covered primary compositional modes, the writing process, grammar, spelling, punctuation, editing and proofreading, critical thinking, journaling, MLA and APA research paper documentation styles. Spring 1991. National Instruments. Temporary job over 3 month period. Scored 4th grade TAAS tests. Learned "holistic grading," 9/90-present Feature Writer. Wrote feature articles in a variety of formats, including personal “as told to” narratives, for women’s and teen publications – McCall’s, First for Women, and Teen Magazine -- and on general interest topics for other mass media including The Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, Civilization (formerly the magazine for the Library of Congress), American Way (in-flight for American Airlines), Austin Chronicle (an alternative weekly), The American News Service, a Knight-Ridder distributed national wire service that specialized in news stories on solutions to social problems, and The Advocate. For McCall’s Magazine from 1994 to 2001 covered: survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing and Jonesboro, Ark. school shooting, heroin addiction, child custody disputes, grieving the murder of a child, and the impact of inadequate treatment for the mentally ill on communities. 8/91-11/91: Associate Editor, Austin Texas Magazine. Assigned, edited, sharpened editorial focus and helped create departments for planned city magazine never published due to lack of funding and local economic downturn. Worked with freelance writers. Loved working as an editor – lead to teaching. 2/91-8/91: Associate Editor, Texas Medicine Magazine, Associate editor. Wrote cover stories and edited law and medical economics departments, supervised work of freelance writers, at association monthly magazine for the Texas Medical Association, AMA affiliate. 6/87-9/90: Lifestyle Feature Writer, The Austin American-Statesman. Conceived, researched and wrote magazine-style feature stories long and short on wide range of human-interest topics for the cover of the Sunday “Lifestyle” section. Specialized in profiles, social trends, psychological health issues and personal essays and the offbeat text equivalent of “wild art.” 1980 – 1982: Various freelance writing positions. Wrote feature articles for an alternative Houston arts magazine, The Austin Chronicle and The Daily Texan, the award-winning student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin. EDUCATION: Masters of Art degree in American Studies, an interdisciplinary American history and literature program, May 1999, The University of Texas at Austin. Specialized in American journalism and social work. Areas of research: Coverage of social and mental health issues in mass magazines, Sixties Counterculture and the rise of the alternative press, social history and documentary techniques. Summer 1996: Researcher/Interviewer for domestic violence project funded by The U.S. Department of Justice and conducted at The University of Texas at Austin Center for Social Work Research. Completed 18 graduate hours in Social Work: "Social Problems and Social Welfare Policy," "Dynamics of Organizations and Communities," Cultural Diversity," "Social Work Research," Interventions with Families" and "Dynamics of Individuals and Families." Completed 18 graduate hours in Journalism/American Literature: "Documentary Expressions," "Journalists Who Became Novelists," "Literary Journalism," "Oral History as Journalism," "Media Ethics," and "Narrative Storytelling." Bachelor of Journalism, Magazine Sequence, May 1984, The University of Texas at Austin. Scholarship recipient as undergraduate: Jesse H. Jones, College of Communications, UT 1982 - 1984; Society of Professional Journalists, local chapter, 1983; LULAC 1977. Earned GED. Got on Dean's List first semester at Houston Community College. Earned more than 30 undergraduate hours before transferring to UT's Austin's Plan II Honors program. 1984 Dance Critic Fellow, Duke University's 50th American Dance Festival.
1981-1982: University of Texas at Austin Telephone Counseling and Referral Service. Telephone Counselor at 24/7 Crisis Hotline for UT Austin students. Counseled callers dealing with variety of concerns, including thoughts of suicide, depression, anorexic-bulimia, sexual orientation, overbearing pressure from parents to succeed in college, but mostly, feelings of isolation and confusion about love and definition of the self. Made appropriate referrals. Weekly supervision and staff meetings helped me gain awareness of my affect and perfect ability to express empathy and gain trust. 1980-1981: Family Connection, Inc./Houston Metropolitan Ministries. Houston, Tx. Youth Counselor. Worked one year full-time in crisis intervention at 24/7 halfway house for runaways from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Case load typically five youngsters all under age 17. As a non-judgmental advocate, helped them explore options using "reality therapy" approach. Worked with family counselor to help youth return home. If that was not an option, placed youth in alternative independent living programs such as Wilderness Camp and Hope Center for Youth, and helped them enroll in GED and/or vocational studies. Shift work included cooking dinner for 15 teenagers, answering the hotline phone, facilitating group therapy, and breaking up fights between residents. Outstanding achievement: Soliciting donations such as free tickets to baseball games. Also, might have helped save a couple of kids.Worked with government agencies, including Texas Youth Commission and Harris County Child Welfare and the Houston Police Department to give street kids shelter. 1977-1978. Sanddollar, Inc. Houston, Tx. Youth Counselor for one-year full-time. Same job description as above. 1976-1977: YMCA, Houston, Tx. Taught dance at performing arts camp for economically disadvantaged African-American youth. MEMBER: Mediabistro.com Society of Professional Journalists, Austin Pro Chapter American Society of Journalists and Authors, exclusive New York-based advocacy organization that offers networking opportunities and professional development. Entry requirements include peer review, editor references, and professional publishing track record. Active member since 1999; served on several committees, including mentoring, Editor-Writer Liaison, Publications (newsletter and web) and on 2002 conference committee.
TALKS & WORKSHOPS and the like: Nonfiction reader/panelist, Nebraska Arts Council writing fellowship, 2009. Panelist, "Freelance Writing: Tales from the Front," Writers' League of Texas, September, 2008. Speaker, "Voter Education and Merchandising the Hip-Hop Way," at Center for Black Business History, Entrepreneurship and Technology at UT Austin, October, 2005. Speaker, Barnes & Noble, Westlake. Writers’ League of Texas. Summer 2002. “Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Feature Writing and Freelancing.” Moderator and Organizer, “Breaking Into Magazines Is Hard to Do But Not Impossible, ” MC at Writers-Reading Book Tent, Texas Book Festival, 2001. Panelist, “What Do Women Magazine Editors Want?” American Society of Journalists and Authors Annual Conference, New York City, Grand Central Hyatt, May, 2001. Panelist, “Women Writing Creative Nonfiction,” “The Art of the Interview and the Elusive Truth” and “How to Stick to the Truth: The Ethics of Creative Nonfiction.” Exploring the Creative In Nonfiction, Texas Writers’ League Conference, Austin, Texas, March, 2001. Speaker. “Race, Class and Gender Issues in the Newsroom,” Professor George Sylvie’s University of Texas Senior Journalism class on “Minorities and the Media.” Fall 2000, Fall 2001. Panelist, “Media Ethics” at The Pulitzer Series Seminar, sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, Austin Pro Chapter, The University of Texas School of Journalism, Spring 1998. Local SPJ chapter activities: Mentored feature writers from small town newspapers during workshops and coordinated fund-raiser for Freedom of Information Act during 3-day National Writers’ Workshop for professionals presented by several major Texas newspapers at Austin Hyatt Hotel. 1999 Austin Writers’ League. Taught two-12 week magazine writing workshops “Breaking Into Magazines Is Hard To Do.” Various talks on the writing process and breaking into freelance journalism to a variety of groups including elementary students, high school journalism classes, Daily Texan staffers, Society of Professional Journalists, UT Journalism Student Division classes.
REFERENCES: Enthusiastic. Available upon request. |
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