Mary Beth Simmons, M.F.A. 

Director of the Writing Center

210 Falvey Library

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 19085

610.519.5358

                                                              

 EDUCATION

 

 1992-1996       M.F.A., The University of Iowa

The Program in Non-Fiction Writing

Thesis: “Moments of Intimacy” : A collection of personal essays examining my two years in Cameroon, West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer.  Directed by Carol de Saint Victor, The University of Iowa

 

1984-1988       B.A., The University of Iowa

                            English major/Women’s Studies minor

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Personal Essays

 

*      “Readers Write: Idealism,” The Sun, December 2003

*      “Readers Write: Laughter,” The Sun, November 2003

*      “Readers Write: Excuses,” The Sun, October 2003

*      “From St. Augustine Confessing to Dr. Dave Sinning: Teaching Nontraditional Texts in the Tutor Training Course,” The      
   Dangling Modifier, Volume 9, Number 2, www.ulc.psu.edu/Dangling_Modifier/articles/2003- spring-st_augustine.htm

*      “Readers Write: Debt,” The Sun, October 2001

*      “How We Talk about the Servants: Isak Dinesen and Her Farah, Me and My Habra,” Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
   Writers and Readers, http://www.peacecorpswriters.org/pages/1999/9909/99wriwrihab.html, October 1999

*      “Family Myths,” Carver, Spring 1999

*      “Readers Write: The Laundromat,” The Sun, March 1998

*      “Moments of Intimacy,” The Journal of African Travel-Writing, Spring 1997

*      “The Cry-Die,” Worldview, Winter 1996-97

*      “Flat Coke with Ice,” Sonora Review, Spring 1996

*      “The Corner Store,” The Sun, January 1996

*      “Personal Writing and the ESL Student,” ERIC, September 1995, ED 402612

*      “Agnes’ Hoof Soup,” Chile Pepper, June 1995

*      “Window,” 100 Words, Spring 1995

*      “The Road to Doukoula,” Escape, Winter 1995, reprinted in To Touch the World: The Peace Corps Experience, ed. John 
   Coyne, U.S. Government Publication

*      “Women at the Well” and “Lunch at Chaya’s,” SHE travels, Summer 1994, reprinted in Traveler’s Tales: A Woman’s World,
   ed. Marybeth Bond, O’Reilly and Associates, San Francisco.  (Now it it’s sixth printing and winner of the 1995 Lowell
   Thomas Award for Best Travel Book.)

 

Op-Eds

 

*      “Peace Corps Volunteer Remembers,” The Times Herald, Friday, February 28, 2003

 

Book Reviews

 

*      Arturo Perez-Reverte’s The Club Dumas, “The Inquirer Book Club,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 9,  
 2000

*      Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, “The Inquirer Book Club,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 27, 
 2000

 

 TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 

 Fall 2000-present   Director of the Writing Center: Villanova University, supervising

                                      10 graduate students and 40 undergraduates.

 

                                     The Personal, Political and Theoretical: Nature and Environmental

                                     Writing: Villanova University, an upper-division English course.

 

                                     Advanced Expository Writing: Villanova University, an upper-division English course.

 

                                    Creative Writing: The Memoir: Villanova University, a graduate-level course in the
                                    Graduate Liberal Studies Program. 

 

                                    Tutoring Writers: Villanova University, an upper-division English

                                    course that prepares students to work in the University Writing

                                    Center.

 

                                    Augustine and Culture Seminar: Villanova University, a two-semester

                                    Freshmen seminar covering texts from the 1) Ancient, Medieval &

                                    Renaissance period and 2) Early Modern period to present day. 

 

                                    The Literary Experience: Villanova University, an introductory

                                    literary criticism course.

 

Summer 2000        The Writer’s Institute: Susquehanna University, instructor

                                    in a one week “writer’s camp” for talented high school students

                                    from across the U.S.

 

Fall 1996-Spring     Honors Composition: Bloomsburg University, instructor in

2000                            advanced course for Honors Program students.

 

                                    Creative Writing/Nonfiction: Bloomsburg University, instructor

                                    in a writing workshop course for upper-level undergraduates.

 

                                    Creative Writing/ Poetry: Bloomsburg University, instructor in a

                                    writing workshop course for upper-level undergraduates.

 

                                    Writing Center: Bloomsburg University, interim Director, 

                                    supervising twelve student tutors, Fall 1998.

 

                                    Composition & Literature: Bloomsburg University, instructor of

                                    lower-level and research based writing and literature course.

 

                                    Writing Nonfiction: Susquehanna University, lecturer in writing

                                    workshop course for undergraduates, Spring 1999.

 

                                    Song of Solomon Mini-Course: Bloomsburg University, co-taught

                                    course for Extended Programs, Spring 1997. 

 

                                    English: Pennsylvania State University/Hazleton Campus, lecturer

                                    of lower-level and research based writing classes, Fall 1997 and

                                    Spring 1998.

 

                                    Creative Writing: Phillips Emporium, Bloomsburg, PA., instructor

                                    for young adult and adult writing classes, Fall 1997 and Spring 1998.

 

Summer 1996         Non-fiction Writing: University of Iowa Arts & Crafts, instructor in

                                    evening, non-credit writing course.

 

Fall 1992-                 Non-fiction Writing: University of Iowa, English graduate

Spring 1996             instructor in writing course for upper-level undergraduate

                                    students.

 

                                    Writing Lab: University of Iowa, instructor in an individualized,

                                    semester-length course for undergraduate and graduate students.

                                   

                                    Rhetoric and Accelerated Rhetoric: University of Iowa, graduate

                                    instructor in participation-intensive courses for all levels of

                                    undergraduate students.

 

1989-1991               English as a Second Language: Doukoula Government High

                                    School, Doukoula, Cameroon, West Africa.  Instructor and Head of

                                    English Department.  (Peace Corps)

 

 

PRESENTATIONS

 

“Dizzy about Disney: Why are the Brits Goofy about Disneyworld?” Paper presented at

            The Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association Conference, Wilmington,

            Delaware, November 2003.

 

“Are You Talking to Me? : When Tutors Talk Back to the Director,” Panel presentation

            with three Villanova University tutors at a meeting of the International Writing

            Centers Association and the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing,

            Hershey, Pennsylvania, October 2003.

 

“St. Augustine Confessing to Dr. Dave Sinning,” Paper presented at the 15th Annual Mid-

            Atlantic Writing Centers Association Meeting,” McDaniel College, April 2003.

           

“The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love: Volunteering in the Peace Corps or Habitat for

Humanity,” Villanova University, Core Humanities Seminar Colloquia, February 19,

2002.

 

“Getting the Word Out: PR Hits and Misses in the Villanova Writing Center,” Panel

presentation with six Villanova University tutors at the 18th Annual National

              Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, Muhlenberg College, November 2001.

 

“We’re not in Kansas (or Nebraska) Anymore: Early 20th Century Narratives of Osa Johnson and Nettie Fowler Dietz,” Paper presented at The Poetics of Space Conferences, Binghamton University, March 2000.

 

“How We Talk about Our Servants: Isak Dinesen and Her Farah, Me and My Habra,”

            Paper presented at Writing the Journey: A Conference of Anglophone Travel

            Writers and Writing, The University of Pennsylvania, June 1999.

 

“Trying to Reach the Boy in the Back Row,” Paper presented at The English Association

            of the Pennsylvania State Universities, Indiana University, Indiana, Pennsylvania,

            October 1998.

 

“When Truth and Fiction Merge: One Essayist’s Dilemma,” Paper presented at The English

            Association of the Pennsylvania State Universities, Shippensburg University,

            Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, November 1997.

 

“Personal Writing and the ESL Student,” Paper presented at The Second International

            Writing Centers Conference, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, Missouri,

            September 1995.  (Paper is now located on ERIC.)

 

 

PUBLIC READINGS

 

“Reading in Africa,” Falvey Library, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, October

            8, 2003.

 

 “The Laundromat” and “The Corner Store,” Phillips Emporium, Bloomsburg,

            Pennsylvania, November 1997.

 

  UNIVERSITY SERVICE

 

 

Fall 2000-present    Rubric Committee: Co-Chair, Villanova University

                                     Portfolio Committee: Chair, Villanova University

 

                                     Core Curriculum Writing Committee: Villanova University

 

                                     Academic Integrity Committee: Villanova University

 

Fall 1996-                 Sigma Tau Delta Co-Advisor: Bloomsburg University

Spring 2000

                                    Renaissance Search Committee: Bloomsburg University

                                   

                                    Freshmen Writing Assessment Committee: Bloomsburg

                                    University

 

                                    Richard Savage Poetry Award: Bloomsburg University,

                                    Participant on judges’ panel

 

                                    Women’s Studies Advisory Board: Bloomsburg University

 

                                    Promotion Committee: Bloomsburg University, Department of

                                    English

 

                                    Newcomers’ Network: Bloomsburg University, Presidential

                                    Committee in charge of welcoming new faculty to campus

 

                                    President’s Commission on the Status of Women: Bloomsburg

                                    University

 

                                    Writing Committee: Bloomsburg University, Department of

                                    English, Chair 1997-98

 

Fall 1995                  Professional Development Program Co-leader: University

                                    Of Iowa, Rhetoric Department.  With other graduate instructors and

                                    Rhetoric faculty, organized and implemented a four-day orientation

                                    seminar and semester-long training course for incoming Rhetoric

                                    instructors.

 

AWARDS

 

Spring 1998             Outstanding Women Celebration: Bloomsburg University,

       and                     nominated by colleague as an “outstanding woman” on campus.

Spring 1999

 

Spring 1996             Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, 1995-1996:

                                    University of Iowa, Council on Teaching. One of 25 campus-wide

                                    teaching assistants to win award for academic year.

 

 

CONSULTANT WORK

 

 Summer 1999         At War: The Battle for America’s Soul by Jeff Snyder: Worked with

                                    author on manuscript, provided organizational suggestions and

                                    editing.

 

 

VOLUNTEER WORK

 

Spring 2003-            Mainline Youth Alliance

present

 

Spring 1998-            Women’s Conference of Columbia/Montour Counties:

Spring 1999              Steering Committee member for March 1999 conference held at

                                     Bloomsburg University.

 

Winter 1997-           Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Columbia County, PA.

Spring 1999

 

Spring 1993-             Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Johnson County, IA.

Spring 1996

 

Spring 1989-             The United States Peace Corps

Fall 1991

 

 

TEACHING AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

 

Writing Center

Creative Writing: Non-Fiction

Nature and Environmental Writing

Travel Literature

Memoir/Autobiography

Composition