Selected Writing Samples

Past Projects and Experience

  • Centre College

    One of my regular clients is Centre College, an impressive little powerhouse of a liberal arts college in Kentucky. I have been fortunate to work on several projects for Centre, including:

    Fossick Studio

    Fossick Studio is a woman-owned sustainable design studio dedicated to reducing textile waste and showcasing the potential of new materials. I have worked with the Head Designer on several projects, including:

    • Building a line sheet for wholesale clients

    • Designing collateral for markets and events

    • Developing proposals for local, state, and federal government programs.

    Confidential Client

    • In June 2025, I worked with a prominent scientist and higher education leader to prepare the commencement address for a leading university in the United States

  • As a Senior Development Officer in the Development Communications Team, I delivered multiple projects aimed at enhancing donor engagement and expressing gratitude to major donors, including:

    • Stewardship communications to individual donors and foundations reporting on the impact of philanthropic gifts in the areas of:

      • Infection Prevention Measures

      • Advances in the Management and Treatment of Diabetes

      • Prostate Cancer Screening, Treatment, and Research

      • The Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment of Long COVID

      • The Study and Treatment of Heart Disease, Lipoprotein Disorders, and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine

      • Child Behavioral Health and Science research

      • New Advances in Retinal Neurodegeneration prevention

      • Early Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention

      • Exposomic Medicine and Environmental Health

      • Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Gaucher’s Disease research

      • Advances in Cognitive Neuroscience research

      • Progress on Institutional Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Initiatives

      • Parkinson’s Disease – Early Risk Detection, Mechanisms of Progression, Genetic Testing and Counselling, and current clinical trials

      • Advances in Emergency Medicine

      • Updates on major Capital Projects, including the Tisch Cancer Hospital

      • Research and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at Mount Sinai

    • Leadership Communications, including drafting correspondence for the Chief Executive Officer, the Dean of Medicine, and the Vice President of Development to members of the Board of Trustees and VIP donors:

      • Significant institutional and faculty accomplishments

      • Special correspondence, including congratulatory messages, condolence notes, and expressions of gratitude.

      • Updates on recipients of endowed annual research prizes and awards.

    • Draft Board resolutions.

    • Biographies, award descriptions, and institutional history for event materials, including the annual convocation program.

    • Stewardship strategy for endowed professorships and funds, planned giving, and trustees.

    • Enhancing team project management and timelines, including redesign of the team’s SmartSheet project tracker, incorporating automation, timed reminders, and improved data reporting.

  • ‍For more than seven years, I led writing, research, and special projects in the Office of the President at the University of Chicago. These projects spanned the breadth of the UChicago enterprise and its vast community of faculty, scientists, clinicians, professional staff, students, alumni, and the University’s neighbors and partners on Chicago’s South Side. A sample of the projects I completed in this role is provided below:

    ‍
    Speechwriting and Executive Communications

    • Welcome remarks for key members of University of Chicago Leadership, including the President, Provost, Executive Vice President, Vice Presidents, and Chief of Staff, for dozens of events, including with such organizations as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Brookings Institution, Teach for America, the Consular Corps, and more. (2015-2022)

    • President’s Convocation Opening and Closing Address (2016-2022)

    • ‍President’s College Convocation Welcome Address (2016-2022)

    • ‍Welcome and Closing Remarks – Annual Nora and Edward Ryerson Lecture (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)

    • President’s Fall Welcome Message (2016-2022)

    • Honorands Dinner and Reception – EVP and President’s remarks (2016-2022)

    • ‍President’s Address – Martin Luther King Commemoration and Diversity Leadership Awards (2016-2022)

    • President’s State of the University Address to the Annual Meeting of the University Senate (2016-2021)

    • President’s Welcome Remarks – Annual Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin Family Lecture to the Division of the Humanities (2016-2022)

    • University of Chicago Annual Report – President’s Introduction (2016-2022)

    • President’s remarks – Professional Services Symposium (2015-2022)

    • President’s remarks – Alice Chandler Staff Service Recognition Ceremony (2015-2022)

    • ‍President’s Address – Opening of the Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago Academic Complex and The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong. (2018)

    • ‍President’s Welcome Remarks – Green Line Performing Arts Center Grand Opening (November 2018)

    • ‍President’s Welcome Remarks – Keller Center dedication ceremony (July 2019)

    • ‍President’s Welcome and Closing Remarks – Celebrating Hanna Holborn Gray Symposium (2020)

    • ‍President’s Welcome Remarks – Chicago Quantum Summit (2020)

    • ‍President’s Virtual Convocation Address (2020)

    • ‍Provost’s Virtual Convocation Address (2020)

    • ‍Inaugural Address – President Paul Alivisatos (Oct 2021)

    • ‍President Zimmer’s Plenary Remarks – Global Forum of University Presidents and 110th anniversary of the founding of Tsinghua University (April, 2021)

    • ‍President Zimmer’s Welcome Remarks - Immunoengineering 2021, hosted by the Chicago Immunoengineering Center of the University of Chicago (June 2021)

    • ‍Argonne National Laboratory 75th Anniversary Celebration – Congratulatory Video Message (July 2021)

    • ‍President’s and Chancellor’s Addresses – Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering 10th Anniversary Celebration (2021)

    • President’s and Chancellor and President Emeritus’s Addresses – Hugo Sonnenschein Memorial Service (April 2022)

    • ‍President’s Remarks – Opening of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business London Campus (April 2022)


    University Messages and Announcements

    • Briefing papers on visiting dignitaries, VIP meetings, forthcoming events, and key members of the faculty and staff.

    • Presidential correspondence – invitation letters to VIPs, congratulatory messages, condolence notes, and expressions of gratitude.

    • ‍Member of the Major Announcements planning group

    • ‍Author/editor/reviewer of dozens of presidential messages and announcements to the University of Chicago community and external audiences.


    Board of Trustees

    • Design, writing, and editing of three books for the Board of Trustee retreat, outlining key achievements from the previous two years and detailing the president’s strategic vision for the years to come

    • Drafted memos from the President to the Board of Trustees on such subjects as:

      • The University’s historic commitment to diversity and inclusion

      • President Zimmer’s accolades and achievements at the end of his tenure

      • The first successful back-to-back triple organ transplant (heart, lung, and kidney), performed at UChicago Medicine

    • Research and writing for University Trustees and Trustees Emeritus


    Philanthropy and Donor Engagement

    • ‍Led a project to develop a gift book for a major donor, including soliciting contributions from five separate institutions, drafting university contributions, overseeing design, managing budget, and securing leadership approval

    • Researched naming opportunities for academic schools and departments

    • Developed copy for proposals, such as the University of Chicago Centre in Paris donor materials

    • Identified potential candidates for new Board of Trustee members based on expertise, board service, and philanthropic engagement

    • Compiled historical information about the founding and early years of the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice for donor proposals


    Editing and Publishing

    • ‍Williams College Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Evaluation Report (editor)

    • ‍Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement Submission (co-writer and editor)

    • ‍Group Actions in Ergodic Theory, Geometry, and Topology – selected papers by Robert J. Zimmer (sourced materials, secured rights and permissions, acted as liaison between President Zimmer, co-authors, and UChicago Press)

    ‍
    External Reports and Proposals

    • The University of Chicago’s Neighborhood Economic Development Strategy (Memo to Mayor Lori Lightfoot)

    • ‍The University of Chicago’s Commitment to Public Education (Memo to Mayor Lori Lightfoot)

    • ‍Illinois Innovation Corridor – Proposal to Governor of Illinois (writer)


    Website Development and Management

    • Managed the Office of the President website for 5 years, first in Drupal and then Sitecore CMS, including:

      • ‍Review, addition, and dissemination of major announcements

      • ‍Working with Deans, Vice Presidents, and Affiliated Laboratory Directors to develop and update their biographies

      • ‍Partnered with the Office of Communications Team on design, website metrics, and ensuring the website’s ADA compliance.

    • Oversaw revamp of the president’s site and development of a site for the Chancellor, Robert J. Zimmer, (the project was discontinued due to the Chancellor’s health)

    • ‍Research, development, and design of the UChicago Freedom of Expression website

    • Managed the University’s organizational chart in consultation with Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff

    • Updated and monitored both presidents’ Wikipedia pages as needed

    • ‍Monitored news and social media for potential reputation issues

    Other Projects and Initiatives

    • ‍My Very Own Library – Youth Literacy Program (literature review, research on comparable programs and potential spokespersons, drafting and editing fundraising materials and other materials for book fairs and donor events)

    • Internal Discussion Paper on Sports-Related Concussion and Longitudinal Studies on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

    • ‍Internal Discussion Paper on the impact of Sputnik on the National Defense Education Act and related initiatives

    • Presidential Inauguration Planning & Communications Working Group

    • Dimensions of Citizenship, the U.S. Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale: foreword by Presidents Robert Zimmer and Elissa Tenny of SAIC (co-writer)


    ‍The University’s COVID Response

    • ‍Daily monitoring of media and peer institutions for information to inform policy changes at UChicago

    • Created a matrix of intersecting and conflicting requirements at the Federal, State, and Local level for the President and his cabinet.

    • One of three senior staff charged with managing faculty and staff inquires on COVID policies and the University’s response

    • ‍Reviewed and Edited Vice Presidents’ Business Continuity Plans, encompassing every department and division) compiling into a single volume outlining the University’s COVID readiness

    • Drafted institutional messages for the President, Executive Vice President, and Provost.

    • Developed job descriptions for COVID Testing Staff and vetted applicants for the roles.


    News Stories

    ‍
    Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom

    ‍
    Institutional History

    • Timeline of Architecture, Art, and Urban Design at the University

    • Background research to vet noted past faculty members for capital naming opportunities

    • Timeline of UChicago Law School

    • History of John Dewey and the Establishment of UChicago Laboratory Schools for the Dewey Centennial Celebration

    • History of the Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research (LASR)

    • History of the Atomic Scientists and the Manhattan Project

    • Comprehensive History of Convocation Speakers at the University of Chicago

    ‍
    Event Planning

    • ‍Inauguration of President Paul Alivisatos – Event Planning Committee and Communications Planning Committee

    • Hannah Holborn Gray Symposium

    • Retreat of the Board of Trustees (2015-2022)

    • Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering 10th Anniversary – Communications Planning

    • Australia-UK Free Expression Conference

    • Planning support for student-led National High Schools Free Speech Conference

    • Rubenstein Forum – opening ceremony and panel discussion remarks