Curriculum Vitae


Bobby James Kuechenmeister
Department of English Language and Literature
Mailstop 126
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH 43606
Telephone: (567) 249-7561
Email: bobby.kuechenmeister@utoledo.edu
Site: http://bkueche.blogspot.com/


Education
June 2011
Doctorate of Philosophy
Area: Rhetoric and Writing
Bowling Green State University



Dissertation. Department of English, 2011. “Answering the Call of Duty: Composition Pedagogy Problems, Multimodal Solutions, and Gaming Literacies.” With Professors Kristine L. Blair (Chair), Richard Gebhardt, Lance Massey, and Tim Messer-Kruse. The dissertation closely examines common problems writing teachers experience within first-year composition classrooms and offers solutions to problems such as student apathy toward college writing courses, conflicting expectations between student and instructor, and handbook reference materials.

May 2007
Master of the Arts
Texas A&M University
May 2005
Bachelor of the Arts
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire



Publications and Presentations
Books
·      Call of Duty and the Composition Classroom. Under contract at McFarland.
The manuscript presents a writing pedagogy based on gaming that is appropriate for college-level classrooms using Call of Duty games as case study examples. The manuscript consists of rhetorical analyses of gameplay elements, mechanics, and innovations introduced in each main installment of the Call of Duty series of video game with special attention toward understanding how players learn how to play and become better at playing Call of Duty. The manuscript establishes a practical relationship between playing and writing as well as student and player, but also shows writing teachers how to adapt and incorporate gaming pedagogy elements into their college classrooms across ten chapters.

Articles
·      “Superman’s America: Audience, Reception, and President Lex.” Astra: UW-Eau Claire McNair Scholars Journal Vol. 5 (2005).

Chapters
·      “The Quest of Lois: From Lois Lane to Mrs. Superman in Comics (1986-1996).” Accepted into an upcoming collection titled Being Lois published by Scarecrow Press (2012).

Reviews

Presentations
·      “Building a Literacy: Video Game Tutorials, Rhetorical Structures, and Scaffolding in Writing Classrooms.” National PCA/ACA Annual Meeting. Boston, 2012.
·      “Answering the Call of Duty: Video Games as Virtual Spaces.” Computers and Writing. West Lafayette, 2010.

·      “Composing in Castlevania: A Process Look at Playing Video Games.” Conference on College Composition and Communication. San Francisco, 2009.

·      “Composing in Second Life: Avatars, Multiliteracies, and Remediations. Thomas R. Watson Biennial Conference. Louisville, 2008.

·      “Community, Rhetoric, and Poetics in Superman: Birthright.” National PCA/ACA Annual Meeting. San Francisco, 2008.

Teaching
Adjunct
Owens Community College
·      English 111: Composition I. Spring 2013.
As the first freshman composition course in a required two-course writing sequence, Composition I calls attention toward writing as a process and as a persuasive action, but also as a response to rhetorical situations in argument form. Students work with four papers covering topics such as Proposing a Solution, Arguing for a Position with Sources, Analyzing Causes, and Evaluation. I successfully implement Google Sites as an alternative course management software and Google Docs (Drive) as an electronic portfolio system for commenting and grading purposes.

·      English 112: Composition II. Fall 2012.
As the second freshman composition course in a required two-course writing sequence, Composition II introduces students to source synthesis while continuing to call attention to writing as process and as persuasive action, but attention is also given toward understanding relationships between writing and literacy. Students work with three papers covering new topics such as a Critique and two Multiple Source Essays. I successfully implement Google Sites as an alternative course management software and Google Docs (Drive) for electronic commenting and grading.

Visiting Instructor
University of Toledo
·      English 1140: Writing the Community. Spring 2013.
As the second freshman composition course in a required two-course writing sequence, Composition II calls attention toward issues related with community as a theme, which includes discussions about how communities are created, maintained, expanded, changed, and imagined while incorporating the instructor’s research interests. Special attention is given toward learning how to play and playing a collectible card game like Magic: The Gathering as a community and each project involves exploring gaming elements and writing about them in a traditional paper format. Students work with four projects independently including a Booster Draft (hypothesis creation), Deck Usability (usability testing), Card Critique (evaluation), and Deck Analysis (justifying an evaluation). I successfully implement Google Sites as an alternative course management software and Google Docs (Drive) as an electronic portfolio system for commenting and grading purposes.

·      English 2950: Scientific and Technical Writing. Spring 2012-Present.
As a lower division offering, Scientific and Technical Writing introduces students to technical writing as a unique writing genre capable of adapting to multiple audiences serving multiple purposes, but special attention is given toward learning and applying document design principles such as emphasis, contrast, and arrangement. Students work with four projects independently including a Memo, a Description, a set of Instructions, and collaboratively on a Proposal. I successfully implement Google Sites as an alternative course management software and Google Docs (Drive) as an electronic portfolio system for commenting and grading purposes.

·      English 1150: Language and Identity. Spring 2012.
As the second freshman composition course in a required two-course writing sequence, Composition II calls attention toward issues related with language and identity, which includes discussions about race, gender, inequality, and religious difference within our society. Students work with four papers including a Critique, two Multiple Source Essays, and a Research Essay. I successfully implement Google Sites as an alternative course management software and Google Docs as an electronic portfolio system for commenting and grading purposes.

·      English 1110: Composition I. Fall 2011-Present.
As the first freshman composition course in a required two-course writing sequence, Composition I calls attention toward writing as a process and as a persuasive action, but also as a response to rhetorical situations in argument form. Students work with four papers covering topics such as Observation, Arguing for a Position with Sources, Analyzing Causes, and Evaluation. I successfully implement Google Sites as an alternative course management software and Google Docs as an electronic portfolio system for commenting and grading purposes.

Graduate Teaching Assistant
Bowling Green State University
·      English 2070: Intermediate Composition. Fall 2010.
As a lower division offering, Intermediate Composition focuses upon understanding multimodal composition as writing with sound, text, image, or any combination of the three genres, but special attention is given toward identifying and applying rhetorical strategies to communicate within those writing genres. Students work with four projects covering topics such as Aural, Textual, Visual, and Multimodal writing. I successfully offer a high-tech and a low-tech option to complete each project.

·      General Studies Writing 1120: Academic Writing. Spring 2008-Spring 2011.
As the second freshman composition course in a required two-course writing sequence, Academic Writing introduces students to source synthesis while continuing to call attention to writing as process and as persuasive action, but attention is also given toward understanding relationships between writing and literacy. Students work with four papers covering new topics such as a Critique, two Multiple Source Essays, and a Research Essay. I successfully implement Google Sites as an alternative course management software and Google Docs for electronic commenting and grading.

·      General Studies Writing 1110: Introduction to Academic Writing. Fall 2007-Fall 2011.
As the first freshman composition course in a required two-course writing sequence, Introduction to Academic Writing calls attention toward writing as a process and as a persuasive action, but also as a response to rhetorical situations in argument form. Students work with five papers covering topics such as Observation, Arguing for a Position with Sources, Analyzing Causes, Analyzing Texts, and Evaluation. I successfully write and provide students with a strategy guide to the course based on previous students’ experience and examples from their papers.

Graduate Teaching Assistant
Texas A&M University
·      English 104: Composition and Rhetoric. Department of English. Fall 2006-Spring 2007.
As an introductory composition course, Composition and Rhetoric emphasized relationships between literacy and writing with special attention toward understanding writing as process, and an activity encouraging inquiry, reflection, and change. Students worked with four writing projects covering topics such as analyzing visual rhetoric, writing about the past, argument, and writing about literature.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
·      Romanticism. With Professor Joel Pace. Department of English. Spring 2005.
Constructively evaluate papers for 30 undergraduates in this lower division offering. Lead and participate in class discussions and provide technical assistance to instructors at all meetings.

·      The Novel. With Professor Elizabeth Preston. Department of English. Fall 2004.
Lead classroom discussion, supplement lectures with pertinent material, and assist instructor by reading and providing constructive feedback on student papers.

·      Introduction to College Writing. With Professor Dennis G. Jerz. Department of English. Fall 2003.
Direct students in the use of Microsoft FrontPage and other web development tools and assist instructor by reading and providing constructive feedback on student papers.

Grants
Project Grants
$1500
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, UW-Eau Claire
To invite English Festival Keynote Speaker: Derrick Brown (2005)



$5100
U.S. Department of Education
To research “Superman’s America: Audience, Reception, and President Lex” (2004)



$1000
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, UW-Eau Claire
To invite English Festival Keynote Speaker: Ron Marz (2004)



$2000
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, UW-Eau Claire
To research “Advertisements, Comics, and Wars: Green Lantern in the Late 20th Century” (2004)
Travel Grants
$400
English Department, Texas A&M University
To present “Superman’s America: History, Reception, and Imperiex” at the National PCA/ACA Conference, Boston (2007).



$400
English Department, Texas A&M University
To present “Community, Rhetoric, and Poetics in Superman: Birthright” at the UW-Eau Claire English Festival, Eau Claire (2006).



$500
English Department, Texas A&M University
To present “Audience, Reception, and President Lex” at the National PCA/ACA Conference, Atlanta (2006).



$550
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs / Department of English, UW-Eau Claire
To present “Advertisements, Comics, and Wars: Green Lantern in the Late 20th Century” at the National PCA/ACA Conference, San Diego (2005).



$550
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs / Department of English, UW-Eau Claire
To present “Christ, Anti-Christ, or Superhero: Green Lantern Through the Looking Glass” at the National PCA/ACA Conference, San Antonio (2004).



$500
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs / Department of English, UW-Eau Claire
To present “Towards a New Definition of Tragedy” at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu (2003).



Service
Bowling Green State University
·      Technology Consultant. Writing Center. 2009.
Responsibilities included successfully implementing Google Wave on a pilot project basis to provide online individual assistance with different writing assignments, training writing consultants to use Google Wave features in student consultations, writing a training manual for future writing consultants working with Google Wave, and recruiting student volunteers for participating in the pilot project.

·      Co-Coordinator. Post-Prelim Group. 2010.
Served as a co-coordinator in a group providing resources and support to fellow PhD students transitioning from prelims into dissertation work.

·      Writing Consultant. Writing Center. 2009.
Responsibilities included providing students with individual assistance on various writing assignments in offline and online environments, working with Writing Center Director, staff, and fellow consultants for continuous training, and proposing innovative ideas to enhance current writing center services.

·      Literacy Narrative Facilitator. 2009.
Assisted Dr. Kris Blair with recording literacy narratives from members in the Rhetoric and Writing community for the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives (DALN) at The Ohio State University. Responsibilities included operating recording equipment, guiding participants through recording steps, and collecting completed release forms from participants.

·      Program Assistant. Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. 2008.
Responsibilities included designing promotional materials including a brochure, newsletter, and website; working closely with McNair Scholars toward successful graduate student preparation; lead classroom discussion, develop lessons and assignments, select readings for discussion in a short introductory course about scholarly and technical writing.

Texas A&M University
·      Electronic Library Contributor. Writing Programs Office. Spring 2007.
Assisted with the development of an optional assignment for Introduction to Literature students involving graphic novels. Responsibilities included providing sample resources such as lesson plans, evaluative assignments, and handouts on teaching with graphic novels along with a list of titles for consideration.

·      English Department Representative. Graduate Student Council. 2006-2007.
Responsibilities included attending monthly meetings, reading distributed materials, voting on proposals, and maintaining contact with fellow English graduate students.

·      Grant Reader. English Graduate Student Association. 2006.
Served as a grant reader with two other graduate students. Responsibilities included reading internal travel grant submissions from PhD students to the organization, deliberating with fellow grant readers about selection, and determining appropriate distribution of available funds.

·      Webmaster. Discourse Studies Student Association. 2006.
Served as a graduate student representative on a departmental committee dedicated to improving the Discourse Studies web presence. Responsibilities included analyzing design aspects, performing routine maintenance, and adding new content to the Discourse Studies web pages.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
English Festival.
The English Festival is an annual week-long conference—one of the largest student-run English conferences in the United States—celebrating topics within English, interdisciplinary areas, and performance arts. Each year the English Festival assumes a different theme. Over 10,000 persons attended the 2004 event that offered over 100 presentations on a variety of topics.

·      Lead Organizer. Department of English, 2003-2005.
As chief student manager of the event, responsibilities included coordinating seven standing committees that design and implement the offering of presentations and performances, generate and oversee event budget, plan and enact promotional schedule for the event, direct an outreach to the schools initiative, review submitted proposals, arrange facility and other infrastructure supports, and edit and distribute conference proceedings.

·      Travel Committee Chair. Department of English, 2003-2005.
Supervised team of six students to plan and execute outreach to the schools initiative. Conference presenters visit Eau Claire’s three middle and two high schools to provide pre-college students an understanding of just how “cool” English can be. Emphasizes popular culture lectures, analyses of film, and multimedia/experimental presentations.

·      Fundraising Committee Chair. Department of English, 2003-2004.
Supervised a six-student committee responsible for raising funds to meet costs of conference proceedings, publicity printing, and other incidental costs. Fundraising efforts included selling advertising, split-the-door promotions, and solicitation of in-kind donations. $600 in direct funds raised; in-kind donations value equals over $1000.

·      Print Committee Chair. Department of English, 2003-2004.
Chaired a twelve-student committee that creates conference program and edits conference proceedings that include over 100 descriptions of presentations. Conference proceedings published in print and electronic formats.

·      Webmaster. Department of English, 2002-2003. Created template and maintained a multi-purpose website that advertised the conference to the campus community and general public, but also functioned as an interactive message board and archive for 30-member conference staff.

Memberships
·      Modern Language Association
·      National Council for the Teachers of English