Busy TAA People: TAA member receives nine distinguished academic awards

TAA Member Thomas Luke, Ph.D., was granted nine distinguished Christian academic awards from Chaplains College School of Graduate Studies, seven of which are literary awards for his Ph.D. dissertation book, Invisible Wounds. He also graduated Valedictorian of his class with Summa Cum Laude distinction by earning the highest GPA of his 2023 class, which was a 4.0.

He was also conferred the rank and office of Distinguished Research Professor by the school’s board of regents and will continue his research and teach his curriculum to Ph.D. candidates at Chaplains College School of Graduate Studies and to its chaplains through the Chaplaincy Training Institute.

Exploring diversity in science textbooks

When Kathy Burleson, a senior lecturer of biology at Hamline University, was preparing to teach a course on the biology of women, she was surprised that she couldn’t find any images of the female muscular system to use for the class. “I got really curious about the discrepancies in how women’s and men’s bodies are portrayed across anatomy and physiology textbooks,” she said. To learn more, she embarked on a research project in 2016 with the goal of helping to close diversity gaps in STEM.“Textbook images tell us a story about science and who belongs in science,” she said. “My hope is that, informed from interviews and data, we can give textbook publishers something to think about.”

Why logging your writing is so powerful and how to do it

Have you ever noticed that pretty much any advice related to making progress suggests the same idea?

Track your progress.

  • If you want to lose weight, track your daily calories and weekly weight.
  • If you want to reach a financial goal, track your expenses.
    So, why shouldn’t we do the same when it comes to our academic writing?
  • If you want to finish your dissertation, grant proposal, manuscript, or book, track your writing.

The teacher learns from teaching in the anxiety zone

For too long I’d wallowed in my routine: first planted at my computer writing, then client manuscripts, eating, gym, tv-ing, sleeping, occasional grocery-getting, and back again. But I couldn’t deny an itch, a subtle pervasive sense of dissatisfaction.

It was time to leave my comfort cocoon.

The idea had been lurking for several months. Having published many writing how-to articles, I knew I had to teach a writing workshop.

2023 TAA Conference on Textbook & Academic Authoring opens mentoring sign up: Limited space available

Gain valuable advice and insight, get your questions answered, or just make a connection for when you need help in the future by signing up to meet with a mentor at the 2023 TAA Conference on Textbook & Academic Authoring, which will be held online June 9-10, 2023.

The deadline for signing up for mentoring is May 15. Limited slots are available and are offered on a first come, first-served basis, so don’t delay, register for the conference today!

Choose from nine different mentors for up to two 15-minute one-on-one discussions: