Streaming Thesis and Dissertation Support: Fall Workshops

            We here in the Thesis and Dissertation Office are very busy working on presentations and workshops for the month of October to help keep thesis writers and dissertators informed, on track, and motivated. On October 1^st from 2-4 pm in Adams 103, we will be offering a Dissertation Essentials presentation that benefits all dissertators no matter what field. If you are enrolled in 799 next semester or are looking to enroll next semester, come get guidance on the most daunting aspects of the dissertation process. You can also access the presentation online through our Facebook Live if you join our Facebook group (link below). https://www.facebook.com/groups/269163636879/

            October 2^nd, same time, same place, we’ll be hosting the same presentation specifically for thesis writers enrolled or enrolling in 699 which will also be available via Facebook Live if you’re not able to attend in person. October 3^rd from 4 – 5:30 pm, we’ll be discussing the submission process with ProQuest, the very last step before graduation. This presentation is available online only and participants will receive an Adobe Connect link to access the video after registering. October 8^th from 2 – 4 pm in Adams Hall 103 we’ll explain formatting tables, figures and pagination which will also be available online via Facebook Live. This can be tricky no matter how familiar you are with MS Word so make it easy on yourself by attending.

October 15^th 12 pm – 1 pm Adams Hall 103, we’ll tackle the issue of Writer’s Block and how to overcome it via a Facebook Live presentation. If you experience anxiety staring at a blank MS Word document this is a must. There isn’t a thesis or dissertation writer who doesn’t experience this stumbling block so come get advice from peers and the experienced writers in the office on how to work through it and come out better on the other side. October 17^th we’ll offer another Adobe Connect online only presentation discussing a Project-Management Approach to completing a thesis or dissertation to ensure you’re managing your time and resources well. Lastly, on Oct. 19^th at the NIU Naperville campus room 164, from 9 am – 2pm we’ll be giving a seminar for those of you writing a dissertation in Education. This presentation will only be available in person. There will be plenty of time for one-on-one inquiries as well.

To register for any of these events visit

https://www.niu.edu/grad/professional-development/workshops.shtml

https://www.niu.edu/grad/thesis/workshops-support.shtml  

A New GA Has Arrived!

Me having dinner before class.

Hello! My name is Augie Morado, and I am currently entering my fourth year of the PhD program in English. I take my field exams this month – next week to be precise – in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, and I look forward to assembling a committee and beginning my dissertation proposal.

I spent the first three years of the doctoral program, as well as the two years I did my MA, teaching in the First Year Composition program here at NIU. However, I found myself drawn to the Thesis Office largely due to my interest in support roles on campus. In addition to teaching writing here at NIU, I have also spent the last three years tutoring at Aurora University, working with students from the freshman to graduate levels. As a teacher and tutor moving to the Thesis Office, I feel that I bring a lot from my previous duties, and I hope to learn more about how this support role interacts with dissertating students, their committees, and other related staff.

My master’s thesis was a rhetorical analysis of greentext stories, short bulletpoint anecdotes shared anonymously on 4chan, and I would like to expand upon that in my dissertation. At the end of smy thesis, I wondered how the then-growing spread of greentext to more mainstream platforms like Facebook and Twitter would change the genre; I’m not sure the genre itself has changed, but the discourse communities that revolve around greentext have certainly become more visible by creating pages and groups on the topic, so I anticipate taking the dissertation in that direction.

Bella lounging after a long walk.

When I have downtime, I enjoy unwinding with a good video game, writing fiction, playing guitar (and on rare occasions playing in front of people!), walking my dog, Bella, and playing baseball in a men’s league in Elgin, where I also help fix up the field. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter; I have hot takes that’ll make you quake!