MINOT, N.D. – For Samuel Stinson, assistant professor of English at Minot State University, learning does not stop during summer vacation.
Stinson directs both the Northern Plains Writing Project (NPWP) and “The Lookout,” podcast. He also regularly presents at multiple conferences and is involved in teaching groups that take course over summer.
The Northern Plains Writing Project, which has run virtually since 2019, assembles graduates of the teaching program at Minot State and grants them credits toward their degrees for taking writing classes. Stinson co-teaches alongside Dan Conn, chair of teacher education and kinesiology.
“My duties in putting the program together include setting meetings for a yearly summer cohort, bringing former members together with current members for writing-related discussions, and to visit with guest speakers,” Stinson said. “I also regularly communicate with the leaders of the National Writing Project and assemble grant and support requests for NPWP with the school and with the state.”
“The Lookout” is the KMSU-published and televised program that Stinson hosts, conducts, edits, and publishes. Stinson pushes out four episodes each fall and spring semester. It all started with Stinson arriving at the University in 2019.
“I had a series of discussions with Dr. Robert Kibler (Division of Humanities, Literature and Language chair) about the potential for developing an ongoing podcast for the division to highlight faculty accomplishments. The program has expanded somewhat, moving instead to a video format, and including interviews not just with MSU faculty but musicians, visiting scholars, and published authors and editors,” Stinson said.
Aside from these University-related projects, Stinson produces his own body of research during summers.
“During summers, I take the time to confer with colleagues at other schools, to respond to CFPs (call for chapters) for articles and chapters, to send out our own CFPs, and to work on publications,” Stinson said. “For example, last summer, I worked on my book, ‘Embodied Environmental Risk in Technical Communication,’ and it was published with Routledge in March 2022.”
Additionally, he presents his work at a variety of conferences, some of which he directs.
“I co-direct the Writing about Writing Standing Group (WAW) with the CCCC (Conference on College Composition and Communication) organization,” he said. “I’ve also presented on the WAW panel at the CCCC conference virtually this summer and put together a panel for the CCCC 2023 conference with the team in the past few weeks. In addition, I presented at the Computers and Writing Conference virtually this summer.”
As any spirited Beaver should do, Stinson complements his hard work with worthwhile pleasures during the summer as well.
“My intent is also to continue travelling around the state with my family this summer,” he said.
One of many like-minded professors at Minot State, Stinson’s summer resembles that of other faculty: a continued eagerness for education and productivity that only grows bigger come fall.
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Published: 08/26/22
