Resume

• 2016

  Selected by committee of faculty to sit on a panel with two other recent YSU graduates and talk about my experiences in the program

  my thesis composition

  completion

  and defense

  the PhD application process

  and other matters pertaining to graduate school

  for YSU’s current graduate students.

  Youngstown State University

  GRE

  167 Verbal Reasoning\n5.0 Analytical Writing

  ACT

  Literature

  Lecturing

  Blackboard

  PowerPoint

  Writing

  Social Media

  Editing

  Microsoft Word

  Public Speaking

  Facebook

  English

  University Teaching

  Coaching

  Research

  Microsoft PowerPoint

  Proofreading

  Higher Education

  Teaching

  Critical Thinking

  Review of Jeremy Rosen's \"Minor Characters Have Their Day: Genre and the Contemporary Literary Marketplace\"

  This paper investigates the emergence of a 21st century neo-hippie aesthetic defined more by celebrity and media trends than by the countercultural politics that demarcated the original 1960s hippie movement

  by way of two related music festivals: Hangout Music Festival and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Much of Coachella’s fame is predicated by the media presence which surrounds it; as the event unfolds interested parties with internet or television access can see footage of their favorite celebrity attendees wearing peasant blouses

  listening to live music

  and even toking up. It’s no wonder

  then

  that the company behind Coachella connected with Hangout after Hangout commercially partnered with MTV; the festivals target the same audience

  media-driven

  celebrity-obsessed youth

  and thus only serve to benefit by joining forces

  especially since a new

  corporatized hippie aesthetic has bloomed across America of late. In this paper

  I propose that the recent widespread coverage of music and arts festivals like Hangout Festival and Coachella has fostered the development of a “neo-hippie” type of identity in American youth. As young people watch their peers and idols participate in '60s-styled festivals

  where they don the flowy garb of the past era and seem to display “sex

  drugs

  and rock and roll” free-spirited attitudes

  teenagers

  too

  attempt to adopt similar “hippie” personas to fit in with the crowd. I use the increasingly quick rate by which festival tickets sell out

  the recent trendiness of '60s and ‘70s-inspired fashions

  and the return of psychedelia in music

  art

  and personal style

  to demonstrate this move toward a neo-hippie aesthetic. I argue that the media presence at music festivals has led teenagers to form neo-hippie identities and created one of the most pervasive current trends in advertising and American youth culture

  and I examine the ways in which this neo-hippie style differs from the politically inspired 1960s hippie movement.

  Be-In: The Media's Role in Teenage Neo-Hippie Identity Formation (accepted for presentation)

  Review of Christopher Leise's \"The Story Upon a Hill\"

  Review of Christopher Leise's \"The Story Upon a Hill\"

  \"The Popularization of Kurt Vonnegut's \"The Sirens of Titan\"\" (presentation)

  Review of Richard Deming's \"Art of the Ordinary\" (forthcoming)

  Review of Robert Chodat's \"The Matter of High Words\"

  Review of Robert Chodat's \"The Matter of High Words\"

  Christianity’s promise of redemption and a peaceful afterlife drew many Americans to Christian religions in the 1950s. Post-World War II aftershock

  fear of the atomic bomb and the increasing tension between the United States and the Soviet Union evoked a national feeling of insecurity. Since death often seemed imminent

  the insurance of life after death inspired new religious faith in many American citizens. It seemed

  however

  that these new believers lacked deep faith and commitment to Christian moral code outside of church. Most Americans thought that their attendance at religious services ensured their salvation and thus did not profess their faith outside of religious institutions or practice Christian ethics. The presence of racial segregation in the South demonstrates that an enormous part of the American population overlooked one of the most quoted moral facets of Christianity

  Luke 6:31

  “And as you wish that others would do to you

  do so to them.” Many criticized the hypocrisy and superficiality these so-called Christians displayed. Their actions

  especially those of Southern segregationists

  didn’t indicate true dedication to the Christian faith or its moral code. Southern author Flannery O’Connor stood among the critics of the shallow believers

  and her works during this time reflect her attitude toward the surface quality of Christianity in the 1950s. She attempts to illustrate the price of true salvation

  demonstrating that simply attending church services and claiming membership in a Christian religion does not guarantee redemption. In this paper

  I argue that O’Connor paints cautionary tales in her short stories regarding the shallow moral and religious beliefs dominating the nation and shows that salvation comes at a greater price than the superficial Christians of the 1950s imagined.

  \"The Price of Restoration\"​: An Interpretation of 1950s Religious Trends in Flannery O'Connor's Short Stories (accepted for presentation)

  Review of Mark Ferrara's \"Sacred Bliss\"

  Review of Mark Ferrara's \"Sacred Bliss\"

  Kurt Vonnegut often claimed Eugene V. Debs as one of his favorite people

  quoting him in several works

  “While there is a lower class

  I am in it

  and while there is a criminal element

  I am of it

  and while there is a soul in prison

  I am not free.” In this presentation

  I analyzed how Vonnegut’s fascination with Debs and this quotation in particular influenced his 1965 novel God Bless You

  Mr. Rosewater. I examined how Vonnegut represents the 1960s working class in the book and particularly addresses the issue of machines replacing human labor. I argued that Vonnegut applies Debs’s philosophy through his portrayal of the main character and his interactions with the working class. Finally

  I explored how the counterculture employed some of Vonnegut’s ideas

  such as the creation of extended families and communal living

  to improve the quality of life and employment prospects of the working class.

  God Bless You

  Mr. Debs: Kurt Vonnegut

  Eugene Debs and the 1960s Working Class in God Bless You

  Mr. Rosewater (presentation)

  As our economy continues to shift from a fordist to a fast capitalist system

  researchers advocate more strongly for an integration of pragmatic pedagogies and critical pedagogies within the composition classroom. Researchers have supported discipline-specific writing within the composition classroom since the 1970s

  correlating with the emergence of writing across the curriculum programs

  but these assignments never achieved widespread prominence. This may be because traditionally

  composition instructors incorporate a more critical pedagogy within their classrooms; they urge their students to question and amend the many injustices in our country

  including our imbalanced economy. In this presentation

  I hypothesize that a combination of these pedagogies

  particularly in the way of including pragmatic approaches in our traditionally critically influenced composition courses

  might more effectively prepare students for their future careers. In this presentation

  I challenge the focus on critical pedagogy and suggest that discipline-specific writing assignments might ensure their future success in changing job markets and workplaces. Many instructors believe that adopting a pragmatic pedagogy and assigning disciple-specific work to prepare students for their future careers suggests to students that our system is fair as is and that they should worry more about assimilating to rather than transforming disparities. I argue that students must enter this economy first

  however

  in order to change it

  so instructors must prepare them for entry at the same time as instructors ask them to question its fairness. I propose that we work to determine if more discipline-specific writing assignments within composition courses would benefit students by preparing them more adequately for entry into future careers.

  The Role of Discipline-Specific Writing Assignments in Preparing Students for their Future Careers (presentation)

  The 1960s are often cited as the most tumultuous and transformative years of the American 20th century

  and a significant portion of this revolution is attributed to the counterculture of the era. In addition to the manifold political and social changes the counterculture invoked

  it also brought about linguistic variation in terms of vocabulary. Whether they manipulated existing expressions to launch discussion or created new terms to describe changes as they occurred

  dissenting counterculture groups altered the mainstream American English vocabulary to serve their revolutionary purposes. Initially

  these lexicon changes further separated the counterculture from the primary culture

  but as the 1960s came to a close

  \nconventional culture had adopted many of the counterculture terms and manipulations. In this paper

  I examine the vocabulary used by various 1960s counterculture groups

  their reasons and necessities for new terminology

  and how and why the mainstream culture of the time adopted the innovative expressions. I propose that the phenomenon of mainstream adoption represents linguistic change in progress. The general age dichotomy between young counterculture rebels and the adult mainstream demonstrates a chasm between the two cultures created not only by ideology but generation. I suggest that media targeted specifically at American youth and a Generation X adolescent peak in the use of Baby Boomer counterculture terms bridged the gap between the counter and mainstream cultures and assimilated the counterculture lexicon into mainstream language. I also briefly \nexamine how the counterculture vocabulary adaptation still occurs within the 21st century with the continued help of popular media

  youth

  and fascination with 1960s culture.

  \"Tomorrow Never Knows\": Language Change in Progress in 1960s America

  Review of Christopher Partridge's \"High Culture\" (forthcoming)

  Review of Christopher Partridge's \"High Culture\" (forthcoming)

  \"An Unwavering Band of Light\"

  This thesis explores the connection of hippies to four of the 1960s-era novels of counterculture author Kurt Vonnegut: Cat’s Cradle

  The Sirens of Titan

  Slaughterhouse-Five

  and Breakfast of Champions. Adopted as a literary idol by the college-age counterculture early on in the decade

  by the end of the 1960s

  when the counterculture had also hit its stride

  Vonnegut became enormously successful with both counterculture and mainstream audiences. Scholars have largely attributed this success to the antiwar sentiments that characterized the nation in 1969

  when Vonnegut published his antiwar novel Slaughterhouse-Five; consequently

  when Vonnegut’s connections to the youth counterculture are studied

  more often than not

  his works are primarily linked with counterculture antiwar and political activist groups. I argue

  however

  that hippies also composed a large part of Vonnegut’s audience

  because his novels contained elements that matched their specific ideology as well as his pacifistic messages reflected the central concerns of antiwar and political activist groups. While many scholars have investigated the antiwar and political activists’ appreciation of Vonnegut’s professed beliefs and his writing

  I posit that the less politically involved hippies also enjoyed Vonnegut’s novels because of the books' similarities to their experiences.

  The Role of Discipline-Specific Writing Assignments in Preparing Students for their Future Careers

  This research is an addendum to my literature review “The Role of Discipline-Specific Writing Assignments in Preparing Students for their Future Careers.” In the two sections of Writing 1 that I taught

  I assigned four major essays: a personal narrative paper

  a persuasive paper

  an argumentative paper

  and a research paper. The argumentative and research papers were discipline-specific essays

  while the personal narrative and persuasive papers were traditional writing assignments. For the argumentative paper

  students had to examine an ethical issue currently debated in their fields

  choose a side

  and present a logical argument for that side. For the research paper

  students chose a topic specific to their individual disciplines to research and presented the information they found in an expository manner. After completing each major assignment

  students who anonymously consented to the study at the beginning of the semester completed an anonymous

  online survey regarding their thoughts on the efficacy of the assignment in preparing them for their future major coursework and careers. I intend to analyze the data

  add the results to my literature review

  and submit it for publication. An expedited review protocol form for the study was submitted to and approved by the Youngstown State University Institutional Review Board in August 2014

  prior to the study’s commencement.

  Psenicka

  Research interests include post-1945 American literature and culture; contemporary American literature and culture; popular culture; Kurt Vonnegut; 1960s American counterculture; cosmopolitanism

  Carly

  Psenicka

  Youngstown State University

  Poland Seminary High School Speech and Debate Team

  The University of Memphis

  Youngstown State University

  Maag Library

  Walsh University

  -Professor of first-year composition courses\n-Writing 2 assignments include rhetorical analysis

  proposal

  causal analysis and evaluation essays

  and an essay-based final examination. Assignments emphasize argument and research.

  Walsh University

  Youngstown State University

  Youngstown

  Ohio Area

  - Professor of record in 1-2 Composition 1 courses per semester.\n- Assignments included traditional personal narrative

  literary analysis

  and compare and contrast essays and both traditional and discipline-specific argumentative and research essays.

  Teaching Assistant

  -Professor of first year composition courses

  including honors composition courses\n-Writing 1 assignments include literacy narrative

  compare/contrast

  and rhetorical analysis essays. Assignments emphasize writing as a means of critical inquiry.\n-Writing 2 assignments include rhetorical analysis

  definition argument

  causal argument

  evaluation

  and proposal essays and annotated bibliographies. Students use APA format. Assignments emphasize argument and research.\n-Honors Writing 2 assignments include rhetorical analysis

  definition argument

  causal argument

  evaluation

  and proposal essays

  annotated bibliographies

  and presentations. Students use APA format. Assignments emphasize argument and research.

  Youngstown State University

  The University of Memphis

  - Professor of record in 2 lower division English courses per semester\n\n- Composition 1 assignments include literacy narrative

  discourse community analysis

  and writing research essays and end-of-the-semester reflective portfolio\n - Assignments emphasize writing

  reading

  and critically thinking about composition\n\n- Composition 2 assignments include visual text analysis

  rhetorical analysis

  and four-part researched argument essays and an annotated bibliography\n - Assignments emphasize argument and research\n\n- Literary Heritage

  Teaching Assistant

  Greater Memphis Area

  Poland

  Ohio

  - Helped students write and memorize original speeches.\n- Taught speech presentation skills to students and helped them to polish their speech presentations for weekly tournaments.\n- Judged student speeches and assisted head coach at weekly speech tournaments.

  Assistant Speech Coach

  Poland Seminary High School Speech and Debate Team

  Youngstown State University

  - Helped students conduct research with resources in the library and on online library databases.\n- Checked books into and out of the library and restocked shelves.\n- Assisted the administrative secretary of the library with clerical work.

  Student Library Assistant

  Maag Library

  Secretary

  UMEGO

  Member

  Labor and Working Class History Association (LAWCHA)

  Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature

  English

  Outstanding English Graduate Student

  Selected by the faculty of the YSU English department to receive this award for academic excellence

  Dean's List

  Margaret I. Pfau Scholarship

  Dean's List

  Dean's List

  Dean's List

• 2015

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

  Literary and Cultural Studies

  University of Memphis English Graduate Organization (UMEGO)

  Collaborative Academic Professionalization program (CAP)

  The University of Memphis

• 2014

  Keynote Speaker Introducer \n- Selected by committee of faculty and local teachers to introduce Jordan Sonnenblick

  the author being celebrated at the 2014 YSU English Festival

  to all of the festival participants

  approximately 3

  000 middle school and high school students.\n\nSession Moderator\n- Oversaw two essay contests for high school and middle school students.

  Youngstown State University

  -Offered my input on decisions regarding the future of the composition courses at Youngstown State University

  such as textbook and policy changes\n-Served on the syllabus subcommittee where I created syllabus templates to be used by Youngstown State University composition professors in upcoming semesters

  Youngstown State University

• 2013

  Read and ranked approximately 50 poems

  short stories and plays to help determine which works would be published in the Penguin Review

  YSU's annual literary magazine.

  Youngstown State University

• 2010

  Bachelor’s Degree

  English

  The Ohio State University

• 2008

  English

  Youngstown State University

• 2007

  Judged student speeches at weekend speech tournaments.

  Poland Seminary High School Speech and Debate Team

  Oberlin College

• 2003

  High school diploma

  Honors and AP courses

  Poland Seminary High School

  Teaching Practicum

  American Literary Movements

  20th Century American Studies

  African American Literature 1960-1988

  Teaching of Writing

  19th Century American Studies

  Shakespeare Tragedies

  20th Century British Studies

  Studies in Film

  Contemporary Critical Theory

  Sociolinguistics

  Teaching Composition

  Working Class Literature

  Literary Research

• 4.0

  Master’s Degree

  English

  Composition Committee

  Youngstown State University