Communication, Leadership, Ethics and Research (CLEAR)
Welcome to the CLEAR Program in the College of Engineering!
The CLEAR Program is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Colleges of Humanities and Engineering. We work together to prepare engineering undergraduates for leadership through improving their oral and written communication, teamwork skills, and ethical understanding. Industry professionals stress the importance of communication to engineers’ day-to-day responsibilities and demand candidates who have strong written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to work in teams. The CLEAR Program is designed to meet this need.
Through the creation and implementation of speaking and writing assignments that are customized based on the specific needs of engineering students, they not only become better communicators, they also become stronger engineers. Doctoral students from Communication and the University Writing Program work with engineering faculty in designated courses to provide direct instruction in the classroom, provide feedback to students, and consult on best practices for speaking, writing, and teamwork. Our program is unique and innovative due to the emphasis placed on communication, teamwork, and ethics, the integrated nature of the professional skills instruction, and the situated, developmental approach to teaching and learning.
CLEAR instruction is integrated into students’ required, core classes in all accredited departments in the college, reaching over 1000 students in 25 courses each year. Engineering undergraduates are continually exposed to communication, teamwork, and ethics instruction in a subset of their required engineering courses and as a result, are better prepared for the transition from school to work.
Sincerely,
April Kedrowicz
Director, CLEAR Program
Administration
April A. KedrowiczDirector |
April is the Director of the CLEAR Program, the college-wide engineering communication initiative. She develops integrated speaking, writing, and teamwork curricula for all engineering departments. Her responsibilities include instructional development, teaching assistant training, programmatic and basic research, and assessment. |
Stephanie FrattoAdministrative Assistant |
Stephanie provides administrative support to the Program Director and instructors. |
Instructors 2012-2013 Academic Year
Instructor Office: WEB 1813
Sarah BellWriting Instructor |
Sarah began her professional career as a technical writer working for clients including HP and Microsoft, and has taught academic writing for 15 years. She holds a Master’s Degree in English and Information Science, and is currently pursuing her PhD. Her doctoral research investigates how cultural values get embedded in the logic of computer code. |
Elizabeth “Betsy” BrunerCommunication Instructor |
Betsy earned her BA in English Literature, and her dual MFA in Painting & Art History as well as an MA in Communication. She is currently studying visual rhetoric and its role in contemporary Chinese-US relations for her PhD. Betsy has five years of teaching experience that span the fields of art, art history, and communication including Public Speaking and Fundamentals of Communication. |
Veronica DawsonCommunication Instructor |
Originally from Bulgaria, Veronica received her undergraduate degree in Communication & English. Her master’s thesis project studied the career advancement challenges software engineers with foreign accents experience at the work place. Veronica’s current PhD research interest is in organizational communication with a focus on identity. |
Stephanie GomezCommunication Instructor |
Stephanie is originally form Southern California, where she earned her BA and MA in Communication. She has taught public speaking and coached forensics (speech and debate) for over 5 years. Stephanie is currently a PhD student and studies the rhetoric and performance of identity. |
Ellen KressWriting Instructor |
Ellen has an MS in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, and an MA in American Studies. She is currently pursuing her PhD in American Studies. Ellen has taught physics, math and writing on both high school and collegiate levels. |
JessicaWriting Instructor |
Liz NeeleyWriting Instructor |
Liz received her BA in English Education and is currently pursuing her MA in Rhetoric and Composition. She has taught English and Writing courses at both the university and high school level and has worked as a writing consultant for graduate student and faculty publications in science and business. Liz’s research focuses on the writing of non-native English speaking students. |
Rody RodriguezCommunication Instructor |
Rody received his BA from California State University, San Bernardino, and his MA from Hawaii Pacific University. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Communication with an emphasis in new media particularly examining video game studies. In addition to being an instructor at 3 different institutions, Rody has 5 1/2 years of experience teaching oral communication. |
Brian RogersCommunication Instructor |
Brian received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Northern Arizona University where he also worked as a public speaking instructor and career/academic advisor. He is currently pursing his PhD in Communication. |
Heather StoneWriting Instructor |
Heather has Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Business. She has worked in product management, product marketing and technical writing roles in the computer industry for 15 years. She writes business plans and proposals and has helped more than 30 companies secure funding or win bids for their ideas. Heather was the owner of a career consulting company with offices in 3 states, and frequently speaks to community and academic groups on job-search topics. She is currently pursuing her PhD with a dual emphasis in Communication and Writing. |
Chris TanseerWriting Instructor |
Chris has been teaching college courses in writing, research, and critical thinking as well as courses in literature and creative writing for eight years. Before coming to the University of Utah in 2008, Chris taught at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, where he also earned his MFA in writing. Chris has held a variety of communications, research, and IT positions in the corporate and non-profit sectors. He worked at Jargon Marketing & Communications in Madison, WI as a communications consultant assigned to CUNA Mutual Group, the largest provider of financial services to credit unions. Before this, Chris worked in the Washington, DC area, including at the Business-Higher Education Forum and the Meyer Foundation. He also served as a research and market analyst at the Corporate Executive Board, which provides best-practices research to senior executives at Fortune 1000 companies. Specifically, Chris worked in their CIO Executive Board division, serving F1000 Chief Information Officers, and helped to launch the Applications Executive Council, which serves heads of IT applications. Chris is currently a PhD candidate in Literature and Creative Writing. |
Carlos TarinCommunication Instructor |
Carlos received his BA from the University of Texas at El Paso in Communication Studies, his MA from the University of Colorado in Communication Studies, and is currently pursuing his PhD. Carlos’ research interests are primarily concerned with the intersections between rhetoric, organizations, and the environment with an emphasis on conservation campaigns developed by environmental NGOs. Carlos has taught or coached public speaking for nearly a decade at both the high school and collegiate level. |
CLEAR Calendar of Events
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Reserve WEB 1705 Meeting Room
2012
CLEAR Connections – Spring
CLEAR Report – Spring
CLEAR Contact Information
| Mailing Address: | 72 S. Central Campus Drive WEB Room 1706 Salt Lake City, UT 84112 |
| Phone: | (801) 581-4683 |
| Fax: | (801) 581-8544 |
| Email: | stephanie.fratto@utah.edu |
| Web Feedback: | webmaster@coe.utah.edu |
