Beth A.

Towle
Education
Ph.D. in English Exp. May 2019
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Concentration: Rhetoric + Composition
Dissertation: ‘It Depends on Who You Talk To’: Mapping Writing Center-Writing Program Relationships at Small
Liberal Arts Colleges
Committee: Harry Denny (chair), Bradley Dilger, Irwin Weiser, Jackie Grutsch McKinney

Areas of interest: writing center theory, practice, and administration; writing program administration;
collaborative pedagogies; first-generation and working-class identities; institutional critique; empirical
methodologies

M.F.A. in Creative Writing May 2013

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
Thesis: Huckleberry Queen: Poems
Committee: Johannes Goransson (advisor), Joyelle McSweeney, William O’Rourke

B.A. in English Writing May 2009

DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Graduated cum laude, English Department Honors

Publications
Towle, Beth A. “Other People’s Houses: Identity and Service in Writing Center Work.” Out in the Center: Public
Controversies and Private Struggles. Edited by Harry Denny, et al. 2018. (ISBN: 978-1607327820)

Denny, Harry and Beth A. Towle. “Braving the Waters of Class in Writing Centers: The Performance and Policing
of Socioeconomic Class in Everyday Tutoring.” The Peer Review, 1.2, November 2017. http://thepeerreview-
iwca.org/issues/braver-spaces/braving-the-waters-of-class-performance-intersectionality-and-the-policing-of-
working-class-identity-in-everyday-writing-centers/

Towle, Beth A. and Vicki R. Kennell. “Review: Tutoring Second Language Writers.” The Writing Center Journal,
35.3, Winter 2016.

Grants + Scholarships
Dissertation Research
Purdue University Research Foundation Fellowship, Summer 2018 ($3,500)

The Professor Patricia Sullivan Dissertation Scholarship, Spring 2018 ($2,500)

International Writing Centers Association Ben Rafoth Graduate Research Grant, Spring 2018 ($1,000)

Purdue University College of Liberal Arts Promise Research Grant, Fall 2017 ($450)

Scott Drotar Memorial Fund Scholarship, Fall 2017 ($1,000)

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Purdue University Research Foundation Fellowship, Summer 2017 ($3,500)

Conference Travel
Purdue Writing Lab Travel Scholarship, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2018 ($400-500)

Purdue College of Liberal Arts Promise Travel Grant, Fall 2016 ($700)

Purdue College of Liberal Arts Promise Travel Grant, Spring 2016 ($700)

International Writing Centers Association Collaborative Travel Scholarship, Spring 2016 ($150)

Conference Presentations
“Space and Access for LGBTQ+ and Non-binary Students and Tutors in Writing Centers.” Presented with Jacob
English and Ruben Ramanathan. East Central Writing Center Association. Columbus, IL. March 2018.

“Institutional(ized) Identities: Graduate Students, Writing Centers, and Advocacy.” International Writing Centers
Association Conference. Chicago, IL. November 2017.

“Restoring and Engaging Metis: Feminist Frameworks for Graduate Students.” Presented with Erin Brock Carlson.
Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference. Dayton, OH. October 2017.

“Boiler Up!/Drilling Down: Replicating the Peer Writing Tutor Alumni Project. International Writing Centers
Association Conference. Denver, CO. October 2016.

“Tutoring as (Hard) Labor: How Assessment Makes Writing Center Work Visible to Institutions.” Conference on
College Composition and Communication. Houston, TX. April 2016.

“Making Possible Bean-Counting: Coding ‘Other’ Responses from the WCRP Survey.” International Writing
Centers Association Collaborative. Houston, TX. April 2016.

“Using Policty Statements in Writing Tutor Training.” International Writing Centers Association Conference.
Pittsburgh, PA. October 2015.

“Farming Out: Writing Centers and the Adjunct-ification of Writing Instruction.” East Central Writing Center
Association Conference. Notre Dame, IN. March 2015.

“Writing Centers, Collaborative Learning, and First-Generation College Students.” Conference on College
Composition and Communication. Indianapolis, IN. March 2014.

Writing Centers
Administrative Appointments
Business Writing Coordinator
Purdue University Writing Lab, 2016-2018
Taught ENGL 390B tutor education class for incoming undergraduate business writing consultants. Supervised
and provided ongoing education to current business writing consultants. Facilitated workshops related to
professional writing, STEM writing, and writing in the disciplines. Regularly attended and participated in monthly
Writing Lab coordinator meetings. Recruited undergraduate students to be future consultants. Worked with the
business college to provide resume reviews at job fairs.

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Summer Assistant Director
Purdue University Writing Lab, 2016
Collated material about the Writing Lab’s 2015-16 operations and wrote the annual report, which is disseminated
to deans, the provost, and other major stakeholders of the institution. Created meta-document for future report
authors. Tutored graduate and undergraduate students on a wide variety of documents in the Writing Lab.

Tutor Education Courses Taught

Tutoring Business and Professional Writing
English 390B - Purdue University, Fall 2016 and Fall 2017
This tutor education course specifically prepared undergraduate students to be business writing consultants in
the Purdue Writing Lab. The course focused on teaching tutoring and collaborative learning pedagogy, inquiry-
based writing center research design, diversity and language rights, and specific information on tutoring job
search materials.

Tutoring in the Writing Lab

English 390 – Purdue University, Spring 2017
This tutor education course prepared undergraduate students for working as tutors in the Purdue Writing Lab.
The course focused on teaching tutoring and collaborative learning pedagogy, writing center research methods,
and issues of diversity and identity in writing centers. Co-taught with Tammy Conard-Salvo.

Special Projects
Collaborating with undergraduate researchers
Purdue University Writing Lab, 2016-2018
Mentored and collaborated with undergraduate tutors on writing center research projects, including projects on
access and disability, LGBTQ+ students and staff, and writing center outreach. Tutors have presented at national
and regional conferences, including IWCA and ECWCA.

Purdue Writing Lab 2015-2016 Annual Report

Purdue University Writing Lab, 2016
Authored the annual report that is posted publicly and sent to high-level Purdue administrators to share the work
the Lab did from May 2015 to May 2016. Report utilizes data and narrative to describe the successes and new
projects in the Lab. The report can be found online here:
https://owl.purdue.edu/writinglab/about/documents/2016_WLab_report.pdf

Tutoring Positions
Graduate Writing Tutor
Purdue University Writing Lab, 2015-2018
Tutored undergraduate and graduate students and staff/faculty in the Purdue Writing Lab. Led weekly
conversation groups for international students. Facilitated workshops on a variety of writing topics for both
undergraduate and graduate students. Served on the spring hiring committee for graduate tutors. Assisted the
director and associate director with special projects as needed.

Graduate Writing Tutor

University of Notre Dame Writing Center, 2012-2013
Tutored undergraduate and graduate students and staff/faculty in the University Writing Center. Facilitated
workshops on creative writing and research writing topics. Served on the Writing Center executive committee
and community writing committee. Assisted the director with special projects such as data collection and
workshop development.

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Writing Consultant
DePauw University Writing Center, 2007-2009
Tutored peer undergraduate students in the university writing center. Helped with hiring decisions and
interviews of future consultants.

Composition
Graduate Mentoring
Assistant Mentor
Purdue Introductory Composition Program, 2016-2017
Worked with Dr. Irwin Weiser in the year-long mentorship course for new graduate teaching assistants. Helped
new TAs develop syllabi and teaching materials, observed teaching of new TAs and wrote observation reports
each semester. Assisted ICaP administration with new TA orientation in August and the TA convocation and
workshop events at the beginning of fall and spring semesters.

Introductory Composition
Online First-Year Composition (Academic Writing & Research)
English 106 - Purdue University, Fall 2018
This 16-week, online introductory composition course focused on academic writing and research, utilizing
students’ own academic and professional interests as a way to talk about genre expectations, rhetorical situation,
and media. Students engaged in primary research methods and scholarly analysis in order to be better
communicators within their own disciplinary communities.

First-Year Composition (Documenting Realities)

English 106 - Purdue University, 2017-2018
This first-year composition course used a documentary and place-based approach to writing instruction in order
to teach multiple genres, including narratives, reports, podcasts, and research writing. Students engage with
primary research methods, issues of access, and disciplinary identities in order to understand how to ethically
and rhetorically communicate for various audiences.

First-Year Composition (Digital Rhetorics)

English 106 - Purdue University, 2015-2016
This first-year composition course used a digital rhetorics syllabus approach in order to focus on rhetorical,
accessible writing and design for a connected, mediated world, while also preparing students for the writing they
will encounter in their majors and future disciplines.

First-Year Composition (Writing about Writing)

English 106 - Purdue University, 2014-2015
This first-year composition course used a writing about writing approach that asked students to consider how
their writing fits into larger social, community, and disciplinary discourse communities. It prepared students for
future writing tasks by introducing rhetorical concepts, research skills, and discourse analysis.

Basic Writing
Integrated Reading and Writing
Academic Skills 095 – Ivy Tech Community College, Spring 2014
This skills-building integrated course taught students basic reading and writing skills to prepare them for the
standard introductory composition course they would take the following semester.

Introduction to College Writing

Academic Skills 093 – Ivy Tech Community College, Fall 2013
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This course prepared students for the standard 100-level introductory composition course by focusing on basic
rhetorical concepts, writing skills, and research and information literacy.

Teaching + Tutoring Awards

Purdue English Department Excellence in Teaching Award (honorable mention), 2017-2018

ICaP Quintilian Teaching Award, Fall 2017

Purdue Writing Lab Graduate Tutor of the Year, 2016-2017

Service
International Writing Center Association Outstanding Article Award Committee, 2018
Graduate Representative

Introductory Writing Committee, 2016-2017

Purdue Graduate Student English Association (GradSEA) Representative

Writing Lab Hiring Committee, Spring 2016 and Spring 2017

Purdue University Writing Lab

Excellence in Teaching Award Committee, 2015-2016

Purdue Graduate Student English Association (GradSEA) Representative

Rhetoric & Composition Program Representative, 2014-2015

Purdue Graduate Student English Association (GradSEA)

Executive Committee, 2012-2013

University of Notre Dame Writing Center

Community Writing Committee, 2012-2013

University of Notre Dame Writing Center

Invited Speaking and Workshops

Purdue Writing Lab All-Staff Meeting, Fall 2018
“Tutoring STEM Writing”

Purdue Writing Lab Graduate Staff Meeting, Fall 2016 & Fall 2017
“Graduate STEM Writing”

Writing Lab-ICaP Brown Bag Series, Spring 2016

“Peer Review and Workshopping Strategies”

Relevant Experiences
Research Assistant, Summer 2015
Purdue University
Assisted Dr. Bradley Dilger with interview transcription and coding on a large-scale, multiple-year project at
his previous institution.
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Grants and Fellowship Consultant, 2013-2014
University of Notre Dame Graduate School
Worked with graduate students at every level of the process of applying to nationally-competitive grants and
fellowships. Coordinated and facilitated application workshops for the National Science Foundation’s
Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the Fulbright Program, and other nationally-competitive fellowship
and grant programs.

Interim Fulbright Program Advisor, Fall 2013

University of Notre Dame Graduate School
Worked with graduate students as they applied for fellowships in the Fulbright program. Served as the
liaison between the Fulbright program and the Notre Dame Graduate School. Organized all interviews and
coordinated document collection.

Creative Writing Publications

Rhabdomantics
Poetry chapbook published by Adjunct Press, July 2016

“The Woodlawn Narrative”

Poem published by So It Goes, December 2016

“small openings” and “original story”

Poems published by Similar:Peaks::, 2015

“The River Woodlawn”

Poem published by Storm Cellar Quarterly, 2014

“Mind the Prediction” and “An Advertisement”

Poems published by Deluge, 2014

“rhabdomancy” and “we are in the business of undoing”

Poems published by Spork, 2013

Creative Writing Editorial Work

Nonfiction Reader, Sycamore Review, Purdue University, 2016-2018

Poetry Reader, Sycamore Review, Purdue University, 2015-2018

Contributing Editor and Co-Creator, Actuary Lit, actuarylit.com, 2013-2015

Poetry Reader, Notre Dame Review, University of Notre Dame, 2011-2013

Professional Affiliations
International Writing Center Association

East Central Writing Center Association

Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric & Composition

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