Anna C. Cairney
B.A., Communication Arts, George Fox University
M.A.T., Secondary Education (English & Public Speaking), George Fox University
Anna is a Doctoral Fellow for the Institute for Writing Studies. Her academic focus is in Composition and Rhetoric.
Before returning to graduate study, Anna worked at Writers House, a literary agency in Manhattan. There she was trained in dissecting the structure of successful narrative. Her evaluative reading focused mostly on fiction, including literary, historical, and commercial. Additionally, she worked on children’s manuscripts, both middle grade and young-adult. She continues to evaluate manuscripts.
Anna is interested in the intersection of written, oral, and digital storytelling. One of her research projects explores the dynamics of collaborative practices of writing, another project examines editing as it is understood and practiced in academic and professional environments. Some of her other scholarly interests include engaging with nontraditional writing spaces like writing centers and online literary forums.
Anna began her academic career as a High School English and Public Speaking teacher in Oregon. She worked closely with her district to develop a Communication Across the Curriculum program designed to increase writing and speaking instruction in the core disciplines.
Anna can be reached at cairneya@stjohns.edu.