Client: UU World magazine/Unitarian Universalist Association
Project: Feature story, Spring ’15
This 16-year-old swimmer, who recently set a world record, might be the most determined teen I’ve ever met. My favorite quote: “The jellyfish stings were a good distraction from everything else that was going on. It was only bad when they stung me in the nose or ears.” Read the story online.
Client: Alverno College
Project: Content for 2013-14 annual report
It has been an exciting year at this Catholic women’s college as Alverno completed the first phase of a $30 million capital campaign, its largest construction project since the current campus was built in the 1950s. To capture that spirit of excitement and growth, this year’s annual report focused on the theme of continuous improvement. I wrote the bulk of the copy, from pages 6-36, and told the story of Alverno’s past year through student profiles, descriptions of the newly renovated spaces and other highlights from the past year. See the PDF.
Client: Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Project: Content for redesigned website
Facing a major website redesign, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin asked for my help revamping the research section of its site. I analyzed more than 100 existing web pages and recommended which ones should be deleted, moved to the intranet, rewritten or reorganized to better serve the website’s key audiences — families, medical professionals and prospective donors. I rewrote the research landing page and created other new pages, and I interviewed some of the hospital’s top researchers for a series of profiles that showcased the fascinating research happening in pediatric cancer, heart care, diabetes and other areas. I also revised existing content to improve readability and search engine optimization. It was an interesting and rewarding project, and I was proud to help tell the story of one of the nation’s top-ranked children’s hospitals.
Client: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Project: Full suite of new admissions materials for Fall 2013
I’ve always loved admissions writing, and I had a lot of fun working closely with UWM’s admissions and marketing teams to create a slew of new, targeted recruitment pieces for out-of-state students, parents of prospective students, adult/nontraditional students, and military veterans. I helped develop the marketing plan and messaging for those audiences and served as lead writer on a number of new viewbooks and other admissions-related brochures — this picture shows just a sampling of the print pieces involved. I also rewrote existing letters, postcards, and e-communications directed at prospective and admitted students. The campaign was well received, and it recently won a gold award in the Educational Advertising Awards in the “Total Recruitment” category. See PDFs of:
Client: Marquette University Office of Marketing and Communication/College of Engineering
Project: Cover story, October ’13
How do you capture a college’s global impact? To make a broad topic more concrete, I crafted this feature story around a series of vignettes that spotlighted the work of Marquette’s engineering students and faculty around the world. This reporting-intensive story required a dozen interviews. See the PDF.
Client: On Wisconsin magazine/University of Wisconsin-Madison
Project: Cover story, June ’13
This might be my favorite profile of the year: A freelance astrobiologist and astronomer who has dedicated her career to advancing the search for extraterrestrial life. Read the story online.
Client: Parents.com/Meredith Corp.
Project: 24-story package, 2013
In an effort to bolster content in its babies section, Parents.com approached me about writing a 24-story series on behavioral and social development in each of the first 12 months of an infant’s life. Considering my youngest was under a year at the time, I loved having the excuse to quiz various child development experts and came away with a slew of terrific tips. Read a sample from the series.
Client: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Public Health
Project: Brochure, Oct. ’12
For the university’s new Zilber School of Public Health, I wrote copy for a 10-panel accordion brochure designed to introduce the public health field and the important role that the school plays in our community. See the PDF.
Client: Parents.com/Meredith Corp.
Project: Service story, Oct. ’12
After my son’s stay in the NICU earlier this year, I realized I had discovered a lot of practical tips that could be helpful for other families dealing with a premature or sick newborn. In this story for Parents.com, I combined my own advice with tips from other NICU veterans and experts. Read the story online.
Client: Marquette University Office of Marketing and
Communication
Project: Brochure
Marquette was searching for a way to reach the so-called “stealth visitor,” the prospective student who isn’t on the mailing list and doesn’t want to take the official tour — but who does drop by campus to wander through on his or her own. Paired with an eye-catching display, this piece captures the essentials of Marquette, from academic bragging points to student organizations to application info, plus a fun illustrated map to ensure visitors hit the highlights of campus and beyond. See the PDF.
