J. Melissa Blankenship

Lecturer, English
Whitewater Hall 273
(765) 973-8281
jomblank@iue.edu

Education

• MFA – Creative Writing, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky
• BA – English, Indiana University East, Richmond, Indiana

Current Creative Interests

Creative nonfiction, memoir, essay forms, poetry

Current Teaching Interests

First year composition, argumentative writing, introduction to fiction (lit), introduction to creative writing (CW), creative nonfiction (CW)

Recent Publications

• “Conversations with Michael” creative non-fiction. Choosing to Care: Why We Hang in There – Anthology. Wising Up Press. 2019. (Accepted but anthology not published.)
• “Amozoc Irons [rev]”. PITCA, July 2020. Web.
• Harris, Sarah, Perkins, Tanya, & J. Melissa Blankenship. “Embedding Success: Supplemental Instruction in Online Writing Instruction”. Best Practices in Online Teaching & Learning Across Disciplines. George Mason University Press, 2017.
• “Casting the Net”. Canyon Voices – Online Literary Magazine. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona State University, Spring 2015. Web.

Recent Presentations

• Eevett Loshek, J. Melissa Blankenship, Shari Fowler, Natalia Rybas & Josh Tolbert, “Student-Faculty Relationship: The Importance of Managing Fit & Sense of Belonging” (2nd year), IU Leadership Institute, 35th FACET Annual Retreat, Floating, Swimming, or Diving in the Changing Currents of Higher Education, May 2023, Syracuse, Indiana.
• Eevett Loshek, J. Melissa Blankenship, Shari Fowler, Oi Lin Cheung, Natalia Rybas & Josh Tolbert, “Student-Faculty Relationship: The Importance of Managing Fit & Sense of Belonging” (1st year), IU Leadership Institute, 34th FACET Annual Retreat, Creativity and Experience: Enriching Teaching and Learning, June 2022, Jeffersonville, Indiana.
• “Assessing the Effectiveness of Audio Feedback,” IUPUI Center for Teaching & Learning 2021 Symposium, October 2021, IU. Virtual.
• “Assessing the Effectiveness of Audio Feedback,” Center for Faculty Development Fellowship, Awards Presentation, April 2021, IUE. Virtual.
• Interview. “Helping Students Engage with Online Learning.” 101.7 The Point. 30 March 2020.
• “Sarah Cavanaugh’s Spark of Learning,” Panel Discussion. January 2019, IUE.
• “Transparency in Teaching,” Center for Teaching & Learning, post Faculty Senate presentation, 6 Feb. 2018, IUE, Richmond, Indiana.
• “Transparent Teaching,” IUE Faculty Senate Fall Retreat, Richmond, Indiana, August 2017.

Selected Previous Employment Positions

• Interim Writing Program Director, Indiana University East, August 2016-May 2017
• Visiting Instructor of English, Indiana University East, August 2013-May 2015