Maryn McKenna — award-winning journalist and author and senior fellow in the Center for the Study of Human Health in Emory College — seeks a TA for her fall writing course, HLTH 381W.

In this class, students learn the skills of popular writing and the norms of health and science journalism, producing edited stories of varying lengths. These stories are published during the semester on the CSHH news site, Exploring Health.

This is an excellent training opportunity for candidates studying heath communication or scicomm, or planning to work in the public understanding of science, particularly students taking an MPH, or an MA or PhD in English. Prior public writing or journalistic experience is desirable but not required.

TA tasks include the following:

At a minimum, serve as the classroom manager:

• –  Attend the class (Mon and Weds, 4-5:15pm)

• –  Maintain attendance records and track draft and final assignments

• –  Supervise a class GroupMe

  Ideally, also serve as assistant editor for Exploring Health:

• –  Assist students with locating and documenting rights-free images

• –  Supervise publication onto WordPress, subject to professor approval

• –  Supervise compilation of health-news digests and cultural recommendations, for specific

  blog verticals

• –  Perform first edits of student work (optional, depending on skills)

• –  Conduct in-class discussion of materials (optional, depending on skills)

  Further opportunities include:

• –  Writing for publication under Prof. McKenna’s direction

• –  Continuing the TA assignment into a spring independent study team.

  This is a paid position.
  For more information, contact Prof. McKenna <mmcken3 [at] emory [dot] edu>