NSU Horizons Spring 2012

24 HORIZONS As soon as Shanti Bruce, Ph.D., begins talking about the joys of conducting qualitative research, it’s clear one is in the company of a serious scholar. Bruce, the recipient of the 2011 Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Full-Time Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, serves as associate professor, chair of the Master of Arts in Writing degree program, and coordinator of the Undergraduate Writing Program at NSU. Hard work and wearing multiple hats are all in a day’s work for Bruce. In addition to her teaching and administrative duties, she focuses on scholar- ship. Her book, What Every Multilingual Student Should Know About Writing for College , was published in February, and she has a contract to write another book for culturally and linguistically diverse writers. Her dedica- tion to scholarship and com- mitment to her students does not go unnoticed. “Shanti Bruce is a caring and focused teacher, scholar, mentor, and leader,” said Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. “She is extremely engaged with her students, empowering them to strengthen their writing and communication skills. Equally, she supports the efforts of faculty members in all disciplines as they develop creative and effective strategies to build student writing skills. For her, the commitment is not about writing, it is about personal success and the ability to express one’s ideas clearly and effectively.” It’s easy to understand why Rosenblum thinks so highly of her. Accolades aside, Bruce’s credentials speak for themselves. She received her doctoral degree in English, with a focus on composition and teaching English to speakers of other languages, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has published two books on writing centers, Creative Approaches to Writing Center Work and ESL Writers: A Guide for Writing Center Tutors . Both books were honored by the International Writing Centers Association with their Outstanding Scholarship Award for Best Book, making her one of only two people to ever win the award twice. She has been a featured speaker at the European Writing Centers Association Conference in Germany, a keynote speaker at a Paci c Northwest Writing Centers Association Conference in Washington, and a plenary speaker for the Midwest Writing Centers Association Conference in St. Louis. She is an executive board member of the Southeastern Writing Centers Association (SWCA) and co-chaired the 2010 SWCA Florida Conference at NSU. Additionally, Bruce is on the Steering Committee of the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing and co-chaired its 2011 conference. Yet, she still nds time to serve as mentor to newer faculty members such as Star Medzerian, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Humanities, who calls her “an active and in uential scholar.” “Shanti Bruce is committed to enhancing the learning environment at NSU,” said Medzerian. “As a colleague, she encourages fellow writing faculty members to be innovative and productive in our teaching, research, and service. As my mentor, she has maintained a personal interest in my success and improvement as a teacher and in my students’ growth as writers.” FACULTY PROFILE Multitasking Is Business as Usual for Shanti Bruce BY MARA L. KIFFIN Shanti Bruce’s books have been honored twice by the International Writing Centers Association.