Congratulations to Mary Ellen Greenwood

Mary Ellen Greenwood, English Department lecturer, successfully defended her dissertation on February 5, 2025, after two decades of teaching in higher education. She decided to pursue a doctoral degree from USU’s College of Education and Human Services with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction because of the importance she places on pedagogical evolution and change. “Where I might have fallen into a teaching rut, doctoral coursework revolutionized my teaching philosophies and approaches,” Mary Ellen reflects. 

Her dissertation explored writing identity, self-efficacy, and rhetorical processes in first-year composition studies through classroom research and case studies. Mary Ellen comments, “I look forward to collaborating with colleagues on IRB-approved studies to enhance our understanding of writing in higher education and to contribute to the broader conversations within the research and practitioner communities.”