Service Recognition:Recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Service Award, Dr. Ames was recognized for her dedicated service to the English department, EIU, her profession, and the community. In addition to serving on numerous university, college, and English department committees, she directs the EIU English Studies Summer Camp for High School Students. A former public high school teacher, she runs professional development workshops for local school districts and serves as a literacy volunteer in the Champaign Public School System, as a PTA Secretary, and a Young Author’s Contest facilitator and judge. Curriculum Development & Instruction:Dr. Ames has designed various courses required for ELA teacher certification candidates (e.g. Multimodal Composition), as well as minors (e.g. English Language Arts Minor) available for candidates in other disciplines. She recently served on a committee that designed EIU's new Alternative Certification Program. She teaches a range of courses that showcase her educational background, her media studies training, and her diverse scholarly interests:Composition and Language (ENG 1001G)Composition and Literature (ENG 1002G)Composition II: Argument (ENG 1002G)Composition and Language, Honors (ENG 1091G)Composition II: Argument, Honors (ENG 1092G)Literature & Human Values (ENG 2009)Multimodal Writing & Digital Texts (ENG 3008)English Studies Junior Seminar (ENG 3300)Methods of Teaching Composition in Secondary Schools (ENG 3401)Methods of Teaching Literature in Secondary Schools (ENG 3402)American Literature 1950-Present (ENG 3704)American Multicultural Literature (ENG 3705)Women, Literature, & Language (ENG 3903)Professional Writing Internship (ENG 4275)Studies in Genre (ENG 4742)Methods of Integrating the Language Arts (ENG 4801)Undergraduate Independent Study (ENG 4990)Studies in 20th Century American Literature & Culture (ENG 5010)Graduate Independent Study (ENG 5990)

Administrative Duties:During her tenure as a high school English teacher, Dr. Ames served on the NCA accreditation team, the school improvement team, developed district-wide common assessments, led professional development workshops on authentic assessment and rubric design (among others), and was the teacher liaison for the 9th Grade Academy. She was nominated twice for the Alberta Muirhead Teacher of the Year Award.Courses Taught:Critiquing the Canon: Advanced Placement English LiteratureResearch and Analysis: Introduction to College Composition & Literary TheoryResearch and Composition: Beginning with the Basics of Academic WritingShakespeare and Popular CultureWriting the Self: Creative WritingGlobal Genres: Studies in World LiteratureStudy of Fiction: 10th Grade Language Arts Introduction to Secondary English Studies: 9th Grade Language Arts