Rob Ryser Email & Phone Number

Danbury, Ct

Senior writer producing high-quality front page political and enterprise stories, with award-winning coverage of the Sandy Hook massacre, and general assignment features with a focus on Sunday centerpieces.

Greater New York City Area

Excellence in Adjunct Instruction Award (2018) EMPOWERING UNDERGRADUATES WITH COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS■ Helping hundreds of non-traditional college students gain stronger skills in literary analysis, academic essay writing and communications in a multicultural setting■ Using a methodological approach and the Socratic Method to stimulate dialogue and achieve learning ■ Providing comprehensive feedback on essays to build writing competencies and overcome ESL obstacles■ Achieving 100 percent passing rates and graduating students who are alert, focused and knowledgeable about reading, writing and communicating• • •100 PERCENT PASS RATE IN COLLEGE PILOT PROGRAM ■ Helped traditionally-underserved high school graduates with borderline college entrance test scores gain acceptance to college■ Utilized variety of teaching methods including the Socratic Method to connect with students and keep them engaged about literary interpretation and exposition■ Achieved 100 pass rate two semesters in a row, helping students enter college who otherwise would not have had the chanceSKILLS✔ measuring performance✔ achieving results✔ situation analysis✔ developing solutions✔ troubleshooting✔ decision making✔ goal orientation✔ verbal communication✔ empowering others✔ managing | supervising✔ motivating✔ giving feedback✔ facilitating group learning✔ advising✔ counseling

Greater New York City Area

DECORATED SENIOR LEVEL WRITER■ Energetic veteran of breaking news, explanatory journalism and deep features for the largest newspaper chain in the country ■ Graceful writing and shrewd editing with a keen sense of balance and legal awareness■ Advanced the storytelling craft through multimedia, producing most-watched videos and resulting in increased visitor time on the page■ Acted on the deeper possibilities of stories by finding unique angles that created opportunities for reader empathy and insight to strengthen the company brand■ Upheld high standards of accuracy, fairness and storytelling in print and new media, increasing the company's reach in the New York metropolitan market• • •LEAD, TAUGHT AND COACHED COLLEAGUES ABOUT STORYTELLING■ Helped to improve the quality of storytelling and video production to reach company goals of deeper penetration in a crowded market■ Designed, coordinated and led seminars and training sessions for colleagues about the elements of storytelling, the fundamentals of video journalism and the role of myths in the news story■ Empowered colleagues with tools to achieve storytelling success, strengthening the company's core products• • •SKILLS✔ planning | organizing✔ researching✔ emotional intelligence✔ building relationships✔ writing✔ scoping a project✔ theorizing | visualizing

Greater New York City Area

ESTABLISHED PROTOCOL FOR PUBLISHING TO THE WEB■ Helped to change the workflow for reporters from a print-only focus to a multimedia focus in order to reach a new audience and grow revenue■ Led the newsroom in the production of top content posts and news videos ■ Anchored morning web news report ■ Oversaw quality control and assured continuity between print and web staffs■ Achieved progressive growth in web metrics, including page views, unique visitors and average time spent on a page• • •SKILLS✔ measuring performance✔ market awareness✔ entrepreneurship✔ change leadership✔ new technology proficiency✔ troubleshooting✔ goal orientation✔ stress management✔ time management✔ change agility✔ managing product delivery✔ focusing on the consumer✔ innovating✔ using creative media

Greater New York City Area

GIVING MEANING TO DEATH AND SUFFERING■ Helped to give suffering and death meaning to impact readers and strengthen the company's reputation as the top local news source in a competitive market■ Produced insightful and graceful accounts of personal loss by utilizing literary conventions and elements of compelling storytelling■ Transformed pain into gain for readers, bolstering the company's position in the market • • •UNCOVERED TREND OF AIDS IN THE ELDERLY■ Broke national news about the rapid spread of AIDS among the elderly to burnish the company's position as leading property in the corporation■ Uncovered data and utilized experts to explain the phenomenon, and won confidence of elderly AIDS patients to tell their story ■ Produced a front-page special report that won a national Gannett award for enterprise reporting and a company award for explanatory journalism• • •REVEALED THE BREADTH OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE MOVEMENT■ Exposed the growth of the alternative medicine movement in a comprehensive and compelling series of stories and multimedia features■ Initiated extensive research and numerous interviews over six months and coordinated production across departments to execute an artistic and authoritative package■ The series led to the production of a special quarterly advertising supplement about alternative medicine, providing a new revenue source that continued for five years

Literary analysis, creative writing, creative non-fiction writing.

Master'S, Writing

Earned Master's Degree in Writing

Bachelor'S Degree In International Studies, International Studies

Completed a Senior Thesis about intermediate-range nuclear arms control.