The PWTC Program saw several changes this year. Janine Solberg brought to us, along with her contagious enthusiasm, a welcome expertise in visual communication and information. Her first year performance at UMass was met with universal acclaim. Also on the pedagogic front, the English Department has for the first time given us funding for a graduate teaching assistant. Christian Pulver, a Ph.D. candidate in Composition and Rhetoric, will be teaching the Advanced Software course and a section of the introductory course.

Meanwhile, the beloved PWTC Lab continues to be upgraded with recent hardware and software. Thanks to the gentle but persistent encouragement of several grads, we now have a LinkedIn group (now boasting 50 members) and a Facebook group (now boasting 49 members).

The reunion this year was another resounding success; and thanks again to the good Professor Nelson for opening his home to us all to come home to. Over the last year, many program grads have written to ask about John’s participation in the program. I am delighted to report that he continues to offer wisdom and guidance, and is very much a presence in the program he founded and nurtured.

Finally, despite uneven financial reports, placement this year was another success, thanks to a growing and loyal network of droogs, the growing reputation of the program and--this most of all--to a stellar group of graduates. The happy list of their accomplishments follows.

Congratulations to all!

- Dave Toomey
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2008 grads with permanent full-time positions:

Molly Bagshaw
Media Assistant
Pearson Higher Education

Deborah Chatigny
Technical Writer
Skillsoft Corporation

Dan Finn
Associate Site Manager
Outcome Sciences

Candace Letizia
Technical Writer
Kepware Technologies

Jenna Spataro
Copywriter/Editor
BSG Group

Elizabeth Tricco
Technical Writer
Haemonetics Corporation

Adam Zinkievich
Development Resource Manager and Grant Writer
Southern New England Divisional Headquarters
of The Salvation Army

2008 grads with contract work:

Erin Corcoran
National Evaluation Systems

Jillian Zeppa
MA candidate in Communication Disorders at UMass-Amherst
Office Assistant
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance

Current students and 2008 grads with internships:

Jessica Hollstein
Grants Programs Office
Bridgewater State College

Corry Mackin
Phase Forward

Monica Rivera-Malpica (grad ’08)
Insiders Technologies
Kaiserslautern, Germany

Mikaela Newell
Bullhorn

Justin Paresky (grad ’08)
Eze Castle

Margot Miksis
Pearson Education

Leah Romano
Marketing Communications Intern
Waters Corporation