The University of Iowa Public Digital Humanities for Lunch (PDH4L) series offers a special segment on civic engagement through writing with a unique presentation by Bridget Draxler of Monmouth College.

"New Ways of Writing in Community" takes place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Gerber Auditorium in the English and Philosophy Building (EPB) located near the Main Library on the UI campus. All lectures are free and open to the public. Lunch is not provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own.

Draxler—who is also a UI alumna—is presenting an overview of her research through a workshop titled “New Ways of Writing in Community.” Her focus on collaborative writing is one of the reasons she has been asked to present on the topic, with the help of the Digital Studio for Public Humanities (DSPH) at the UI.

According to Draxler, the main theme of her work will be how digital tools and technologies change the form of writing together.

“In this workshop, we'll talk about 21st century literacies and multimedia authoring, strategies for integrating peer-to-peer learning in the writing process, and writing as a form of civic engagement. We will address our work as writers and writing instructors, and we'll learn how to use familiar tools in new ways to write in community,” she says.

Draxler is an assistant professor of English and the director of an interdisciplinary writing program at Monmouth College. Her current role at the college allows her to support student speaking and writing skills by developing public digital humanities initiatives within the college's core curriculum. Her current research interests include civic engagement, museum curation, and 18th century British literature.

Draxler earned her doctorate degree from the UI’s English Department in 2011. As a graduate student, she served two terms as a HASTAC Scholar and as a fellow at the Obermann Graduate Institute for Engagement and the Academy. She recently developed a course in Iowa literature as part of the UI UNESCO City of Literature mobile application development team, highlighting UNESCO's designation of Iowa City as a World City of Literature through undergraduate student research.

PDH4L talks throughout 2013 will focus on the nature and role of public digital humanities in contemporary culture. Over the course of this series, audiences will interact with prominent public digital humanities researchers and help shape the discussion of this rapidly rising field of study.