Heather Augustyn, M.A.

Assistant Professor of Practice in Writing

Coordinator, Westville Writing Center

Introduction

Heather Augustyn is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Writing. She teaches first-year writing as well as oral and written communication for engineers.

Research Overview

She writes extensively about the history of ska music in Jamaica, the U.K., the U.S., and all over the world. Her books, scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, and online publications aim to give recognition of these artists and this marginalized genre of music. She has also established a collection of ska oral histories and artifacts at the Archive of African American Music.

I am born and raised in this region. This is my home. I am dedicated to Northwest Indiana and believe strongly in the community--here at PNW and beyond our campus walls.

Select Publications

Women in Jamaican Music, McFarland, 2020

Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation, Rowman & Littlefield, 2013

Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy of the World’s Greatest Trombonist, 2013

Teaching Focus

Her research focuses on rhetoric and transferable skills, from the classroom to real-world applications. Her approach dissects writing through rhetorical analysis of various models and genres before engaging students in applying these methods to their own work. She encourages students to incorporate interviews as primary sources and she demonstrates this in her own scholarly and journalistic work.

Previous Roles

Prior to teaching at PNW she was correspondent for The Times of Northwest Indiana for 12 years. She worked in public relations for ten years in Chicago at The Museum of Broadcast Communications, Clear Channel Communications, Planet Hollywood, and Edelman Public Relations.