University of Utah Student Newspapers | 2013-03-05 | Page 3

DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 5, 2013 3 Profs create writing group to achieve goals Anne Plummer STAFF WRITER As requirements for tenured professors entail research and publication, the academic writing life has a tendency to be lonely. To combat the solitude, a group of humanities professors come together every two weeks to edit, write and make "dour faces" to those who don't achieve their writing goals. The writing group started two years ago when Robert Gehl, assistant professor in communication, read about academic writing groups in The Chronicle of Higher Education and wanted to be in one himself. After asking around the Department of Communication and recruiting a few professors, the group created the rules and made a Google Docs spreadsheet to mark down daily accomplishments. The spreadsheet is available for all members to see. If they wanted to watch each other and their progress, they can. It's an element of performing for the group, not just for yourself, Gehl said. "One of the problems of `knowledge work' is that we can work anywhere, including at home or on vacation," Gehl said. "It's all in our heads. But if I keep track of what I achieved each day, I don't get stressed when I come home." On "RedThread," the U's blog, Gehl said he likes to call the group "Will THIS Get me Tenure?" even though some group members are tenured professors. In order to get tenure, Gehl said it takes heavy research, studying and publishing in academic journals or books. The writing group has been a "huge help" in publishing research, he said. At the beginning of each semester, the group members announce their goals and how many words they intend to write each day. This semester, Gehl's goal is to write 500 words per day. Every two weeks the group meets and reports whether or not they achieved their goals. If one of the members does not succeed, they have to buy drinks for the whole group, GK ,,, ; whether it's a "fancy coffee" or a beer, Gehl said. Danielle Endres, associate professor in communication, said some members have come in the meetings thinking they owed beers, but after they listed their accomplishments in the two weeks, the group decides they do not owe anything. Some members, for example, won't achieve their number of words but will get an article out to a conference or journal. "I think some of us [are] harder on ourselves than the group is," Endres said. "So it is good to have the group to remind you that you are getting stuff done." Some members in the group have seen a significant change in their writing habits and are also more able to enjoy life at home. Gehl said there are more fun things to life than to "struggle with a blank word processer document." But with the writing group, Gehl can concentrate on LEGOs and train tracks with his son rather than arguments or research ideas. a.plummer@ chronicle.utah.edu , /1' jN • A• 1 I ,1/ ,,, 011 1. 1 INTERNS AND DJs WANTED! Gain Experience Meet New People Speak Your Mind • 1• INV4V4Itriell4 KuTE ON PHOTO COURTESY JON NALICK, USC Mark Humayun of the University of Southern California displays Argus II, a bionic eye designed to help those with retinal damage regain some measure of sight. BIONIC Continued from page 1 The success is person-dependent, as people have differing levels of retinal damage, and their brain may adapt in a unique way. Humayun has already implanted the device and seen firsthand several success stories. "I have a patient who is a grandmother," he said. "She can now play with her grandson and even play basketball. We take this for granted, but it's amazing that these people can see again." So far, 5o people have had the implant surgery, and it is now available in the United States as a humanitarian aid. It is estimated to have helped about 2,000 people a year. Humayun hopes that number will rise as the technology develops. Argus II is still being priced, but it costs about $100,000 in countries like Germany. "It's justified because it provides sight for io years," Humayun said. "So you're paying $10,000 a year for sight." The implant is on the retina itself, so some might find risk in the surgery, but approval in the United States and Europe proves the benefits far outweigh the risks, Humayun said. c.webber@ chronicle.utah.edu Look who's on the World Wide Web \14 \NI ediAVtabCYNV °VN‘ • apply online today @ kuteradio.org THE MOBILE APP • tunein RADIO \mil, Studio: University Union, 4th Floor ' 1111 1 ■11111 utahfm.oRG 4 ,1 UTAH FREE MEDIA Cie Tune in. Be a part. UtahFM.org . A new way of thinking about community broadcasting. STUDENT MEDIA COUNCIL THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The Board of Trustees is now accepting applications for members of the Student Media Council. Contact Jake Sorensen at [phone] or [e-mail] for more information or to obtain an application. Completed applications are due Friday, March 15 by 4 pm.