Amanda Preston is a Professor of English at Eastfield College, adjunct lecturer at UNT Dallas, an emerging Dallas poet, freelance copywriter for UT Southwestern, and a graduate student in Cognitive Neuroscience at UT Dallas. Her poetry has been translated and read in Germany at the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive Anthropology and the Goethe Language Institute, published both at home and abroad, and installed in gallery exhibition spaces across the Dallas metroplex.
In addition to teaching composition and rhetoric, poetics, and the western literary tradition, Preston also studies and speaks on language-focused androgogy, volunteers as a communications specialist for the Association for Talent Development Dallas Chapter, and performs as a company member of the Dallas-based dance theatre company the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group.
Preston admits to being an unapologetic coffee addict with a penchant for sailing and philosophical dilettantism. She can occasionally be found jumping out of planes or diving shipwrecks, but rarely in a crowd.
PROFESSIONAL
UNT Dallas
Adjunct Faculty
August 2016 – Present
UNT Dallas Jaguar Gateway Program with Eastfield College
Instructor / Curriculum Designer / English Coordinator
January 2015 – Present
Eastfield College, DCCCD
Faculty Coordinator – English
July 2016 – Present
Professor – English & Non-Course Based Options
August 2015 – Present
Visiting Scholar – Developmental English
August 2013 – August 2015
Adjunct Lecturer – English
August 2012 – May 2016
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Brain Institute Development Communications Contractor: Creative Writer
August 2015 – Present
Plano SAT Master
Private Tutor & Senior Curriculum Designer
May 2012 – August 2013
UT Dallas Writing Center
Writing Consultant
January 2011 – December 2012
UT Dallas School of Arts & Humanities
Teaching Assistant (scholarship recipient)
January 2010 – December 2011
United States Army
American Forces Network (Europe & Asia)
Broadcast Journalist (46R)
July 2001 – November 2003
EDUCATION
M.S. in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience
University of Texas at Dallas
Spring 2017
Industry Internship: Novel Curriculum Strategies for Adult Learners in English and Developmental Education, Supervised by Richard Golden, PhD
Conference paper: “Sentential Prosody in English Sonnets” (March 2016)
M.A. in Humanities: Studies in Literature & Aesthetics
University of Texas at Dallas
Fall 2011
Foreign Language: German – Goethe Language Institute, Schwabisch Hall, Germany
Conference paper: “Reconstructionism: Poiesis of Mind, Body, Matter, and Meaning” (March 2012)
B.A. in Literary Studies
University of Texas at Dallas
Fall 2008
Magna cum laude and Undergraduate Thesis Highest Honors
Honors Thesis: “Epic Poetry: A Human Constitution”, 2008
LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS
ATD Master Instructional Designer Course
Dallas (March 14-16, 2016)
Puente Certified Instructor: Catch the Next, Inc. Dream Catchers
University of Texas at Austin (June 2016)
Learning & the Brain Society: Focused, Organized Minds-The Science of Attention
Boston (November 2014)
40 Hours Advanced Electronic Journalism
Defense Information School, AFKN, Yongsan Army Base, South Korea (2002)
Broadcast Basic Writing and Announcing Skills (46R)
Defense Information School, Fort Meade, MD (2001)
ACADEMIC AWARDS & HONORS
Who’s Who among North American Educators (2015)
Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society (2012)
Golden Key International Honour Society – Graduate Chapter (2012)
Featured student focus, UT Dallas Magazine 2:2 (2012), “Reinventing the Arts,” p. 25.
Teaching Assistant Scholarship (2010 – 2011)
Magna Cum Laude (senior thesis) & Highest Honors (GPA) (2008)
UT Dallas Dean’s List (2007 – 2008)
Golden Key International Honour Society – Undergraduate Chapter (2008)
UT Dallas Transfer Scholarship (2006 – 2008)
PUBLICATIONS & CONFERENCES
“Crafting the Classroom Experience: Transforming Theory into Praxis & Practicum.” (Oct. 2016). Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Eastfield College. Adjunct Faculty Professional Development Workshop.
“Sentential Prosody in English Sonnets.” (Mar. 2016). R.A.W. Graduate Symposium. UT Dallas. Conference paper.
“Artful Deception, Languaging, and Learning—The Brain on Seeing Itself.” Open Journal of Philosophy 5.7 (Nov. 2015): 402-417. Web. DOI: 10.4236/ojpp.2015.57049
“Identity as Conversation: A Review of DGDG’s ‘The Show About Men’.” World Arts Today (July 27, 2015). Ed. Karen MacDonough. Web. Dance Review.
“What Cognitive Neuroscience Can Do for English Professors.” Cisco College Core Curriculum Conference (C5). Cisco College. (May 2015). Conference paper.
“Incomplete Musings.” Thirty-seven Thirty-seven (Apr. 2015). Ed. Amy Dennis. Eastfield College. Web. Poem.
“The Lying Instinct: Nietzschean Neuroscience.” R.A.W. Graduate Symposium. UT Dallas. (2015). Conference paper.
“Public Intellectuals Post Two Cultures of Science and Humanities.” Invitational Panel with Keynote speaker Dr. Sophia Roosth, Harvard, and UTD faculty Dr. Charissa Terranova and Frank Dufour. Moderator: Dr. Pameal Gossin. UTD. R.A.W. Graduate Symposium. UT Dallas. (2015). Panel.
“Faculty Focus: Teaching Philosophy.” Eastfield College Newsletter (Sept. 2014). Mesquite, TX: Eastfield College Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Web. Article.
“Cognitive Science for Developmental Language Pedagogy.” 9th Annual Developmental Education Regional Forum. The North Texas Community College Consortium and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Plano, TX: Collin College, 2014. Conference paper.
“A Mirage.” Subprimal (Spring 2014). Ed. Victor David Sandiego. Web. Poem & Audio recording.
“Through Adolescence, Run.” Subprimal (Spring 2014). Ed. Victor David Sandiego. Web. Poem & Audio recording.
“Subconscious.” Emerge Literary Journal (Summer 2013). Ed. Adriana D. Den Bleyker. Print & Web. ISSN 2166-266 (online) / ISSN 2166-2258 (print). Poem.
“Immeasurables.” Symmetry Pebbles 5. (2013). Ed. Richard Thomas. Web. Poem.
“Reconstructionism: Poïesis of Mind, Body, Matter, and Meaning.” R.A.W. Graduate Symposium. UT Dallas. (2012). Conference reading.
“Sense Irradiance.” One Song, Three Composers. Auth. & Ed. Shannon Novak. (2012): 172-87, 204-06. Print: Poetry collection.
ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIP
ATD Dallas
Modern Language Association
Learning & the Brain Society
Eastfield College Faculty Association
National Association for Developmental Education
National Council of Teachers of English
Texas Community College Consortium
Texas Community College Teachers Association
DCCCD Intellectual Property and Academic Integrity Committee
PHILANTHROPY
KERA Public Radio Sustaining Member
Austin Adopt-a-Hive Donor
ASPCA Sustaining Donor
MLA Scholarship Annual Donor
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Donor
Light Sail Project, Planetary Society, Donor
12/16/2015 Tornado Disaster Relief Donor
The Foundation, DCCCD – Scholarship Donor
Eastfield College Emergency Scholarship Fund Donor
PERFORMANCES, INSTALLATIONS, & READINGS
Listed in chronological order
Eastfield Arts Collective. (November 2016). Something Rotten: A Reading of Hamlet. Mesquite, TX: Eastfield College. Horatio and Rosencrantz.
Danielle Georgiou Dance Group. Swarm. (November 2016). Dallas, TX: The Mac. Performer.
—. (November 2016). “Cabaret Can-can.” DMA Late Night. Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art. Dancer.
—. (November 2016). Swarm. Dallas, TX: J. Eric Jonsson Public Library. Performer.
—. (September 2016). “Yorktown.” Hamilton, restaged for Dallas, TX: The Black Academy of Arts and Letters. Performer.
—. (September 2016). “Not that Simple.” Texas Equal Access Fund, supported by the National Institute of Reproductive Health. Dallas, TX: The Black Academy of Arts and Letters. Performer.
—. (September 2016). CD Release Show for Ishi hosted by Trees Dallas. Dancer.
—. (July 2016). Bastille on Bishop. Dallas, TX: Downtown & Flora Street. Dancer.
—. (May 2016) Home Grown Music and Arts Fest 7 performance with Ishi hosted in Main Street Garden, Dallas. Dancer.
—. (February 2016). America’s Got Talent. Producer solicited audition. Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Dallas, TX. Dancer.
Shane Arts. “Comedy Killers.” (February 2016). Written and directed by Tim Shane, Shane Arts Theatre Company. Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre. Odessa, TX: Odessa College. Actor, Isabella Ghiradelli.
Danielle Georgiou Dance Group. —. (January 2016). “Not that Simple.” Texas Equal Access Fund, supported by the National Institute of Reproductive Health. Dallas, TX: Ro2 Gallery. Performer.
—. (December 2015) New Year’s Eve performance with Ishi hosted by Be Local Dallas and Trees. Dancer.
—. (November 2015) Art for Advocacy event hosted by the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. Performance with Ishi and The Color Condition. Dallas, TX: Fashion Industry Gallery. Dancer.
—. (October 2015) “Social Studies and Other To-Dos.” Aurora: The Art of Light, Video and Sound. In collaboration with The Color Condition and Slik Stockings. Dallas, TX: The Arts District. Dancer.
—. (July 2015) “Under Her Skin.” Twelfth Annual Modern Dance Festival: Choreographer’s Showcase. Fort Worth, TX: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Principle dancer.
—. (February 2015) “Subconscious.” Dallas Festival of Ideas. Dallas, TX: Winspear Opera House. Spoken word poetry reading.
—. (April 2014) “Pony: Jelly Belly” 2014 Dallas Art Fair. In collaboration with artist Claire Ashley. Dallas, TX: Fashion Industry Gallery. Dancer.
—. (2012) “The Places She Resides.” Women’s History Month Dance Concert. Mesquite, TX: Eastfield College. Spoken word poetry reading.
“Rituala Kino: Harakiri Invocation.” (2012) CentralTrak Art Gallery. Dallas, TX. Reading. Site-specific collaboration & performance with Dallas arts collective, Circle Werk.
“Synaesthetic Ars Poetic.” (2011) CentralTrak Gallery. Featured poet. Collaborative
interdisciplinary response to syneasthesia artist residency exhibition One Song, Three Composers.
“Sommerfest Gedichte.” Goethe Institute, Schwӓwisch Hall, Germany (2011). Featured poet. Select invitational arts performance to an international audience of over 200.
“Pendulum Swing.” (2011) Max Planck Institute for Cognitive Anthropology. Leipzig, Germany. Invitational reading with Annemarie Estor, Dr. Frederick Turner, Dr. Elmar Schenkel, and institute director Professor Dr. Robert Turner.
“Response to Acoustic Synergy.” Ro2 Art Gallery. Dallas, TX (2012). Poetry collection. Featured poet and sculpture installation: invitational exhibition of visual arts, poetry, and cognitive neuroscience responses to Shannon Novak’s Acoustic Synergy collection.
The Poet's Glass 
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