Meet Anne Surma Senior Lecturer, English and Creative Arts "I’m really fortunate in being able to work with undergraduate students across disciplines – in professional writing, critical public relations, representation and gender, and literary studies. In all these areas, I aim to fire students’ passion and capacity for imaginative writing, reading and communicating in diverse modes and social contexts. "I also love my role supervising several Masters and PhD students, who are working on topics ranging from creative and professional writing to representations of cultural identity. "If I can encourage students to value and become active and thoughtful participants in the absorbing processes of writing, reading, interpreting – communicating, whether in education, in the community, in business or in literary/art culture, then I’m happy."

Education

• BA (First Class Hons), MA, PGCE, PhD

Working experience

• I’ve worked in private industry as an editor and writer, and as a workshop facilitator and consultant, advising on communication strategy and practice.

Publications

• I’m currently writing my second book, The power of professional writing: effecting social change in a global culture (Palgrave).

Membership

• I represent the Society of Editors WA as the state delegate to the national Australian organisation, the Institute of Professional Editors.

Research

I’ve published chapters and refereed journal articles, and my monograph, Public and professional writing: ethics, imagination and rhetoric, was published by Palgrave in 2005.

My teaching is inspired by my research interests, particularly in relation to public and professional writing and ethical rhetoric.

I aim to make both my lectures and tutorials highly interactive sessions, encouraging students to contribute their responses to and views on subject material. This approach supports my firm belief that knowledge is, in part, shaped and extended through processes of communicating.