William Meiners

1422 Meadow Street     |     Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858     |     billsportliterate@gmail.com     |     (765) 409-0753
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EDUCATION

Fiction Writing MFA – 2003          Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
Fiction Writing MFA – 1996          Columbia College – Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
BA Journalism – 1992                   Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana

TEACHER EXPERIENCE

Fixed-Term Faculty Member Central Michigan University English Department
August 2024 – Present
• Teach English 101, encouraging students to develop critical thinking skills through various types of writing.
• Teach English 201, providing editorial guidance for students exploring a debatable topic in various professional fields.
• Taught English 142, a sports and literature class that matches well with my professional background.

English Instructor and Writing and Reading Center Consultant Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College and Mid Michigan
College, Mount Pleasant and Harrison campuses
January 2016 – December 2024
• Taught creative writing class at the Tribal College, encouraging students to find their voices in poetry, creative nonfiction,
fiction, and drama.
• Taught English 110, an introductory academic writing course focusing on critical reading and writing skills, at Mid Mich.
• Taught English 222, a sophomore-level class where students explore and write about a topic within their future fields.
• Advised walk-in students in one-on-one sessions in the Mid Michigan Writing and Reading Center.

EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE

Freelance Writer William Meiners Writing, LLC, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
July 2004 – Present
• Creative nonfiction book. Though the Odds Be Great or Small: Notre Dame’s 1957 Comeback Season and the Year That Changed
College Football (Loyola Press, 2021), coauthored with Terry Brennan, former Notre Dame player and coach.
• Journalism. Contributed dozens of articles to the Gratiot County Herald, a family-owned weekly newspaper from February
2021 to November 2024. The Herald has been the paper of record in Gratiot County since the late 1800s.
• College alumni magazines. Purdue Alumnus Magazine. Wrote more than 40 feature articles, including 12 cover stories, for
this publication delivered to some 38,000 Purdue alumni. DEMO Magazine. Wrote numerous profiles and features for
Columbia College Chicago’s alumni publication over a 10-year period.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Michigan Early Childhood. Collaborated with researchers from Central Michigan University and
interviewed more than 30 early childhood experts from around the state to produce a 106-page report in 2018.
• Crane MetaMarketing. Recruitment writer. Made editorial contributions to several viewbook recruitment publications for
private schools and universities, including Temple University and City College of New York.

Writer and Editor Central Michigan University, College of Education and Human Services, Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
June 2013 – January 2015
• Worked with the dean and five department chairs to boost the college’s communication efforts. Wrote more than 20
faculty profiles and several program, student, and alumni stories. Wrote press releases for the university’s news service.
• Conceptualized a Life in Progress magazine series to share timely stories of faculty and student achievements within the
college’s departments.
• Created copy and concept for a college-wide viewbook for student recruitment purposes. Conducted focus group with
teacher education students.

Senior Project Editor Purdue University, Office of Marketing and Media, West Lafayette, Indiana.
March 1999 – June 2013
Editorial and Writing:
•Purdue’s College of Engineering: Served as managing editor on 40 different engineering print publications. Conceptualized and produced seven annual research publications (Purdue’s Engineering Edge), highlighting Purdue’s cross-disciplinary efforts in the areas of nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, homeland security, alternative energies, and the college’s eight signature areas. The fall 2005 version received a bronze medal from CASE V.
•Purdue Engineering Impact: Provided editorial lead on several school and departmental magazines, including Civil Engineering Impact, Construction Engineering and Management Impact, Mechanical Engineering Impact, and Nuclear Engineering Impact. Earned a 2005 bronze medal from CASE V.
•HHS Life 360: Conceptualized and provided editorial lead for the College of Health and Human Sciences’ magazine.
•Purdue Alumnus and Gold and Black Illustrated: Have written articles on all of Purdue’s intercollegiate sports teams, along with several profiles and features.
•Provided concept and copy for billboards, fundraising letters, postcards, and posters.

Founding Editor Sport Literate, Chicago, Illinois and Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
January 1995 – Present
•Founder: created the nation’s lone literary journal exploring sports through creative nonfiction.
•Grant writer: received and managed 18 consecutive awards from the Illinois Arts Council (IAC). In 2023, we earned our first grant from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council.
•Editor: worked with nearly 1,000 contributors, including many recognized in The Best American Essays anthology.
•Business manager: managed more than $55,000 in grant monies.
•Mentor: Advised and managed student interns from Harvard University and Butler University.

PUBLICATIONS

College Pubs: “Piracy and Privacy in the Internet Age” (Purdue Alumnus,); “Credit Where Credit Was Due”—about the true designer of the Golden Gate Bridge (Extrapolations); “Nuclear’s Quiet Comeback” (Purdue’s Engineering Edge); “Put It on the Board… Yes!” (DEMO magazine); “Upward Mobility” (Mechanical Engineering Impact); “Learning in Year One” (Life 360); “Taking the Fight to Parkinson’s” (Purdue Alumnus).

Notable Interviews: Astronauts Guy Gardner, Janice Voss, and David Wolf; Leslie Geddes, National Medal of Technology winner; Olympic Gold Medalists David Boudia and Adolph Kiefer; Bob Peterson, Academy Award winner; Johnny Lattner and Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winners; New York Times sportswriter Robert Lipsyte; New England Patriot Matt Light; Emmy Award winning journalists Bob McNamara and Bob Sirott; Geling Yan, international bestselling novelist.

HONORS & AWARDS

• Sport Literate’s “Fight Club” issue named among the “Notable Special Issues from 2019” in The Best American Essays 2020.
• Gold winner of a 2013 Service Industry Advertising Awards for Life 360.
• Winner of a bronze medal from the CASE V Awards for Purdue’s Engineering Edge, fall 2005.
• Winner of a bronze medal and an honorable mention from CASE V for Impact.
• Eighteen-time recipient of a grant from the Illinois Arts Council — Sport Literate.
• Albert P. Weisman Memorial Scholarship winner — Sport Literate.
• Brian Mexicott Award for best original drama — Purdue’s 71st annual Literary Awards.
• Kneale Award winner for best graduate fiction — Purdue’s 72nd annual Literary Awards.
• A fall 2002 participant in Guideposts magazine writer’s workshop — invited guest from more than 5,000 contestant entries.

References available upon request
Samples online at www.WilliamMeiners.co