Hi there,

I'm Cathi and I love the name of MERLOT because I live on a vineyard in the beautiful Okanagan valley of British Columbia (Canada) and ... we grow merlot grapes!! 

I'm also a lecturer at the University of British Columbia's Kelowna campus. I'm a bit of an odd academic to label. I have my PhD in Curriculum Theory and Implementation from a Faculty of Education (SFU) but my research has focused on composition and foundational writing in post-secondary institutions. I've taught pretty much every kind of writing offered at universities and colleges: composition, rhetoric, technical communication, and professional communication. 

I also haven't really belonged to any specific department. I started my career teaching in a Faculty of Education and have since taught in Management, Communication, English, and now I'm a faculty member in the School of Engineering (since 2008).

I'm also an author. I've co-written the textbook Writing Today (Canadian edition, Pearson) and we are currently going through the pain that is copy editing. I also write creative works and have published both young adult novels and a biography.

My current research interests include Engineering Education, Professional Communication, and University Writing (pedagogy and curriculum development).