At a Glance:
Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University
Co-authored 5 academic journal articles and 4 research reports
NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellow & P.E.O. Scholar Awardee
Coursework in Publishing and Editing from Florida State University
Trained in social science quantitative and qualitative methodology
With over 10 years of experience as an editor and academic researcher, I am excited to share my skills with graduate students. My passion for helping others express themselves through writing was born through my first experiences as a copy and managing editor of The Southerner, a 200-page publication with over 28,000 words that required my close attention. I helped produce four volumes of The Southerner. After earning my bachelor’s degree in English and French, I completed three courses in Florida State University’s postgraduate Certificate in Publishing and Editing: Introduction to Editing and Publishing, Electronic Editing, and Copy Editing. These courses formalized my experiences as a developmental and copy editor.
In 2010, I began to pursue my graduate degrees in Higher Education and conduct scholarly research on college students. By the time I earned my Ph.D. in 2018, I had co-authored five published academic journal articles and four research reports. Each of these experiences required both writing and editing tasks, under the supervision of faculty members with exacting standards. I am highly trained in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies for social science research. I have specifically engaged in research using regression and grounded theory methods. Especially through the experience of addressing peer reviewer comments, I have learned how to express statistics in easily digestible and academically responsible ways. Therefore, I am qualified to provide feedback to graduate-level or academic publications.
In addition to my coursework and publication experiences, I submitted highly competitive fellowship applications throughout my time in graduate school. I was awarded a National Academy of Education (NAEd)/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship and P.E.O. Scholar Award in 2016. As a part of the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship, I was mentored by highly recognized scholars on topics related to graduate student success, grant writing, and academic dissemination. Thus, I bring with me the voices and perspectives of more experienced academics. Other than the two awards I personally applied for and successfully received, I submitted over 12 predoctoral and dissertation fellowships during my five-year doctoral program. I am therefore highly experienced with receiving feedback on writing and overcoming failure. In addition, I practiced giving this feedback under the supervision of professionals through my master’s internship in undergraduate fellowship advising. Given this background, I have been called upon by numerous graduate students for assistance on their fellowship application processes.
Last, as an academic mom, I understand the pressures of multiple responsibilities: family, paid and unpaid labor, and school. My greatest wish is to help others succeed within their individual contexts. In my current professional role, I help undergraduates who are struggling in their courses to recover their grades before the end of the semester. I’m enthusiastic about extending these skills to graduate students who need help completing the often difficult and winding journey to the master’s or doctoral degree. Please contact me now at Samantha.Nix@gmail.com to discuss your specific situation and needs so I can help you optimize your time and work!
Samantha Nix 