Resume, last updated June 2008

Mary Jessica Hammes
231 Rhodes Dr.
Athens, GA 30606
(706)548-6138
mjhammes@gmail.com
www.maryjessicahammes.com

Education

University of Georgia, Athens, GA
A.B.J. degree in newspapers, minor in French, May 1999

L'Institut de Touraine, Tours, France
Certificate in French language and civilization, summer 1998

Writing Experience

Etiquette and Leadership Institute (Athens, GA)
September 2007-present
Freelance writer
• Write monthly e-mail bulletin focused on etiquette issues and tips sent to national clients
• Write press releases on matters of etiquette for local and national media
• Work with co-founders and co-directors of ELI on documents for Perfectly Polished, an etiquette school serving 1,250 students from pre-school to college

Stislow Design+Illustration (Brooklyn, NY)
January-April 2008
Freelance writer
• Wrote and edited copy for a client's book-length annual report

Athens Banner-Herald
July 2000—February 2003 full-time; 2003-present as freelancer
Features Writer
• Developed story ideas, made photo assignments, planned in-depth series, occasionally edited
• Currently freelance, writing stories primarily on art, theater, gardening, and other living topics

Athens Magazine
March 2003—present
Freelance writer
• Cover a variety of features, including local theater, artists, film, hobbies, food and area landmarks

Georgia Scholastic Press Association
2003—present
Judge, instructor
• Judge newspapers, literary magazines and yearbooks submitted by Georgia high school students in GSPA award competition
• Teach workshops on writing for newspapers and literary magazines to Georgia high school students
• Teach newspaper feature writing to high school students at the Georgia Journalism Academy, a summer camp held on UGA campus


University of Georgia's College of Public Health
Spring-Summer 2007
Freelance Writer
• Developed story ideas and wrote every article for the first issue of the College’s magazine, due to be published Fall 2007

University of Georgia Public Affairs/News Service
December 2005—March 2007
Senior Reporter
• Wrote news and feature stories for Columns, the faculty/staff newsweekly
• Wrote press releases
• Copyedited and proofread pages

Georgia Magazine
1999—2007
Freelance writer
• Wrote feature stories for UGA’s alumni magazine on subjects including UGA’s annual rodeo; a first-person account of performing trapeze; the legacy of a late UGA professor; and an Athens filmmaker screening his work at the Sundance festival.

UGA Outreach Magazine
2006
Freelance writer
• Produced winter issue’s cover feature, a multi-story package examining UGA’s Latino Initiative

Franklin Chronicle
2006
Freelance writer
• Profiled poet T.R. Hummer and anthropologist Dorothy Fragaszy for UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Science’s magazine

Oxford University Press
May—August 2001
Contributor for the American National Biography project
• Wrote biography for online publication of Hamilton Holmes, one of two African-American students who integrated UGA

Archimedes Performance, Inc.
October—December 1999
Technical writer
• Researched aspects of VB Script and wrote storyboard for online tutorial

Flagpole Magazine
January 1998—August 1999
Staff reporter and photographer
• Reported and photographed local government news, art, film and music feature stories

Other experience

Canopy Studio
July 2002—present
Trapeze instructor
• Teach flying dance trapeze to children and adults
• Member of Trapeze Repertory Company; past member of Aerial Fabrics Repertory Company
• Founding member, Trapeze Tarts (vaudevillian trapeze performances in live music venues)

Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA)
2005—2006
Curator
• Conceived and organized “Dear Diary: The Autobiographical Comic Book,” working with 23 national and international artist, designing the exhibit space, handling shipping of art, hanging the art, coordinating affiliated workshops and special events, fund-raising and generating all PR

University of Georgia
July 2004-December 2005
Research Technician, National Treatment Center Study
• Cold-called substance abuse treatment centers to participate in research study
• Scheduled field interviews nationwide
• Managed interview schedules of multiple field researchers

In-Home Child Care
May 2003—July 2004
• Cared for infant twins, performed light housework and home repairs

Athens Banner-Herald
2003—2004
Cartoonist
• Wrote and drew weekly strip, “All-True Sometimes!”

References

Juliett Dinkins
Editor, Columns
286 Oconee St., Ste. 200 N
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-8017
jdinkins@uga.edu

Conrad Fink
Director, William S. Morris Chair of Newspaper Strategy and Management,
James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Newspaper Management Studies.
Professor
University of Georgia, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Athens, GA 30601
(706) 542-5031

Julie Phillips
Editor, Athens Banner-Herald
One Press Place
Athens, GA 30601
(706) 208-2221
Julie.phillips@onlineathens.com

Susan Murphy
Artistic Director, Canopy Studio
227 S. Finley St.
Athens, GA 30605
(706) 543-5017
susan@canopystudio.com

Dr. Sarah Covert
Associate Professor
University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
(706) 542-1205