Holly E. BurgessResearcher, Educator, Public Speaker, Instructional designer, & Strategist
Professional Email: holly-burgess@outlook.com
Professional Website: hollyeburgess.com
Resume
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Highly organized and adaptable Higher Education Professional, Instructional Designer, and Operations Specialist with 14 years of experience across instructional design, customer service, retail, government, finance, and higher education. Proven track record of designing multimedia learning materials, managing complex client records, streamlining payment processing, and providing high-level support to executive staff. Expert in stakeholder collaboration and translating complex organizational needs into actionable, efficient results.
WORK EXPERIENCE
CHAIR, postcolonial and decolonial studies
2026
Midwest Modern Language Association (MMLA)
Chair: Direct regional academic programming and high-level stakeholder collaboration for a prominent professional association.
Facilitate panelist coordination and manage complex research proposals for the Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies Permanent Section at the MMLA annual convention.
2016–2026
graduate fellow & instructor
Instructional Excellence: Designed and led curriculum for rhetoric & composition, and African American Literature courses, mentoring 180+ students in producing high-impact multimodal research.
Leadership & Mentorship: Selected for the Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellowship; served as a Teaching Mentor to train new instructors in curriculum development and instructional troubleshooting.
Competitive Funding: Awarded $150k+ in cumulative doctoral fellowships and awards, including the Cyril E. Smith Trust and Diversity fellowships.
Data & Records Management: Synthesized academic data and managed metadata for departmental repositories using CheckMarq, Zotero, and advanced technical suites.
bank teller
2016
North Shore Bank
Managed high-volume financial transactions with expert accuracy, ensuring strict adherence to compliance and security protocols.
Provided proactive sales support through targeted product referrals, consistently meeting team goals in a fast-paced environment.
Strict adherence to compliance and security protocols to ensure operational accuracy.
Cashier/Guest Services Associate/Home Sales Associate
2013–2016
Gordmans
Expert Salesperson; consistently led the district in credit card acquisitions and rewards program enrollments.
Driving operational excellence by consistently meeting district-wide performance metrics.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
2014–2015
Sigma Tau Delta-Tau Psi, The University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Designed all chapter materials and social media posts for Sigma Tau Delta-Tau Psi.
MEDICAL RECORDS CLERK
2012–2012
Facilitated sensitive archival management and record processing for government personnel, ensuring 100% data confidentiality and accuracy.
Maintained highly organized filing systems and processed confidential information with professional discretion.
education
marquette university
PHD, ABD, English
August 2018–May 2026
British and American Literature
Current GPA: 3.944
marquette university
May 2018
M.A., English
British and American Literature
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside
B.A. ENGLISH
December 2015
Film Studies Certification
3.48 GPA
GEORGE NELSON TREMPER HIGH SCHOOL
June 2011
High School Diploma
skills
Administrative & Financial Support: High-volume financial transaction processing, sensitive document management, and record synthesis.
Sales & Client Relations: Expert salesperson with a track record of leading teams in credit card acquisitions and rewards program enrollments.
Technical Proficiency: Apple Ecosystem (expert), Desire2Learn (D2L) Bright Space (LMS), Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Microsoft Office 365 (expert Word & PowerPoint), Microsoft Excel (foundational), high-speed typing (80+ wpm), Zotero Metadata Management.
Proactive Problem Solving: Strong history of stakeholder collaboration and identifying operational needs to ensure seamless office workflows
Instructional Design & Pedagogy: Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, Captivate), Curriculum mapping, Adult Learning Theory, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), needs assessment, syllabus development, multimedia learning modules, ADDIE model.
Professional Writing & Editorial: Rhetoric & Composition, business & technical writing, in-depth analytical writing, legal document synthesis, social media copywriting, creative writing (poetry/short stories/novels).
Public Speaking & Engagement: Academic lecturing, public library lecturing, seminar facilitation, keynote delivery, audience-specific content adaptation, Q&A management, conference presentations.
Digital Content & Web Design: Squarespace, Weebly, basic HTML/CSS principles, information architecture, digital portfolio management, social media ecosystems (Twitter/X, Tumblr/Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn).
Visual Communication & Graphic Design: Digital Asset Creation (Canva), advanced typography & layout, brand identity management, legacy Photoshop principles, Instagram video editing (reels/stories).
Leadership & Strategy: Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellow; Identified "Influencer" personality profile (high-aptitude for persuasion and organizational change); project management (dissertation lifecycle), stakeholder collaboration, strategic planning, expert salesperson.
honors & Awards
John D. McCabe Award for Excellence in Teaching
May 2023
Professor Pizzaz
April 2023