Amy Samuelson, PhD

Though I have always loved writing and social science, my path to becoming a teacher in these fields was a winding one. I earned dual bachelor’s degrees in engineering from Manchester College and Washington University in St. Louis before deciding to pursue my interest in cultural anthropology. For my master’s degree at Colorado State University, I conducted household surveys on Pine Ridge Reservation and ranches in South Dakota. As part of my doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I spent a year in Moldova and a year in Romania doing ethnographic fieldwork among environmentalists. After graduating in 2013, I returned to Moldova and later moved to the country of Georgia.

In all of these places, I spent time writing, editing, and teaching. In addition to my own writing, I began working as a freelance copy editor. At UWM, I taught a course on ways of life in different cultures and tutored at the writing center. In Moldova and Georgia, I taught English as a foreign language. Since relocating to the Chicago area in 2016 (with my husband and two daughters), I have greatly enjoyed teaching WTMA students.

As a teacher, I tailor my classes to the interests and temperaments of my students. I try to create an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable asking questions, participating in discussions, and sharing their work. I strive to give clear explanations in lectures and helpful feedback on written assignments to prepare students for success in their future academic endeavors.