Ryan A. Forsythe

EDUCATION

Certificate of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (2001)
120 hour certificate course, including 8 hours of supervised teaching practice.
TEFL International. Ban Phe, Thailand.

Master of Science in Education (1998)
Higher Education and Student Affairs Program.
Indiana University. Bloomington, IN. Major GPA: 3.84/4.0

Bachelor of Arts in English / Bachelor of Science in Psychology (1996)
Concentration in Creative Writing. Graduated Cum Laude & With Honors in the Liberal Arts.
The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH. English GPA: 3.66/4.0 Psychology GPA: 3.56/4.0

Additional coursework (post-masters) includes classes in creative writing, screenwriting, throatsinging, Swahili, Korean, didgeridoo making and playing, and whittling.

PROFESSIONAL WORK HISTORY

Construction Intern (September 2003-November 2003)
Largo Canyon School. Largo Canyon, New Mexico.

• Internship in sustainable building practices. Learned construction techniques in areas of adobe, strawbale, concrete, welding and metalwork, plastering, tiling, carpentry, and greenhouse construction.

• Provide individual assistance for area of 175 students in 4 housing co-operatives and 61 students in 16 college-owned houses.
• Serve as liaison between OSCA student co-operative organization and Department of Residential Life.
• Advise and serve as resource for 7 Housing Loose-Ends Coordinators (live-in student staff members).
• Conduct periodic cleanliness inspections of housing facilities.
• Provide rotating weekday and weekend campus duty, and be available for crisis intervention.
• Assist in selection and training of student staff.

• Welcomed, registered, and oriented guests to 104 bed hostel with large international community of guests.
• Provided information and handle reservations over phone.
• Designed and managed hostel website at http://headlandshostel.homestead.com/
• Created 'Hostel of the Month' staff development program.
• Collected and recorded overnight fees and sales of goods, and balanced shift transaction record.
• Maintained safety, security, and atmosphere of hostel and its guests.
• Maintained cleanliness of kitchens, bathrooms, dormitories, and all public areas.
• During 3 week manager vacation, coordinated group reservations, assisted with porblem resolution, provided overnight security coverage, and served as back-up to desk staff during times of high activity.

Complex Coordinator (February 1999-June 1999)
Mesa Court Housing. University of California, Irvine.

• Supervised 12 Resident Assistants in residential community of 23 buildings housing approximately 1250 primarily first-year students.
• Conducted judicial interviews and investigations regarding alleged cases of behavioral misconduct.
• Coordinated spring selection process for student staff, including creation of a website with printable application.
• Planned and facilitated weekly staff meetings and development sessions.
• Provided complex and campus-wide on-call duty coverage and intervened in crisis and emergency situations.

• Responsible for supervision of 88 resident living area in shipboard community of 616 students.
• Provided educational and social programming, and served as resource, for entire ship capacity of 616 students.
• Served as liaison for in-country tour guides and trip leader for up to 56 students for activities and field trips.
• Coordinated programming and activities in theater each night while at sea.
• Through special Communications area assignment, co-advised production of daily Seawatch News program and served as advisor to the student yearbook.
• Served on rotating day, evening, and in-country duty shifts.
• Assisted in general embarkation and debarkation procedures.

• Assisted students and conference participants through daily desk support.
• Provided on-call support and was available for crisis intervention.

• Supervised 6-9 Resident Assistants in residential complex of approximately 1000 students (1997-98 school year); supervised 7 Resident Assistants in complex of 1300 primarily first-year residents (1996-97 school year).
• Facilitated biweekly staff meetings and development activities.
• Conducted education-based judicial conferences with approximately 30 students each semester.
• Coordinated center staff selection procedures, and served on campus-wide residential staff selection committee.
• Intervened in crisis and emergency situations, and provided duty coverage.
• Assisted in staff training and development programs, including the organization and implementation of fall and spring workshop.
• Advised residence hall government with yearly operating budget of approximately $12,000.

• Evaluated existing acknowledgment policies and presented recommendations for increased process efficiency.
• Assisted in production and dissemination of acknowledgments to donors.

• Coordinated ice assignments for program students and walk-ons.
• Developed and implemented daily arts and crafts program.
• Supervised and managed concerns of three Ice Skating Monitors.
• Assisted in day-to-day operation of program, including monitoring of on- and off-ice activities of students.

• Provided individual assistance to 45 residents in Honors Living/Learning Center residence program of approximately 500 students.
• Developed and implemented academic, health-related, and social programs to foster group interaction and development at both floor and hall-wide levels.
• Provided counseling and referral to students with academic and personal concerns.
• Served as On-Call staff by making rounds of building and being available for crisis intervention.
• Hall Council. Co-advised residence hall government, including serving as part of committee to revise Hall Council Consitution, 1994-95.
• Student Advisory Board. Advised academic programming body in providing activities to maximize student-faculty interaction and enhance student scholastic achievement.
• Social Chair Committee. Advised programming subgroup in coordination and planning of activities, 1995-96.
• Residence Life Task Force. Represented student staff on committee to restructure format and content of required seven-week Resident Advisor course.
• Condom Awareness Week. Coordinated building programs and activities for awareness week.
• Chaired committee to create center mission statement.
• Organized staff exchange with Earlham College.
• Jacob B. Taylor Memorial. Organized committee responsible for creation of memorial to honor building's namesake.
• R.A. Selection. Interviewed and provided input regarding selection of new Resident Advisors.

• Assisted conference participants and parents with needs and concerns.
• Provided overnight security and service for participants.
• Made nightly rounds of building and was available in case of emergency.

• Served as primary customer service agent.
• Reconciled cash transactions and made deposits.
• Reported biweekly inventory to store manager and ordered supplies.
• Maintained operation of machinery, including biweekly sanitation.
• Prepared store for daily opening and/or closing.

• Acted as team leader for four-person staff in daily cleanup and operation of community pool and park facilities.
• Prepared and maintained eight ball diamonds in two city parks for daily softball and hardball games.
• Repaired machinery as necessary.

Have Mother, Will Travel (March 2004)
Based on my genealogy research (with assistance from a very helpful journalist), I was able to find some relatives still living in the German town my great-grandmother left in 1893 to head to Cleveland. Took Ma with me to see them in Weiden, Germany.

Cross-Country Road Trip (August 2003-December 2003)
Primarily traveling by 2-lane highways and back roads, explored the U.S. in our 18-foot school bus. States visited included Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Chronicled adventures in "Travels with Lola" (see PUBLICATIONS below).

Sea Turtle Protection (June 2002-July 2002)
Volunteered with Nuestra Tierra marine turtle protection program near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, including nightlong patrols of beaches, collection and incubation of natural nests, and construction of campsite and corrals.

Certificate of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (2001)
TEFL International. Ban Phe, Thailand. 120 hour certificate course, including 8 hours of supervised teaching practice. At conclusion of course, served one week as instructor for English language outdoor adventure camp program.

Volunteering & Learning Honeymoon/Vacation (November 2000-March 2001)
Experiences included volunteer teaching at Tupendane Center for Street Children in Tanzania; working at a cooperative organic farm in Denmark; genealogy research in Sweden; and three weeks backpacking through northwestern Laos

Semester at Sea (September 1998-December 1998)
Participated as staff member with 100 day study abroad program aboard the S.S. Universe Explorer. Countries visited included Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Israel, Italy, Turkey, and Morocco.

Personal Travel (June 1994-August 1994)
Backpacked and traveled by train during 8-week exploration of Europe. Countries visited included Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.


LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE ACTIVITIES

• American College Personnel Association. Member, 1995-2000; 2002-current.
• Children for Children's Future in Arusha, Tanzania. Volunteer Teacher, 2000.
• National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Case Study Challenge. Participant, 1997.
• Midwest Meeting of Graduate Students in Student Personnel. Member, Host and Publicity Committees, 1996.
• Alternative Spring Break. Provided service for Minneapolis HIV and GLBT related organizations, 1996.
• Ice Skating Club. Acting President, 1995-1996. Precision Skating Team Member, 1995.
• Taylor Tower Community Development Committee. Member, 1995-96.
• Acrosport Club. Member, 1995.
• Honors Programming Board. Summer Planning Committee Member, 1995.
• Undergraduate Student Government. Assembly Member & Representative to North Campus Residence Halls, 1994-95.
• University Senate. Student Representative, 1994-1995.
• Honors Community Association. Member, 1992-1995. Residence Hall Representative, 1993-94.
• "High on Pride," The Ohio State University Community Clean Up Program. Participant, 1994.
• Office for Disability Services. Test Assistant, 1992-95.
• Residence and Dining Halls. Orientation Welcome Leader, 1992.
• Leadership Ohio State I. Participant, 1992.

• "Creating the Ideal Hostel" Marin Headlands Hostel Staff Development, 2000.
• "Day 50: Where Have You Been? Where Are You Going?" Semester at Sea Community College presentation, 1998.
• "Unleashing Your Creativity." IU/National Residence Halls Honorary Retreat, 1997.
• "Creating a Buzz with Your Small Staff." IU Residence Life Skills Conference. 1997.
• "Building Coalitions with Student Government." IU Residence Life Pre-Service training, 1996.
• "Advising Floor Governments" and "The First Floor Meeting." OSU Residence Life Pre-Service Training, 1995.
• "Future Skills Applications for Graduating RA's." OSU Residence Life Mid-Year Central Skills Training, 1995.

• "Travels with Lola" Travel column published every 2-4 weeks in the Oberlin News-Tribune, 2003-present.
• "Top Secret" Winner of NFG literary magazine writing contest. Originally published in vol 1, issue 2 of magazine.
• National Novel Writing Month. Participant, November 2003. Named as a Winner for writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
• "The Little Mother" Story included in Rite of Passage: Backpacking 'Round Europe, published by Lonely Planet March 2003.
• "Traveling Light" Biweekly travel column published in the Oberlin News-Tribune, 2002-03
• FM 91.5 Oberlin College & Community Radio. Disc Jockey "The Happy Fun Ball", Spring 2002. Disc Jockey "Indy News & Music Too", Fall 2002.
• "Match Made at Marin Headlands Hostel" Article published in The Golden Gate Hosteller, Summer 2001 edition.
• Marin Headlands Hostel Designed and created hostel website, 2000.
• "One Dollar for William Shakespeare, Sixteen for the Woman on my Back" Featured story of the month at Hostels.com's Places and Tales, 1999.
• Journal of the IU Student Personnel Association. Editor, 1997-98 edition. Review Board Member, 1996-97 edition.
• "Minority Admissions Policies and the Courts: What's a School to Do?" Article published in 1996-97 edition Journal of the IU Student Personnel Association.
• The Alternative, AM 1570, WIUS Bloomington. Disc Jockey, 1998. News Reporter, 1997.
• T-shirt design. Designed and organized production of t-shirts for Department of Residence Life (1996-97); RA Staff (1994-95, 1995-96); Residence Hall Floors (1994-95; 1995-96, 1996-97); OSU College of Engineering (1995); and North Campus Coffeehaus (1994).
• Still Talking to Glass. Community Theatre Production. Played role of "Unemployed Mortician", 1996.
• Medieval and Renaissance Festival. Dance Troupe Member, 1994. Site Captain, 1993. Performer, 1992.
• Mosaic, Undergraduate Literary Magazine. Layout Staff Member, 1992-93.

• Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, Epsilon of Ohio Chapter. Inducted 1997.
• Golden Key National Honor Society. Inducted 1996.
• Taylor Tower Student Leader of the Year Award, 1995-96.
• Second Annual Dublin Skate, Figure Skating Competition. Silver Medal, 1995.
• Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology. Inducted 1994.
• OSU Residence and Dining Halls Most Outstanding Service Award, 1993-94.
• University Honors Program. Member, 1991-1996.
• National Merit Finalist Scholarship Award, 1991.

© 1998-2004 ryan@forsythe.to