Dr. Michael Dressman
Biography
Michael Dressman came to UHD in 1982 as Chair of the Department of Arts and Humanities, a post he held until 1989 when he became Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. After stepping down as dean in 2003, he held a number of posts, including Faculty Ombuds, Interim Provost, and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies. Currently Dr. Dressman is a Professor of English and the Assistant Director of the Master of Security Management for Executives Program.
Degrees Earned
B.A. University of Detroit Mercy
M.A. University of Detroit Mercy
Ph. D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Courses Taught
ENG 3312: Studies in Fiction
ENG 3320: History of English Language
UHD 2304: University Seminar-Culture
Experience Qualifications
Summary of Qualifications:
Dr. Dressman is a tenured professor of English. His Ph.D. dissertation is "Walt Whitman's Study of the English Language" and includes two of his major teaching interests: American literature and the English language. The courses he teaches are in American culture, history and variety of forms of written and spoken English, and the analysis of language and identity. He has twice attended NEH Summer Seminars for College Teachers: 1977, University of Chicago, "American Dialects"; 1999, Western Michigan University, "Anglo-Saxon England." His research and publications are mainly on literature of the United States before 1900, topics in the English dialectology, writing for special purposes, and curricular matters.
More Information
Michael Dressman's special research interests are 19th century American literature and the history of the English language. He is also interested in the application of language in the professions and in popular culture. He has participated in two Summer Seminars for University Faculty Members sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, one in American dialects and the other in Anglo-Saxon England. He also led a seminar for teachers as part of the Houston Teachers Institute.
PUBLICATIONS
"Empress of Calvary: Mystical Marriage in the Poems of Emily Dickinson." South Atlantic Bulletin, 42.1 (Jan. 1977): 39-43.
"Walt Whitman's Plans for the Perfect Dictionary." Studies in the American Renaissance. Vol. 3. Ed. Joel Myerson. New York: Twayne, 1979, pp. 457-74.
"Canadian English: Notions of Nationality and Language," College Quarterly, 8.1 (Winter 2005), published online http://www.collegequarterly.ca /2005-vol08-num01-winter/dressman.html.
"Language and the Law: An Argument for Linguistic Literacy." South Central American Dialect Society at the South Central Modern Language Association Convention, New Orleans, October 5, 2013.
"Eats, Shoots, Leaves, and Sometimes Sells Books: Non-Fiction of the Linguistic Kind." Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, Chicago, April 18, 2014.